The consumer’s issue:
“Our vehicle has been in the garage awaiting a repair for nine months, and the replacement cars provided to us used a lot of fuel and were not economical to run. We have had to wait a long time as the business was not able to source the part, and we would therefore like a guarantee that our vehicle will be returned within an agreed time scale, in excellent working order and that we will receive compensation for the inconvenience caused.”
The accredited business’ response:
- The customer’s vehicle required a new wiring loom assembly. However, this part was unavailable for a substantial amount of time.
- The component finally arrived 10 months after placing the order. During this period, the customer was kept mobile with vehicle hire and changed cars when the customer was unhappy with what was supplied.
- We did discuss assisting the customer with the purchase of another vehicle with a contribution of £2,500 from ourselves, but the customer did not accept this offer.
- The repairs were conducted under warranty, and once completed, the customer was offered two free services as a gesture of goodwill, which he has now accepted.
The adjudication outcome:
- The Motor Ombudsman adjudicator agreed that waiting 10 months for a part to come in and the vehicle to be repaired was an excessive amount of time to wait. Therefore, a breach of the New Car code had occurred and the complaint was upheld in the customer’s favour.
- However, as the repairs had been conducted and the consumer was kept mobile throughout, the adjudicator was happy that the business had rectified the situation satisfactorily.
- The adjudicator was pleased that the customer was offered two free services in recognition of his experience.
- No further recommendations were made to the business by The Motor Ombudsman and the case was closed.
