Robinsons VW Van Centre Peterborough

[BeagleMum]

I take it the dealer doesn’t want to sell another California to a users of this forum ?

You will have to argue your rights and importantly the morality of this with the Dealer. Do not accept or let the vehicle go out of your ownership until you have a full resolution.
Maybe some one like Watchdog etatal would like to take the case on ?

Why should this cost you a penny, you are the harmed party as a result of VW direct actions and failure to produce a product of acceptable standard, then by allowing the defective product to leave the factory, them by failing to inspect th3 v3hicle properly at the Dealer during their acceptance procedure, then failing to identify the numerous faults during preparation for sale.
Or did VW just ignore this fact knowing that some poor punter would have a load of grief, only to be told they now have to pay for VW issue of their own making.
I suggest a conversation with trading st@ndards and the ombudsman scheme that I have no doubt this dealer signs up to.
It disgusts me the contempt for th3 customers
Have VW offer any alternatives ?

Tell VW that you have a Holiday booked that you will be taking the vehicle, this tends to get their attention as they are liable for your loss.

I suggest to type up the whole sorry saga in one long long email, recording every fact and date, noting particularly the dates you reported items and the deals and prevarication on the part of VW include the dates you have not been able to “use and enjoy” the vehicle. State your legal rights and refuse to settle for anything less than a full refund and some good will on the part of VW.
I would let the dealer and VW know that you are an active member of this forum and you are aware of the full UK law relating to the sale of goods, the fact that The dealers prevarication resulted in you having no other option but to use the vehicle, their deliberate actions and failure to act in your best interest has caused this issue not you. (From factory to sale). Faulty goods are faulty goods and require a full refund. Full being the full cost you handed over to the dealer, the same dealer who failed to act reasonably by inspecting the vehicle appropriately before releasing the faulty goods to your ownership, despite advertising that they carry out a 140 point quality / safety check prior to hand over !

Excellent advice, this whole saga is disgraceful, shame on you VW

 

[Neilos]

Our van was ex ex demo so not directly applicable. But, it was delivered with paint damage, the damage had occurred at some time since I viewed it and they delivered it. To be fair they offered a repair and did it within a week. When it came back I cast a critical eye over it and I could not tell the difference. Dealer claimed he hadn’t noticed it. Not sure I believed him.

That’s starlight blue too which shows every mark, scratch and appears different depending on the light.

So there is an argument to say, let them repair it, argue for some compensation whilst at it. And then move on and enjoy the van and never take it back to that dealer again!

Just a thought, sometimes life’s just a bit short. You could be arguing this out for months. They can’t offer you a new beach. If they could I’d say haggle for that but that isn’t going to happen.

They are great vehicles even if the dealers are negligent.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Amarillo]

Hi Amarillo - Your comments sound reasonable, until you understand the sequence of events:

1st November (Official collection - abandoned due to seat fault)
5th November (Vehicle delivered to me seat fixed)
4th December (First paint defect reported *+ approx 900-975 miles)
6th January (Dealer eventually collected vehicle for inspection - 33 days after paint defect reported)
etc etc etc

The *only* reason the mileage increased, is we did *exactly* what the dealer asked us to do with regards to inspections etc. The dealer *chose* not to get the vehicle into their bodyshop for inspection for nearly a month after we reported the first paint defect.

The initial delay, as now snowballed into the situation the dealer has now created. We did not frustrate or refuse to let them have the vehicle, they chose where, when and how events would progress. We did what the dealer requested of us.

I am not going to stop driving the vehicle because the dealer was dragging their feet and trying to frustrate the inspection and rejection process.

Hope this helps.

I'm not denying that the dealer has behaved appallingly. However, compensation should be assessed according to loss, in assessing that loss, there seems no legitimate reason to reward you with three months/3000 miles free use.

 

[Perfectos]

Strange choice of words Amarillo, I would hardly call the emotional stress and a 2K deduction for a severe cosmetic problem not of the third parties making,a “reward”!

The “value” of the vehicle is impaired by the fact that the poor factory paint finish detracts from its value, ( new or used ) had this vehicle come to the open market as an in stock vehicle, I have no doubt the dealer would have either reduced the cost of had difficulty selling it, as by the very nature it is faulty.
let alone the long term issues with potential roof corrosion that may result from the poorly applied factory paint.

So much for the famed depreciation and Exceptional VW service eh.

Your inability to grasp this situation amazes me, Let’s hope you are never in a situation like this, on the basis the dealer states the 2K deduction, your vehicle must be near worthless with the miles you’ve covered and all the wear on tear ?

I’m sure if your vehicle was damaged by a third party, and repaired poorly you would argue that the paint should be corrected without cost to yourself and any loss in value, because of the poorly applied paint?

The loss to the third party is tangible in finding and replacing a factory ordered vehicle, let alone the stress.
The potential loss to the dealer is negligible when compared to the third party, as they will have the full reimbursement from VW (excluding profit) that’s what this really comes down to, the dealers profit, or loss of profit, the dealer is trying to justify the deduction based on normal usage of the vehicle whilst they sort this mess out, in their time frame,
The dealer must take responsibility for their many failings on numerous occasions.
Why should the buyer foot the bill for the ineptitude of the dealer ?

 

[Amarillo]

Strange choice of words Amarillo, I would hardly call the emotional stress and a 2K deduction for a severe cosmetic problem not of the third parties making,a “reward”!

I'm looking at it from a detached point of view. A court would only take into account financial loss.

Somehow the OP has to find a way to draw a line under the matter, and if he looks it it purely from a financial view and detach himself emotionally it will be far easier for him to eventually accept a solution.

Your inability to grasp this situation amazes me, Let’s hope you are never in a situation like this, on the basis the dealer states the 2K deduction, your vehicle must be near worthless with the miles you’ve covered and all the wear on tear ?

I hope I have a solid grasp of the deduction on which I expressed a view. It is not about emotion or judging right from wrong, it is purely about financial loss.

The deduction I thought was reasonable was ~£750 for mileage. I made no comment about the ~£1300 for the first registration, I did not sufficiently understand the possible justification for such a deduction.

 

[Wondering Star]

Purchased our van from Robinsons last year, after reading this sorry saga I will not be returning.
Service due shortly so will use Bury St Edmonds.
What price is your reputation worth, more than £2000.00 I think!

 

[BeagleMum]

Purchased our van from Robinsons last year, after reading this sorry saga I will not be returning.
Service due shortly so will use Bury St Edmonds.
What price is your reputation worth, more than £2000.00 I think!

We nearly bought from Peterborough, glad we didn’t, this dreadful saga is disgraceful.

 

[Cloud Dodger]

The deduction I thought was reasonable was ~£750 for mileage. I made no comment about the ~£1300 for the first registration, I did not sufficiently understand the possible justification for such a deduction.

The £1335 is to do with the road tax, reg fee etc. The dealer says I need to reclaim the tax from DVLA. I called DVLA and asked how much of the £1335 can I claim back. They said it was only a proportion of the £450 road tax and not a percentage of the £1335.

Hope that helps.

 

[Amarillo]

The £1335 is to do with the road tax, reg fee etc. The dealer says I need to reclaim the tax from DVLA. I called DVLA and asked how much of the £1335 can I claim back. They said it was only a proportion of the £450 road tax and not a percentage of the £1335.

Hope that helps.

Disregarding the deplorable way you have been treated, what do you think would be a reasonable deduction from your costs associated with the purchase for the use you have had of the vehicle?

 

[Rich20]

Disregarding the deplorable way you have been treated, what do you think would be a reasonable deduction from your costs associated with the purchase for the use you have had of the vehicle?

It might be worth factoring also the cost of the
PDI check that was not done to a satisfactory standard. It will be hidden in the “on the road” costs somewhere

 

[Cloud Dodger]

I think we made a reasonable offer, after they hit us with £2088 we offered:

£450 RFL (which we can then claim back unused months - seems fair and reasonable).
0.25 for the first 975 miles (the point at which the first defect was reported - seems fair and reasonable).
Total: £693.75

The dealer refused our offer outright, no negotiation and insisted on the £2088 deduction *or* they will quite happily take the van back and paint it, quote: 'in line with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015'.

Also the VW escalations team are also copied in on all emails, so VW are fully aware of what's happening.

The issue of a 'like for like' replacement is the problem, they cant replace it, so its either refund or repair and rejection email was sent just outside 30 days full refund period.

 

[Wondering Star]

Disagree that this situation is only about financial loss, its emotional as well for all parties involved.
The purchaser has been put in a position not of his/her making and so has the dealership by accepting a substandard vehicle from the manufacturer. Perhaps it's time for Volkswagen to mediate and resolve this problem for all concerned because at present there's only lossers.
Surely the Manurfacturer/ dealership can absorb the £1335 and the purchaser accept the mileage charge.
Hopefully a replacement vehicle can be purchased and the summer enjoyed by all concerned.

 

[Perfectos]

I just don’t get where you coming from Tom, the goods were faulty and CD had no alternative but to use the vehicle until the dealer got their act together, why should he now be out of pocket, no alternative has been offered and no good will !
CD is the harmed party, why should he pay for the use of defective goods, when no other alternative was offered indeed the dealer refuted all claims to reject until VWuk got involved citing the loss of their revenue ( profit) as the reason, poor dealer!
If they had done thier job properly in the first place I could see your point, but they simply did not and therefore I fail to see why CD should pay a penny to the inept dealer, let them sort it out wholly with VW and possibly retain a future customer(s)

 

[Perfectos]

I think we made a reasonable offer, after they hit us with £2088 we offered:

£450 RFL (which we can then claim back unused months - seems fair and reasonable).
0.25 for the first 975 miles (the point at which the first defect was reported - seems fair and reasonable).
Total: £693.75

The dealer refused our offer outright, no negotiation and insisted on the £2088 deduction *or* they will quite happily take the van back and paint it, quote: 'in line with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015'.

Also the VW escalations team are also copied in on all emails, so VW are fully aware of what's happening.

The issue of a 'like for like' replacement is the problem, they cant replace it, so its either refund or repair and rejection email was sent just outside 30 days full refund period.

I presume the dealer will similarly compensate you for the loss of the vehicle whilst the extensive repairs are carried out !
And I presume will pay for an independent inspection post repair and if deemed less than perfect will offer a full refund ? Heads they win tails you loose !

I believe a court would look at your proposed resolution as being more than fair considering the circumstances

 

[Cloud Dodger]

Disregarding the deplorable way you have been treated, what do you think would be a reasonable deduction from your costs associated with the purchase for the use you have had of the vehicle?

I think we made a reasonable offer, after they hit us with £2088 we offered:

£450 RFL (which we can then claim back unused months - seems fair and reasonable).
0.25 for the first 975 miles (the point at which the first defect was reported - seems fair and reasonable).
Total: £693.75

The dealer refused our offer outright, no negotiation and insisted on the £2088 deduction *or* they will quite happily take the van back and paint it, quote: 'in line with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015'.

Also the VW escalations team are also copied in on all the latest emails, so VW are fully aware of what's happening.

The issue of a 'like for like' replacement is the problem, they cant replace it, so its either refund or repair and rejection email was sent just outside 30 days full refund period.

 

[Amarillo]

I think we made a reasonable offer, after they hit us with £2088 we offered:

£450 RFL (which we can then claim back unused months - seems fair and reasonable).
0.25 for the first 975 miles (the point at which the first defect was reported - seems fair and reasonable).
Total: £693.75

The dealer refused our offer outright, no negotiation and insisted on the £2088 deduction *or* they will quite happily take the van back and paint it, quote: 'in line with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015'.

Also the VW escalations team are also copied in on all the latest emails, so VW are fully aware of what's happening.

The issue of a 'like for like' replacement is the problem, they cant replace it, so its either refund or repair and rejection email was sent just outside 30 days full refund period.

So in effect it boils down to the £1,300 first registration fee? I can see why both parties would find it difficult to foot that bill as it has gone straight to the exchequer.

 

[Perfectos]

I do wonder how much loss of business these appalling instances cost a dealer, and Peterborough are not alone in this type of appalling behaviour.
I would suggest many many sales are lost because the dealer refuses to do the right thing for the customer All for a couple £1000, a few on here have already decided not to continue their relationship with this dealer, which I applaud.

A dealer whom has had various Customer issues has posted on this forum in an attempt to regain the previous lost good will by customers, citing a change in management, it seems that people make or break the experiences. I similarly applaud the attempt to regain customer goodwill but question why it should come to this type of behaviour in the first place.

Short sited greed on the dealers part, leads to long term damage to existing and potential customers, more fool them.

Thankfully there are some good dealers out there.
That’s what makes the forum what it is a great Forum for exchange of experiences and information good, bad and indifferent

 

[Amarillo]

I just don’t get where you coming from Tom, the goods were faulty and CD had no alternative but to use the vehicle until the dealer got their act together, why should he now be out of pocket, no alternative has been offered and no good will !

Again I don’t disagree. But that’s not what I’m on about.

There are three possible outcomes:
An agreement between the two parties.
The dealer imposing a resolution (probably a repaint).
An expensive court imposed resolution.

To me, an agreement is by far the best outcome. The difference between the two is about £1,300. If that can be reduced to zero we have an agreement. I think it is probably achievable.

 

[Billywizz]

Purchased our van from Robinsons last year, after reading this sorry saga I will not be returning.
Service due shortly so will use Bury St Edmonds.
What price is your reputation worth, more than £2000.00 I think!

Don’t let Bury wash your van, I think they washed mine with a Brillo pad. £400 later to correct the paint......(they did pay for it)

 

[Rich20]

If I were a dealer principle I would ensure my California salesmen were active on this forum using their specialist knowledge to build relationships and potential sales leads. Robinsons clearly believe sales will just come to them and that they do not have to work at looking after their customers. Good luck with an attitude like that.

 

[Skylark2.0]

Don’t let Bury wash your van, I think they washed mine with a Brillo pad. £400 later to correct the paint......(they did pay for it)

Bury St Edmunds is no longer a Cali specialist. They do have
a master Cali mechanic. I guess not a master van washer. I am gutted that it has changed. I only found out when I got there for the last service. Ipswich is a long way.

 

[Billywizz]

Bury St Edmunds is no longer a Cali specialist. They do have
a master Cali mechanic. I guess not a master van washer. I am gutted that it has changed. I only found out when I got there for the last service. Ipswich is a long way.

Oh I never knew that either, do you know which other dealers in the Suffolk/Norfolk area are?

 

[Skylark2.0]

There's Norwich. The Bury staff went to Ipswich which is too far for me

 

[Wondering Star]

Isn't Norwich owned by Robinsons?

 

[Perfectos]