General Compensation

[julest]

Ordered my Fiat 500 (1.2 Lounge) on 02/08/09 & was told 10-12 weeks but am now being told end Jan before gets delivered. Not happy & dealer refused to cancel order & refund deposit.

Spoke to my local trading standards & they were really helpful. They have apparently had loads of compalaints about Fiat.

They said that if the delivery time is unreasonable (it was a bit up in the air about what was unreasonable but 6 months was definitely unreasonable!) you are entitled to a full refund & compensation.

They advised to make a claim through the small claim court. You will need your dealers company registered name, address & company number.

Good Luck

 

[gib1970]

seems to me that if you were given the 10-12 week wait as a guarantee, and you have that in writing rather than just told by one of the salesmen, then you should definitely be able to get a refund of your deposit.

otherwise probably not.

 

[306maxi]

seems to me that if you were given the 10-12 week wait as a guarantee, and you have that in writing rather than just told by one of the salesmen, then you should definitely be able to get a refund of your deposit.

otherwise probably not.

and I'm almost certain that there will have been no guarantee made or implied.

I was told 8-10 weeks and tbh I knew that was never going to happen but 10 weeks and 3 days later it arrived. I got in before dealers were officially taking scrappage orders which is why mine was nice and quick.

 

[Sluggy]

Yeah I dont understand all these people moaning about long wait times. We all knew it was massively popular when we ordered. If you're not happy waiting you should have bought something else. And like maxi said there were no written guarantees on wait times, just an estimate. I was told 12 weeks it came in 14, others have it earlier.

Talk of compensation makes me sick and reminds me how pathetic some people can be. Of course you cant get your non-refundable deposit back because the delivery time has been extended. If you're really unhappy take the hit and walk away.

 

[306maxi]

Yeah I dont understand all these people moaning about long wait times. We all knew it was massively popular when we ordered. If you're not happy waiting you should have bought something else. And like maxi said there were no written guarantees on wait times, just an estimate. I was told 12 weeks it came in 14, others have it earlier.

Talk of compensation makes me sick and reminds me how pathetic some people can be. Of course you cant get your non-refundable deposit back because the delivery time has been extended. If you're really unhappy take the hit and walk away.

Agreed, though I do think that people are entitled to their deposit back if the wait time is significantly longer than originally thought.

Talk of compensation does sicken me though. If by compensation someone means mats or a tank of fuel I can understand but when people start talking money it's just silly.

 

[Murano16v]

To be fair , if I've done my sums right a jump from 12 weeks to 23 is slightly bloody unreasonable.

 

[Sluggy]

agreed and in that case they should get their deposit back. That was probably a bit harsh of me in the first place. However, again like maxi, said any monetary compensation should be out of the question.

 

[Mollie]

Here, here.

 

[jnoiles]

I'm far too lazy to type it all out again so here's a cut and paste from the other thread:

Order your car. In the colour/spec/engine you want. Wait for it. It'll take some time. In this time, do not second guess yourself. Just wait quietly and the car will arrive. Eventually. The wait will seem long. We all felt it. Some more, some less. But it's a new car coming from overseas. Wait patiently. It will not kill you. When it does arrive, read the manual and check out the Blue&Me threads to understand why your phone/accent/usb stick doesn't work with Blue&Me. Then go drive it already. Yes, it does need some revving and yes it loosens up after a bit. When it needs oil, put oil in it. Yes, they all need oil. More than you'd think. Before the end of the first year put it in for a service. Regardless of miles or how long you think/read in the paper/learned in 1978/heard from a mate about service intervals. Put it in for a service. Please put it in for a service. For the love of all that is good and holy put it in for a service and please do not post about it unless the dealer gave you a free Abarth for a month or Godzilla attacked the whole dealership while you were wondering why the waiting room doesn't have coffee, tea, computers, free space flights, etc like the Audi/VW/Lexus/Rolls Royce dealer you're used to. When the car comes back from service resist the urge to post about the bad service you had/good service you had/fingerprints on the dash/cost of oil/length of time you waited. Yes, we know, servicing is expensive. Yes you can keep warranty and have it serviced at a VAT registered garage using original Fiat parts for less than a main dealer. When you get it home if your particular illness is spending all weekend detailing the undercarriage in a clean room whilst wearing surgical gloves then cool, post pics. Do not complain that the dealer does not adhere to the same exacting standards. When it comes time for tyres, buy the same ones it came with. Fight your natural instinct to post a what tyre thread. There have been many and they are all full of opinions. And you know what they say about opinions.

 

[trphil]

Or just buy one that's sitting in stock somewhere or second hand if you can't wait. Having said that, my requirements weren't as specific as some people's, all I wanted was a Fiat 500 with air-conditioning and alloy wheels.

 

[pearce_jj]

Totally agree, breach of contract on the dealers part since the delivery was stated as 10-12 weeks, but it's now thought to be at least double that.

 

[julest]

Sluggy, I ordered my car on 2nd August & were advised in writing expected delivery of 10-12 weeks. I sold my car at the beginning of October & advised the dealer of this so have now been without a car for 6 weeks. My journey to work involves a two mile walk & two bus journeys taking over two hours each way. I am having to cancel & rearrange meetings as getting there by public trannsport is a nightmare and time consuming.

I've not had a single phone call from the dealer in 16 weeks and when I rang them last week I was advised my car would not be here until end of January at the earliest - six months after ordering. Unfortunately, I cannot wait six months for a car & the dealer has refused to refund my deposit saying it is a definite order. All I want is my deposit back so I can buy a second hand car. However, the dealers refusal to refund my deposit has forced me to get Trading Standards involved.

The sales of the 500 are tiny compared to other cars (such as the Mini & the Beetle). It is common practice in the Motor Industry to restrict supply of new cars for a period as it pushes up the price of the used vehicles & then allows them to put up the price of the new car. I ordered a 1.2 Lounge in August in Bossa Nova White & since then it has gone up by £400.00 so it does seem that this is what Fiat are doing.

As I say all I want back is my deposit but if other people are being put out by being lied to by both Fiat & the dealerships, why shouldnt they be able to claim back compensation for travel expenses etc?

 

[Murano16v]

Don't see why you cannot get your deposit back. If your car is not due till late Jan 2010, there's no way they have started putting it together. A few weeks late might be OK, but 6 months is mental. Wingers get put down here, but you've got good reason. I doubt the Beetle currently outsells the 500 though.

 

[pearce_jj]

Problem is that you have no negotiating position. As it happens I needed the car (for a new job) when I ordered my 500, so the deal was simply that I ordered the car, paid cash, and had a loaner until it arrived. But once the deal is done the dealer will be very unwilling to offer such an arrangement I would have thought.

 

[Ulpian]

Fiat is not restricting sales of the 500 and its sales are not tiny. European, and now international, demand is huge, and the car comes down the line at one factory only, which also builds the Panda and the Ford Ka. So I'm afraid the reality caused by the burgeoning requirement for economical and fashionable cars might, unfortunately, well dictate a wait. It does seem, however, that your dealer has been pretty hopeless at getting hold of what you describe as a very standard car, and keeping in touch with you.

Contact Fiat UK and describe exactly what has happened, and the sequence of events since you ordered.

 

[poggy]

Not sure why it is sickening to expect compensation, it is a contract and if you broke your side then you would have to pay them compensation. If you pull out of a new car order, they can pursue you for more than just your deposit. I agree 2-3 weeks is acceptable delay, but double the estimate and no contact is just wrong.

Apart from anything, they have had the deposit in the bank for 6 months.

Contracts are two way things, so you are foolish if you think compensation is sickening. they shouldn't take any order if they can't fulfill it. Clearly trying your luck to get compensation is ridiculous, but when it is valid then there is a place for it. do you think the dealer would have the same sympathy if you turned around and said "sorry I spent all my money on a new boiler as it broke,so I can't buy the car now". So why have sympathy for the dealer when they pull the same trick.

 

[Ulpian]

The simple answer would be to read the small print in the contract and see if there is any case for compensation. All this debate is speculation until the details of the contract are understood.

 

[poggy]

Not really as not all aspects of a contract can be enforced if they are considered unfair or biased to one party. You also do not sign away your statutory rights.

I had the same problem, when I cancelled an order for a Volvo XC90 when they first came out.

 

[306maxi]

Not sure why it is sickening to expect compensation, it is a contract and if you broke your side then you would have to pay them compensation. If you pull out of a new car order, they can pursue you for more than just your deposit. I agree 2-3 weeks is acceptable delay, but double the estimate and no contact is just wrong.

Apart from anything, they have had the deposit in the bank for 6 months.

Contracts are two way things, so you are foolish if you think compensation is sickening. they shouldn't take any order if they can't fulfill it. Clearly trying your luck to get compensation is ridiculous, but when it is valid then there is a place for it. do you think the dealer would have the same sympathy if you turned around and said "sorry I spent all my money on a new boiler as it broke,so I can't buy the car now". So why have sympathy for the dealer when they pull the same trick.

Is the wait part of the contract though? If I go to McDonalds and I'm told it's going to be 2 minutes and it's 5 minutes I don't go asking for compensation but if I were in a hurry I'd expect a refund. Now I think this person is entitled to a refund of their deposit and if they call Fiat up they'll get it.

Why sell your car before you get your new car?

 

[306maxi]

Don't see why you cannot get your deposit back. If your car is not due till late Jan 2010, there's no way they have started putting it together. A few weeks late might be OK, but 6 months is mental. Wingers get put down here, but you've got good reason. I doubt the Beetle currently outsells the 500 though.

Whingers do get put down and this is only right, but the OP has good reason to be complaining

The Beetle definitely doesn't outsell the 500. The 500 is starting to become a common sight now whereas the Beetle is still thankfully a rarity on the road.