Bad news with bumper and rust on tailgate

[MidlifecrisisT]

so, when I bought my vrs eatate back in jan, I noticed a rust patch on tailgate. I'm 99% sure that the dealers stitched me up and covered it with black polish, as two days later I jet washed my car and all of a sudden this rust patch appears out of nowhere.

Went straight back to dealers who Denied it and refused to sort the work as they stated that I should have fully inspected the car before signing the contract. Understand that it's my word against their's and I do wish that i'd have spotted it. Silly on my part. Anyway...

I've now taken it to a bodyshop to get a quote on repairing the rust. It turns out that the cars possibly had a bump at rear and it's pushed up the bumper slightly, which is now catching on the bottom of the tailgate, hence the rust patch. Quoted me £340 to take off bumper, realign and completely resprayed, plus a repair on tailgate and respray.

I guess I'm just after some advice really. Do you think this is a reasonable price? Is there any action I could take against the dealers? Cheers guys.

[horkin]

From what I know and previous experience it is very difficult to use any of the terms often used when returning faulty goods such as 'unfit for purpose' or 'not as described' when this refers to a used car.

Unfortunately the dealer has so much stacked in his favour as once the vehicle has been out of his premises for a number of months he can claim the damage was done after the sale and it's impossible to prove. (This is not always the case though if the fault is mechanical or electrics).

 

As you rightly say, it's your word against theirs and it is after all up to you to satisfy yourself as to the condition before committing to buy.

 

The only suggestion I can give is, try to stay on the right side of the dealer for now. tell him you have not had any incidents with the car since you bought it ( though it's hard to prove you didn't have the bumper nudged in some car park) plead with him again and if you are still getting nowhere ask him if his body shop could do you a fair deal just to help you out.

 

It's humble pie in the end but you haven't a leg to stand on IMO with the law as it stands re used cars.

Good luck mate, hope you get it sorted without too much pain.

 

Harry

Edited 29 July, 2014 by horkin

[MidlifecrisisT]

Thanks Harry. The dealers were absolutely appalling. Not just with the stuff regarding the rust, lot's of other things too which really annoyed me. By far the worse dealers I have ever dealt with (it's a non Skoda dealer). Yup, I'm just going to have to take the hit and pay for it. I shall learn from my mistakes that's for sure!

[GeneralPurpose]

+1 with horkin. Sadly, these things do occasionally happen Midlife. Depending on the type of job and how big, any reputable dealer will normally help out in some way or take the responsibility for small jobs like this, even if they are sure it's not there problem. Sometimes dealers just do that to keep a happy customer. It won't cost them £340 to fix. But sometimes it's best, as you say, to "take the hit" and learn from it. Skoda dealers on the whole are pretty darn good when you buy a Skoda Approved car from them. Cars are carefully inspected for any issues such as this and they will try to keep you happy in every respect as they actually want your business for long into the future. Good luck.

[dougle03]

How long have you had the car? and could the rust have reasonably developed to this extent in that time? Bump or not.

 

Commercial dealers do have a responsibility to disclose all material facts during the contract negotiation phase of your purchase.

 

"Sold as Seen" no longer carries the weight it used to when dealing with businesses as a consumer. "Buyer beware" also carries no weight in consumer law.

 

Ask your insurers to conduct a search for previous claims, or do a HPI check ect... Contact the previous owner for info (Let them know that they are not liable and they may give you information to assist).

 

Basically boils down to how much fight you have in you? How much £350 is worth to you in the grand scheme of things!!

[Ootohere]

I looked at the pictures in the other post, and really was surprised at how bad that looks and the fact you never spotted it before.

 

Can you do some pictures that are easier to see,

it looks like it might have been damaged by the Hatch being forced at some point, 

or Bike Rack damage of the likes.

Hard to tell but it needs Rust Inhibitor on it now, and then a proper repair.

 

george

[MidlifecrisisT]

Hi Dougle. Thanks for your post. Had the car since January. HPI check was done before purchase and came back all clear. I had 3 people with me when first looked at car and not one of us spotted the rust on boot, so I know for sure that it must have been covered with something :-(. Dealers didn't mention anything about damage etc. It has gotten worse since I've had the car so I need to sort it ASAP! I've still got my original emails sent to dealers with my concerns about the warranty, so I'm going to contact them again tomorrow to see if they will be very nice with me and offer me deal to get it sorted :-)

[Ootohere]

Did the car have Skoda Dealership Servicing, 

On the Service book any Body Damage should be put in the Service book and comments made.

 

There is a Page beside each Service page, but some only did Full Inspections at the 2 nd,  2 year/20,000 Major Inspection Service/

But it should be done as a Visual Check each time.

 

?

Anything in the Book, or when was the last Skoda Dealership Service?

[MidlifecrisisT]

I looked at the pictures in the other post, and really was surprised at how bad that looks and the fact you never spotted it before.

Can you do some pictures that are easier to see,

it looks like it might have been damaged by the Hatch being forced at some point,

or Bike Rack damage of the likes.

Hard to tell but it needs Rust Inhibitor on it now, and then a proper repair.

george

Hi George

You're right. It is bad. I know the pics are rubbish, so I'll take some better ones tomorrow. I've known about the rust since Jan, a few days after I got the car when I gave it a wash. It was a lot smaller then and it's definitely getting worse so I need to sort it. For reasons I won't go into, I've not been able to attempt a fix until now.

If the rust had been visible, I would have definitively seen it, as I spent a fair bit of time looking in the boot etc before I bought the car because it needed to be right for the dog but even so I missed it. That's why I think it must have been covered with something.

Can you recommend a quick rust treatment until I can fix it? Would be much appreciated. Thanks George.

[MidlifecrisisT]

Did the car have Skoda Dealership Servicing,

On the Service book any Body Damage should be put in the Service book and comments made.

There is a Page beside each Service page, but some only did Full Inspections at the 2 nd, 2 year/20,000 Major Inspection Service/

But it should be done as a Visual Check each time.

?

Anything in the Book, or when was the last Skoda Dealership Service?

Ah didn't think of that. I've just had a look now. In the service book and there are 3 stamps. First two services were done by skoda dealers. One at 10k and the Inspection was done at second service at just under 20k, states that inspection was done and there are no notices on there regarding any damage.

The third service was done by the dealers that I got the car from. They had done there own at 20,800 miles. Inspection box hasn't been ticked. Cheers mate

[Ootohere]

Kur-rust or any rust inhibiltor, just brush on the bare/rusty metal and it will turn black (blueish).  £4-5 a bottle.

 

You can then just touch over a day later with Black Paint or Nail Varnish until you get it fixed, to hide it.

If at a Motor Factors with little Touch ups, if they do not have Skoda, look at Volvo Stone Black or any Metallic Black.

 

The Big long rusty bit at the lock looks like it had paint and it came off as a big flake.

Edited 30 July, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[Ootohere]

Nothing Marked on page 14, or 16 of the Service Book.?

 It is easy enough to miss chips or damage the edge on a Hatch unless looking with it open.

[MidlifecrisisT]

Kur-rust or an rust inhibiltor, just brush on the bare/rusty metal and it will turn black (blueish). £4-5 a bottle.

You can then just touch over a day later with Black Paint or Nail Varnish until you get it fixed, to hide it.

If at a Motor Factors with little Touch ups, if they do not have Skoda, look at Volvo Stone Black or any Metallic Black.

The Big long rusty bit at the lock looks like it had paint and it came off as a big flake.

That's fantastic. Thanks George. I'll pull my finger out and pick some up tomorrow :-). I'll take those pics first, before I do it.

No notes on in the service schedule, so looks like they missed it :-(

[MidlifecrisisT]

Hi George

Sorry it's taken a while to upload the pics. I took your advise and bought some Kurust. It seems to have helped. The first pic shows the rust before. I scrubbed it down and had to scrape some more paint off as it was bubbling underneath. I put about 3 coats of Kurust on and have put some black nail varnish on to try and hide it until I can get it sorted. Looks pretty good IMO.

[MidlifecrisisT]

This was after I had put on the kurust. I've not got a pic with the varnish on yet.

[Ootohere]

You really need that properly repaired now.

Or it will prove costly.

 

It does look like it was accidental damage to the paint work originally.    Please get the Rust Removed, & the metal sealed.

[The Plumber]

As above looks like the paint got scratched allowing water in and rust to form under the paint, before it flaked off in one large patch looking at the edge around the rust.

 

Needs a professional repair before it becomes a new door.

 

 

TP

[MidlifecrisisT]

Hey guys. Thanks all for advice especially goneoffski for the great recommendations.

I'm going to get another couple of quotes from some more body shops then hopefully get the work done within the next two months.

The bumper has caused this damage to the tailgate 100% now. I can see the middle of the bumper raises up, (where tailgate closes on to) It looks as though it's been bent upwards slightly, which is what was catching on the bottom of the tailgate. I'm hoping the bumper is salvageable if not it looks like a new bumper.

Any ideas on the price of a new bumper from skoda? Obviously I'd prob have to look for someone who is scrapping a black vrs which will probably few and fair between :-(

[Ootohere]

I think the Body Shop will get the top of the centre of the Rear Bumper down easy enough without breaking brackets or anything else.

Thats a qualified Body Repairer, as long as they are not trying to increase the cost of the work.

 

?

Can you post a Picture of the Bumper where you see it as raised.?

 

To me it looks like somebody maybe had a Bike Rack on the Rear Hatch or such damage to the paint,

not easy to see, but it is messy what ever caused the Corrosion.

 

I know its an estate, and black,

but a picture something like this so i can see the Shut Gap.

This Red Hatch was banged up the Bum hard, no new bumper, just use of a Piece of wood and a persuader.

Edited 31 August, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[MidlifecrisisT]

Hey George

Yup, I'll sort out a couple of pics for you to look at. Cheers

[horkin]

Looks like you added a bit of 'grunt' to that door George.