If your car goes wrong and you need a new part you could be in for more of a wait than you expected in these erratic global supply chain times.
Gill and Mark Drake’s sturdy cruiser, a seven-year-old Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport with a relatively low mileage, broke down close to home in March, was collected for repair and they were told the earliest date was the end of that month.
++ If you’ve been affected by this issue or feel you’ve been a victim of injustice, please contact consumer champion Maisha Frost on maisha.frost@express.co.uk
“The part needed, a fuel driver control module, was on back order and not currently available in this country and we were warned it could take weeks or more for delivery,” Mark told Crusader.
“We chose a local dealer as the nearest Vauxhall one was 15 miles away and then raised a case with Vauxhall Customer care and got a similar response. Months on we are no further forward and no estimated date despite chasing weekly.”
The part they were told was waiting to be shipped from a warehouse in Germany and no courtesy car was possible. The age of their vehicle and its service history ruled those out.
The Drakes also learned that a replacement car was the responsibility of the dealership where they had bought it. However Vauxhall did offer to make the seller aware of their situation.
“With two young children we need the car for the school run and to get to work, we are at a loss what to do next,” Gill admitted.
Crusader asked Vauxhall if it could chase up the part’s progress, especially as the Drakes could show they are long-standing customers of the brand.
Last month they were deeply relieved to hear a new part had been fitted and even better the company had waived the £180 charge. There was no formal explanation but they were given to understand the component had originated in India so the longer journey played a part in the delay.
Having the car back has “made a massive difference to our daily life,” they told Crusader when thanking us and Vauxhall for going the extra mile for them.
“It’s made us realise more what we depend on and the importance of having a ‘just-in-case Plan B’ in place, especially these days. Next time we buy from a dealership we’ll check the contract for any courtesy car clause.” [names have been changed]
New guides for new tenants: how to keep your deposit safe
It’s an area open to dispute and rip offs, but new guides for renters about tenancy deposit rights can only help, especially as more students make the move this autumn. The Deposit Protection Service has created a series of bite size videos for social media covering what to do before a tenancy, how to avoid disputes, look after a property and then how to claim the deposit. www.
