The consumer’s issue:
“When I purchased my vehicle, I opted to have front parking sensors installed. After collecting the car, we noticed immediately that they were not operating correctly, as they kept cutting out after 10 seconds. Therefore, they were not working according to the manufacturer’s specifications and I am seeking a repair so that they function as advertised.”
The accredited business’ response:
- The vehicle was a used car and we retrofitted the front parking sensors.
- The customer raised an issue and said that it was operating in a different manner to his other vehicle from the same manufacturer.
- We inspected the car and found that it was operating as per the way that the manufacturer had designed.
- The manufacturer confirmed that there was no way of extending the ten-second delay timer (i.e. the time that the parking sensors are active).
- As a gesture of goodwill, we paid the customer £300.
The adjudication outcome:
- The adjudicator noted that the dealership was not responsible for the way the parking sensors operated, as this was the responsibility of the manufacturer of the retrofitted product.
- The consumer wanted the parking sensors to be fixed so they did not cut out after a period of 10 seconds, but the manufacturer confirmed that this was not possible.
- The adjudicator reviewed the specifications of the manufacturer’s manual and agreed that the parking sensors were not working in the way they should have been.
- To resolve the matter, the adjudicator recommended that the business provides a full refund of the cost of the parking sensors, as they were not working as advertised.
Conclusion:
- The customer and accredited business accepted the outcome as recommended by The Motor Ombudsman adjudicator and the case was closed.
