Another complaint about carcraft & a warranty

[Rach26]

Hi lufc I was wanting to know if you have the name of the independent engineer that quoted the parts as wear tear because mine was called AUTOMOTIVE CONSULTING ENGINEERS ACE and I have been quoted wear and tear aswell despite dealership saying sudden mechanical failure I dont think they are very independent at all!

 

Thanks

[Conniff]

Rach Can you get some more details of what has failed and post here please.

 

Diff and King pin don't have much relation to each other.

 

 

Would one of you unfortunates like to scan and post the policy that came with your warranty.

Edited March 5, 2009 by Conniff

[Rach26]

Hi I got a report from Suzuki saying that my king pin bearings had failed causing the seals to burst and the loss oil causing the damage a sudden mechanical failure.

[lufc4eva09]

hi everyone just been informed from carcraft head office that everyone who buys a car from them have a 12 month cover with rac i thought i would let you all know

[al1975]

I had a problem with car craft a few years ago and it was easy to resolve.

I had a private word with the manager draged him across his desk and asked him to resolve my problems with my car he desided that he would be glad to resolve the problems.:D

 

It worked quite well because a friend of mineeven though I told him not to bought a bmw 318 and had problems with the sun roof. When he went back they fobed him off, so I went with him the secound time they said some think like oooh not you again but they decided to book it in to bmw main dealer to replace the sunroof without me having to perswade them again.:D:D

[Mr lex]

I had thought of 'un-approving' your post 'al1975'.

 

Threatening violence does not achieve anything, accept a visit from the Police. However badly done by we may feel, we have to work within the the law and I urge our members to use the law to their advantage. We have a contact within Carcraft who says they will look out for problems within their organization, please use this as a first line of redress.

 

Above all, do not leave yourself open to a police complaint, that will achieve nothing.

 

Lex

[lellycar]

It is rare that I would register and post on somwhere like this, but carcraft have really pushed it too far! We drove from the east coast over to liverpool yesterday to look at a 04 low mile honda CRV. I wanted it brought to newcastle but didnt fancy the £50 non refundable fee if it wasnt right. Thought, bank holiday monday ...have a trip out and go shopping after. How wrong were we! We arrived at carcraft at 11am and did not leave til 4.30pm. We were passed between 3 sales guys and no-one would take ownership of sorting out the deal. The more we complained, the longer it took. Finally drove the car out at 4.30. I am only 21 and part'xed my old car ( a small 1.3 4x4) and have scaped the money to pay the difference. My dad volunteered to drive to the 150 mile home. It was running on fumes when we test drove it so they put a can of petrol in to get us to a garage. We filled up and headed home. Got 10 mile (i kidd you not) in it, on the motorway the engine dies, we were on the inside lane and had to cut across onto the hardshoulder. Rund carcraft, they had the cheek to say we had put diesel in it instead of petrol! We really rude and said they couldnt do anything it was our problem and they had no mechanic. We managed to get it going again and got it another 30mile (we thought it was maybe old petrol they had put in and the car was then going ok). Again we lost revs, engince cut out on the motorway, luckily we got it to a service station using the hard shoulder. Again rung them, they wouldnt even answer the phone (we had sales guy's mobile). Rung the RAC, who came and said that there was a engine related problem that couldnt be fixed at the roadside - take it up with carcraft. He also claimed that none of the official checks (as covered by their 120 point check had been done..some of the bolts hadnt been removed for years)The engine wasn't fully loosing power, so we were then safe to drive the rest of the journey at 40miles an hour with the engine warning light on on the dash. Managed to limp home with the car. Woke up this morning to find 2 completely flat tyres on the car. And to top it off carcraft assured us we would have 1 weeks grace on the tax (it had no tax) since we were buying on bank hol when no postoffice was open. Got it home ok, but now know we were driving it illegally and COULD have been done for it. Just glad I didn't drive it home or was in the car on my own as there is no way I would have felt safe to drive 150 mile in a car continually loosing power.

Have rung newcastle carcraft (local one) who are *suppost* to be picking it up today to repair it and give me a curtousy car. The excitement of saving and getting a new car has turned into an absolute nightmare

[Conniff]

Welcome lellycar even if it not under the best circumstances.

 

Do you relly want the car repaired? will they sort it properly? they lied about it before.

 

You can reject the car outright and get a full return on the price paid if that is what you would prefer.

[al1975]

In principle i do agree with Mr lex. i did start with the polite part then the threat of getting trading standards but they did not care because trading standards are not that interested or are not able to do any thing. and the only police action should be locking up the criminals that call themselves carcraft the action I took was a last resort but did achieve the desired affect for two customers who eventually got the service that was advertised and promised but It is not for the faint hearted or else you will get the police knocking on your door so you do need to know what you are doing.

[Guest Carcraft Customer Service Manager]

Hi, my name is Sandra Gibbons. I am the Manager of Customer Services at Carcraft. We certainly do agree that violence is not the correct approach to resolving any issue. If anyone does have an outstanding query please call me on 01706 753391 and I will be happy to investigate the matter further. Regards

[Mr lex]

Thank you for popping back to the thread Sandra.

 

A quick heads up people, both BankFodder and I have spoken to Sandra, this is a genuine offer to help. Please report back with your results.

 

I wonder if we will ever see Bright house be this brave.

 

Lex

[Rough Trader]

I have purchased a car from carcraft in the last three months, (a freelander) which is now in their workshop in lakeside, been there for four weeks now.

 

The mechanic there seems to be a bit of an incompetant, four weeks to change a cylinder head gasket ????

 

I keep getting phone calls and emails from the girl on the reception stating all sorts of excuses, such as: we are short staffed, the cylinder head is still not back, we are waiting for new bolts. And now she informs me, 01/06/09, that the cylinder head has had to be returned for some reason, this will take me into my fifth week on no car.

 

Although all of this is being done under the warranty, I am seeking legal advice, it is taking to long for the repair.

 

With regard to the NAC, when I purchased the Freelander and previously a CRV, the NAC was added to the finance agreement automatically, so there is nothing you can do it seems, and I believe that you can not buy a car from them without one.

 

On that subject, a car is advertised for say £4000 and it says you pay (£66 per month for 60 months) and the NAC is added automatically. Does that come under Trades Description Act? Advertising an item for one price and charging another.

 

Regards

Geoff

Edited June 4, 2009 by Rough Trader

[Rough Trader]

I have purchased a car from carcraft in the last three months, (a freelander) which is now in their workshop in lakeside, been there for four weeks now.

 

The mechanic there seems to be a bit of an incompetant, four weeks to change a cylinder head gasket ????

 

I keep getting phone calls and emails from the girl on the reception stating all sorts of excuses, such as: we are short staffed, the cylinder head is still not back, we are waiting for new bolts. And now she informs me, 01/06/09, that the cylinder head has had to be returned for some reason, this will take me into my fifth week on no car.

 

Although all of this is being done under the warranty, I am seeking legal advice, it is taking to long for the repair.

 

With regard to the NAC, when I purchased the Freelander and previously a CRV, the NAC was added to the finance agreement automatically, so there is nothing you can do it seems, and I believe that you can not buy a car from them without one.

 

On that subject, a car is advertised for say £4000 and it says you pay (£66 per month for 60 months) and the NAC is added automatically. Does that come under Trades Description Act? Advertising an item for one price and charging another.

 

Regards

Geoff

 

 

Ohh ... I forgot to add, that when the Freelander was collected by the recovery people, he refused to tow the vehicle and drove my car, after informing him that carcraft had advised me not to drive it, from outside my house to the Lakeside workshop, so god alone knows what damage he did to the engine and the head gasket.

 

I have made carcraft aware of this fact, and I am still getting emails from Lauren saying how sorry she if for the inconvenience.

[Rough Trader]

Ohh ... I forgot to add, that when the Freelander was collected by the recovery people, he refused to tow the vehicle and drove my car, after informing him that carcraft had advised me not to drive it, from outside my house to the Lakeside workshop, so god alone knows what damage he did to the engine and the head gasket.

 

I have made carcraft aware of this fact, and I am still getting emails from Lauren saying how sorry she if for the inconvenience.

 

Got a phone call from someone in Carcraft; saying that my engine can not be fixed (Valves, Manifold etc) and the caller (female) offered me a like for like swap for my old freelander. What absolute balderdash !!!

 

I check my email when i got home to find an e-mail from someone called Melanie in Carcaft stating that they are waiting for another new cylinder head gasket set from a main dealer. Looks like the swap is not going to happen.

 

So whoever called me at 12:34pm on 09/06/2009 allegedly from Carcraft take note I am now seeking legal advice on this.

 

Five weeks is too long to fix a cylinder head gasket.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Rough Trader
spell check

[Mr lex]

Hi Geoff,

 

Have you brought this to Sandra's attention in post 60?

 

It has to be worth a shout.

 

Lex

[Conniff]

Got a phone call from someone in Carcraft; saying that my engine can not be fixed (Valves, Manifold etc) and the caller (female) offered me a like for like swap for my old freelander. What absolute balderdash !!!

 

I check my email when i got home to find an e-mail from someone called Melanie in Carcaft stating that they are waiting for another new cylinder head gasket set from a main dealer. Looks like the swap is not going to happen.

 

So whoever called me at 12:34pm on 09/06/2009 allegedly from Carcraft take note I am now seeking legal advice on this.

 

Five weeks is too long to fix a cylinder head gasket.

 

I think you have voided the insurance by not keeping to the required servicing intervals. Ignorance is no defence i'm afraid.

 

You should write them recorded delivery and give them 7 days to return you car to you 'fixed'.

 

3 days is all it take to do a head. Give them one day to remove, one day or two days for the engineering company to skim it (make sure it's been skimmed, ask for the letter headed bill showing it has), and one or two days to reinstall.

 

In that letter I recommend you cancel the worthless warranty and ask for refund of all premiums paid. I believe it is now unlawful to sell insurance with a product, you have to be given the oportunity to shop around.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Conniff

[markyg30]

Purchsed on The 21st December 2007

　

 

I Purchesed from you a Vauxhal Zafira.

　

When Arriving at your Plymounth Centre which is no longer there i was met by a salmes man called Simon and Office manager Martin, the took me and my daughter in to a small room and offered me a coffee and to start looking at my paperwork, which took about an hour then Simon disappered for a while and came back a hour and a half later saying trying to find a finance company for me. Afte about another hour i was shown all the cars that they had which was only three A Vauxhal Zafira a Renult and a Citron to which i went straight to the Zafira cause that was the only car with Seven Seats.Simon lt me in the car and could not move it very far cause the windows were misted up and could not see. After about two mins said lets go in and do the paper work, which we did. So from about three tiull half seven i was stuck in a small room with my dughter not having nothing to eat or drink from this point. I kept saying during the afternoon and eveing i want to tae myself and my daughter for some lunch but Simon kept saying we will only be aother half hour which sent on for about five house to which i was getting annoyed. At about six Simon came back to me to so the transferal of my car the the new car i was taking with me. I filled in my V5 log book I wanted to take the log book for my old car but Simon said he had to deal with it as its company policy. Finaly at half seven he gave me the keys. I went out to the car got in and went to drive away but the car would not start so i tryed to get back in to the office which took five mins or so cause they were rushing to go home. Simonm came out and got the car startedt then i said there is no fuel in the car whre is the garage from here and i will follow you there to sort it. So we went to the garage sorted the fuel and then i went home. Next morning i had a phone call from Simon saying you can not tax the car cause it is still under a Disabled Tax licence and also telling me we would have to fill in the document again because he written the wrong address down on some of the dovuments which i thought was a very silly and poor thing to do as it is a contract agreement and an inportant document. When he got back with the Tax disk i let my Partner drive the car, a bad smell of animals cause she suffers with asthma and she also niticed a blue sponge stuck down to the dash board which i pealed off to reval a very large L shape crack in the dash board, so in the new year i cantacted you about this to which i was told to take to a garage and get a quote to dot the work which i did and sent back to you via post. After not hearing from you for a bout two weeks i contacted you again asking about the qoute and when i can get the work done. I was told that the quote was to expensive and to got to a diffrent garage which you recomaended which apperently you use for you customer repairs. I took the car to the garage and they sait they will not do the job cause it is a big job to do and also telling me that someone has tryed to repait it but very badly and shold not of sold the vehical in this condition. So i contacted you back again to whicj you said you will try and sort it and you will ring me back. After not hearing from you i contacted you again and i got the same asnswer again we will contact you and sort the matter out for me. Again i heard nothing from you so i then contacted welcome finance which are my finace company and spook to Dave Porter rang me a couple days later say ing i have spoke to thee head office and have said go to a vauxhall dealer get a quote and we will get the work done. I took the car to vauxhall in Paignton and they sent you a quotye by fax. Again i hard nothing from you. I contacted you again saying about the quote and spoke to Peter Lomas saying we have no quote which he ment we have lost it. So iwent back to Vauxhall and said i need you to send another quote as they are saying they have not recived your first quote. So sent it again while i was on hold on the phone. Again i hear nothing from you again. So i rang you again and spoke to peter again and he said we still have no quote To which now i am getting very annoyed about the whole thing. So i said ok how about returning the car to you anf forgetting the whole thing he said we cant do that cause its against company police supprise supprise. So i hear nothing again so i phone you one again and spoke to Tracy Cocking which said send me a quote and i will deal with it for you she gave me the fax numbers for her so i went back to vauxhall in Paignton and said i need another ouote to which the say the company is just messing us about we dont what to know cause thay have had the same problems with your company in the past. So i went to Vauxhall in Newton Abbot and telling them i need a quote for the dash board for my car. I Had the qoute in my hand with in five mins. So i came home and sent the email to tracy.cocking@carcraft.co.uk to which the first person ever to ring me back said yes i have your qoute here and said i will contact you to arrang getting the work done. To which i waited amonth heard nothing phoned back and spoke to Peter Lomas Again No we havent recived any quotes and no we are not going to do the work so i said i want to speek to someone in management. A day later Tracy Cocking phones me back and says we now need the letter saying who said the work coule be done. So i spoke to Dave Porter A Welcome finance and he sent me the letter whice he had and i sent to you. A Week latte hearing nothing from you saying no we have not recived it so i get the letter again and send it to whivch you still not respond. And now Tracy Cockong is saying the work will never be done and there is nothing i can do about it so this letter is being sent as advise from Trading Standards And a copy of this letter is being sent to Welcome Finance And a Copy For my solicitor And Watch dog and Unstatified customers that i am contacting thant have made complaints about you through Email. I Would like to heat back from you by the 10 July 2009 i would also like to start a action against this company if anyone is interested in doing this please email me on markyg30@hotmail.com

[Conniff]

Sorry Marky, that is a terrible post, you need to edit it and add some paragraph spacing. I don't think many will read it as it is.

[Billco]

Hey guys,

 

Another guy here that feels the need to register in a desperate plea for help

 

Bought my Saab 93 (55) from Carcraft Lakeside 2 years ago now.

 

Had it serviced last year (with them)

 

This year, just before the service was due it started grinding into 5th gear, so I asked them to take a look at it when it was serviced. They assumed it was synchomesh problems and stripped the box to find out what the problem is.

 

I wasn't too worried about it all cause I've got the NAC Guarantee right? I mean i've had it serviced within guidelines, the only parts on the gearbox they state in the pamphlet that they don't cover are minor, so i'm golden.

 

Right?

 

Wrong......

 

Wear & Tear.

 

I've read in many places that this is their "get outta jail free card" as it were, but I mean, as soon as the car is driven every single part is subject to "wear & tear", surely there's gotta be some sorta legislation or guidelines to govern this, otherwise they never have to pay out a single penny to anyone!

 

Cars a 55 plate with 34k on the clock, and it needs a gearbox recon? Quoting me £1200 that frankly I don't have, oh and now that they arn't covering the repair, carcraft want to charge me for the courtesy car i've had for a week (because they didn't have anybody available to strip the box after the service)

 

Just got the news and of course, everyone is shut now so I can't talk to them but i'm pulling my hair out!

 

Essentially i've got to return the courtesy car tommorrow, while my car still has no gearbox, which means I can't get to work, or even away from lakeside!

 

Will be calling consumer rights aswell as Sandra (hopefully she's still around) first thing tommorrow, but any advice greatly appreciated!

[yeahnice]

I have had a bad experience with Carcraft. IT all started with selling me a faulty motor.

 

They have had my Vauxhall Vectra for 3 weeks (only bought it around 2-3 weeks before that). Turbo and Intercooler needed replacing. A big job admittedly but it took a week for diagnosis alone! Now they have mucked me about for another fortnight with reasons such as short staff, not yet approved for repair at Lakeside (wanted to send it up North somewhere) and finally - waiting for parts has been the the favourite this last week. Although I think I do believe them about the fact they are waiting for parts this time, I can't help but think the organisation of the service department is lacking something as even this sort of repair shouldn't have taken anywhere near this long.

 

I am still waiting for another call from Melanie to say my part has arrived but I don't have much hope of that happening any time soon. We sill see.

 

This has been such a major inconvenience for me as I have a family and have had to cancel many plans due to missing the car. I shall have to contact customer service as I will need compensating in some way.

 

It's funny, the taking my money part of the deal went really smoothly...funny that.

[yeahnice]

I have my car back and customer services are sending me a service voucher as a good will gesture for the hassle I have had regarding this repair. I do urge people to contact the CS telephone number posted earlier in this thread, they are a lot more pleasant to speak to and although the end result isn't necessarily perfect in my case, they may still be able to help you.

 

Unfortunately the car was returned with an oil stain on the front passenger seat and carmat. Old oily jubilee clips were left in the car at a toddlers reach as we found out!! AND MINUS MY TOMTOM SATNAV and because it can't be proved either way that it was in the car (hidden in arm-rest compartment I might add) they will not take responsibility. A terrible end to an already bad experience with CarCraft.

 

Hopefully this is a one off but please let your friends and family know that they should remove any possessions from the vehicle before handing the car over as you never know, it may happen again.

 

Off to buy a SATNAV now as need on for a holiday coming up soon. I hope they haven't gone up in price since I last bought one!

 

Update: I am in the process of reporting this to Essex Police and various media etc. In the mean time share your experiences on www.mycarcraftexperience.co.uk and you may find help there in addition to this site. Good luck

Edited September 8, 2009 by yeahnice
Added more detail.

[xxgarageboyxx]

I've recentlyl had a service at one of the Carcraft centres in London. Had quite a decent experience - reasonable price, they collected the car and delivered it back and overall it wasn't bad. Surely you shouldn't have left valuable items in the car wherever it was - armrest or not? Anyhow, I think that all garages can employ people who may pinch stuff so I wouldn't single these guys out! My overall experience wasn't too bad.

[yeahnice]

I have to wonder.. how does someone who has had such a great experience with a company stumble across a consumer action forum thread specifically started for carcrafty problems. Hmmmm insteresting?

 

But thanks for your reply though, it was really helpful. Keep up the good work!

[Rough Trader]

Here we go again. I have placed my Freelander in Lakeside once again, on the 14th September, for the same reason as before. The engine still shudders on tick over and the brake pads are still scraping. This is now the third time I have put my car in for the same repair.

 

This all goes back to 9th of May when I had to have a new cylinderhead gasket replaced. This story is here: Second Visit. I have now given carcraft a final two weeks to fix this problem once and for all. I am due to collect my car on 25th or 26th September, hopefully, fixed.

 

Wish me luck folks

[Conniff]

Ask for a written schedule of what was done (or claimed to have been done). If the brakes are still scraping, remove a wheel and look to see if the pads have been renewed. The same with the engine running problem.

It could be that the pads are fine so shining a lamp in and seeing the pads are fine is all they are doing and not looking for another reason for the noises.

 

Next time, if there is one, make descrete marks on part so you can see if they have been removed to effect a repair.

 

If you consider you have given them enough chances to fix these problems, you can tell them you are taking it to another dealer and will be sending them the bill.

 

Read post #60 RT

 

Lets hope this time they get it right.