22nd Nov 2010, 14:48

I recently bought a Rover R reg from a dealer 5 weeks ago. The first day I got it home, the alternator went. We had to buy a new battery as at first we thought it might be this. We phoned the garage, and after a lot of arguing, he agreed to look at the car, but would only give us half the money back for the battery. We got the car back a week later, supposedly fixed. About four weeks later, it broke down again. We contacted the garage, he wasn't interested, so we contacted trading standards, who informed us that under the Sales of Goods Act, we could ask for a refund, repair or a car of the same value. Well he kicked up a fuss, but eventually agreed to have a look at it, but we had to get it there, he refused to pick it up, so we did.

He told us the head gasket had gone, even though we had paperwork to say that it had been fixed about a year ago. He said he could fix it, but that we had to pay some money, and it would be done within the week. This was four weeks ago, and in this time he has not communicated to us, we have tried ringing him only to be met with one excuse after another, eg he has a problem with a mechanic, his back hurts, he has been ill, he has been in hospital, he is a single dad doing his best, though I am sympathetic to his plight this shouldn't be my concern. I have had to hire a car in the mean time, and I informed him that because it has cost me nearly 400 in hire charges, I would not be paying him any money for the car, as his loss is only 300, mine would be 550 so that didn't seem fair. To this he completely lost the plot, threatened to dump my car, threatened me with the police for criminal damage, even though I hadn't done anything.

So I then phoned the police myself, and informed them, and they told me he had no right to keep my car, but he could pursue me through the courts, so I calmly rang back, and informed him of this, to which he became very abusive again and then said he would dump my car in the ATS car park, he didn't tell me where the keys were, so I had to get a lift there and I had to ask around and finally got my car keys from the garage. He had just left them there and my car was unlocked. On driving car home, I noticed it was overheating, I took it to my local mechanic who then said the water pump was damaged, and it was leaking coolant everywhere.

I need to know what I can do here, as I feel I have been treated very badly by this dealer, and I now want my money back as it's going to cost me 300 to now fix this car, when this fault wasn't there beforehand; it's just one problem after another. If someone could advise me, I would be grateful thanks.