a slippery buying experience and no return of deposit

I wanted to buy a Mercedes Benz GLE from Weelee Centurion, they wanted to do the finance before I could view the car.

Did the finance and got approved. When I wanted to see the car, I was told that it went in for repairs, but I was assured that it was in full working condition.

Going to see the car and taking delivery (Friday 19th April), 19 km's on the clock since I left Weelee Centurion, on arriving home there was oil spilling all over my driveway until there was almost nothing left in the engine. My driveway was entirely ruined. (Keep in mind that Dekra inspected the car and approved it with the oil leak.)

Phoned the Centurion manager (Mohammed), no response. waited the entire weekend to pass, Tuesday morning (Monday was a holiday) went there with my wife's car, showed them CCTV footage of the car spilling oil on my driveway. They organized a tow truck to fetch the car from my house and to have it repaired.

The entire week went past, after phoning them several times for an update, got the car the Friday evening (25th April). (Keep in mind that Dekra inspected the car and approved it with the oil leak the second time.)

Left the Saturday morning for a trip away for the long weekend (noticed a small pool of oil on the garage floor).

30 minutes outside of PTA, car complains of no oil. Pulled over and the entire car underneath is dripping of oil. Engine dipstick is dry, no oil in the engine.

Phoned Weelee, after several attempts, someone phone me back. Told them that I am going back home with the car, so they can fetch the car there and I don't want it anymore as it is unsafe for me and my family (since I had my wife and 10 month old daughter also in the car).

Spent R1000 filling the car just with oil, drove back home , and left it outside on the front lawn since my driveway was already ruined with the first incident.

We took my wife's car and left for the long weekend while Weelee came to fetch the car from my lawn.

Since then I have been phoning them constantly for my deposit so I can buy another car. It went on for several weeks where I was kept being told that they need to do the upliftment procedure on their side before the deposit can be paid back.

Eventually I ended up having to make a loan so that I could have a deposit for another car because at this point, I have been without a car for 3 weeks, and everything is at a standstill because I have no transport.

Only in the last week (of writing this post), after I paid them a personal visit, did they tell me that they are waiting for Wesbank to do something before I can get my deposit. My argument is that my deposit has absolutely nothing to do with the bank as I had paid my deposit directly to Weelee and I expected them to pay it back within a reasonable timeframe.

The Sales person explained that this is their protocol, regardless of whether the deposit has nothing to do with the finance at Wesbank, only once the process with Wesbank is complete, will I be paid my deposit back.

I have spend money on lots of oil, my driveway is wrecked with oil, my business has suffered because I was without a car for 5 weeks. All of this has incurred a financial loss in some way or form which I plan on recouping though legal services.

Buying a car should always be an exciting and wonderful experience, mine was everything but that. The only polite words I have is "catastrophe" and "disaster" to describe my experience.

I bought the car on the 19th of April, I gave it back on the 26th April, today is the 26th of May, a month later and I am still waiting for my deposit.

This is unfortunately a business that I will not support again.