Bumper Paint Flaking Off

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Daughters 18 plate VW Polo bought from a main VW dealership 22 months ago has paint flaking off front and rear bumpers. I took car to specialist body shop this morning and they advised bumpers had been repainted and done poorly. Cost of new bumpers and/or repainting is not insignificant.

Anyone able to advise on any recourse she should have with the dealer. She was not advised by dealer of work done on car and I accept that the dealer might not have been aware when they bought it or took it in exchange.

 

[RichA]

VW approved used has 2-year warranty. I'd be taking it in for them to see rather than an unconnected paint shop.
Even if they knew, I can't see why they'd be compelled to tell you it's been previously repaired.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

VW approved used has 2-year warranty. I'd be taking it in for them to see rather than an unconnected paint shop.
Even if they knew, I can't see why they'd be compelled to tell you it's been previously repaired.

I took it to the specialist for an independent view in the first instance so we could go to the dealership forearmed. Best get it to the dealership pronto.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Possibly not enough plastisizer in the paint and/or poor paint prep when done. At 5 yrs old, it wouldn't surprise me if the rebuffed you. A decent paint shop should be able to correct/redo them and match the paint.

 

[Crow]

I'd say, "who gives a "

We're all far too precious about cars, they get you from A to B, who cares about a scruffy bumper.

(I realise I'm probably in the minority with this view)

 

[KenL]

I'd say, "who gives a "

We're all far too precious about cars, they get you from A to B, who cares about a scruffy bumper.

(I realise I'm probably in the minority with this view)

Seriously! Why post such guff?

 

[Crow]

Seriously! Why post such guff?

I thought the forum was all about not being serious and posting guff.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'd say, "who gives a "

We're all far too precious about cars, they get you from A to B, who cares about a scruffy bumper.

(I realise I'm probably in the minority with this view)

Maybe true for me and my 08 Polo with 115,000 on the clock that will be with me till it keels over…and all it mostly does is get me the 3 miles from house to club and 3 back, but my daughter will be looking to sell her car at some point and what is happening will impact her resale. That aside…she did not pay good money for a goods that is flawed…and like any such situation she is seeking some recompense.

 

[backwoodsman]

Maybe true for me and my 08 Polo with 115,000 on the clock that will be with me till it keels over…and all it mostly does is get me the 3 miles from house to club and 3 back, but my daughter will be looking to sell her car at some point and what is happening will impact her resale. That aside…she did not pay good money for a goods that is flawed…and like any such situation she is seeking some recompense.

Possibly... But the flip-side view could be that she got what she paid for?

The main point though is that it's nearly 2 years since she bought a second-hand car. I may be wrong, but think consumer protection legislation for used goods is only 6months duration. I'd be very surprised if the dealer is at all sympathetic - especially as the 'used car warranty' is likely to only cover certain mechanical and electrical items. Your first point of call is to carefully check any warranty document.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I don’t see how the selling outfit can be held responsible. Who’s o say that during those almost 2 years your daughter hasn’t had her car repaired badly and is now looking for the dealer to pay for a redo? Can she prove she hasn’t?
If buying a used car now ( especially one that’s 3/4 yrs old), I would be assuming it’s had body work repairs and thus paint repairs.

 

[backwoodsman]

I don’t see how the selling outfit can be held responsible. Who’s o say that during those almost 2 years your daughter hasn’t had her car repaired badly and is now looking for the dealer to pay for a redo? Can she prove she hasn’t?
If buying a used car now ( especially one that’s 3/4 yrs old), I would be assuming it’s had body work repairs and thus paint repairs.

After saying 'check the warranty document' I perhaps should have added - " but personally, I think you'll just be wasting your time..."

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don’t see how the selling outfit can be held responsible. Who’s o say that during those almost 2 years your daughter hasn’t had her car repaired badly and is now looking for the dealer to pay for a redo? Can she prove she hasn’t?
If buying a used car now ( especially one that’s 3/4 yrs old), I would be assuming it’s had body work repairs and thus paint repairs.

I might think that it would be up to the dealer to prove that the vehicle had not had a paint job done on the bumpers prior to my daughter buying it. It’s not up to my daughter to prove that she hasn’t had a bump subsequent to buying it.

If I buy something and it goes wrong due to a problem with it and I claim that the problem existed when I bought it, it is up to the seller to prove that the problem did not exist when they sold it to me.

We shall see.

 

[RichA]

VW Approved Used 2-year warranty includes paintwork.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

VW Approved Used 2-year warranty includes paintwork.

Words in the warranty seem to suggest otherwise…but we are going to press VW on this.

Plus like most all warranties it states that warranty does not affect our statutary rights, and on that front the Consumer Rights Act (2015) is heavily weighted in favour of the purchaser in respect of what could be considered faulty goods.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Words in the warranty seem to suggest otherwise…but we are going to press VW on this.

Plus like most all warranties it states that warranty does not affect our statutary rights, and on that front the Consumer Rights Act (2015) is heavily weighted in favour of the purchaser in respect of what could be considered faulty goods.

Is something like bumper paint peeling off 22 months after purchase, on what is already a 2nd hand car, classed as faulty though? Reasonableness, comes into this.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this. I would treat any sort of offer as a bonus.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Is something like bumper paint peeling off 22 months after purchase, on what is already a 2nd hand car, classed as faulty though? Reasonableness, comes into this.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this. I would treat any sort of offer as a bonus.

Specialist body shop indicated that the paint should not be peeling off, and that it is apparent to them (though wouldn’t be apparent to the ‘man in the street’) that the bumpers had been repainted and repainted poorly. VW would or should have spotted that likewise.

In any case I shall lower my daughter’s hopes of the dealer doing anything about it. The cost of repainting the bumpers or replacing them is likely to be unaffordable for her…so one guess who’ll be picking up the tab…

 

[RichA]

VW Approved Used 2-year warranty includes paintwork.

Apologies - just re-read my VW Approved Used document and I've got that wrong. Bodywork not included.

 

[Imurg]

I don’t see how the selling outfit can be held responsible. Who’s o say that during those almost 2 years your daughter hasn’t had her car repaired badly and is now looking for the dealer to pay for a redo? Can she prove she hasn’t?
If buying a used car now ( especially one that’s 3/4 yrs old), I would be assuming it’s had body work repairs and thus paint repairs.

I used to work in the car paint trade in the 80s and 90s....95% of all NEW cars had some form of refinishing before sale...

 

[KenL]

I used to work in the car paint trade in the 80s and 90s....95% of all NEW cars had some form of refinishing before sale...

95%, really? Only 5 out of 100 arrived with no issues?
Was this due to terrible paint at the factory or terrible practices during delivery?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

95%, really? Only 5 out of 100 arrived with no issues?
Was this due to terrible paint at the factory or terrible practices during delivery?

I would imagine it’s damage from transportation into the UK docks. I know the car storage at Sheerness docks have a bodyshop to allow repair of cars that come off the boat with damage.