Auto Road Sales

TL;DR: Terrible experience with Auto Road Sales. Issues with the car within a week of purchase, poor communication from the dealership about the issues, refusal to provide a full refund at no expense to me, and they attempted to keep my old car for free. I ended up with 490 loss. Always take high-quality photos of the car when buying it! I recently bought a black Mazda 3 (VO14 SKZ) from Auto Road Sales for 5490. I knew it had some cosmetic issues, such as minor scratches and dents. There was also some minor paint damage and rust on the roof. However, within a week, I started experiencing mechanical problems with the car. The garage I took it to, which was approved by the cars warranty provider, informed me that several parts, including the turbo and possibly the entire engine, needed replacing. The estimated cost was between 3000-4000, much higher than the 500 single claim limit on the warranty. I sought free legal advice from the RAC, who referred me to the Consumer Rights Act for protection. Key sections included Section 9 (satisfactory quality), Section 10 (fit for purpose), Section 11 (as described), and Section 20 (short-term right to reject). Section 20, sub-sections 10 and 17 were particularly important. I learned that, as Id reported the issues in email within 30 days, I should get a full refund at no expense to me, and I did not need to accept any offers of repair/replacement. If you find yourself in this position, it is best to be very clear and state in writing/email thatd youd like to do a short-term rejection of your purchase. Despite raising these issues with Auto Road Sales, their communication was slow and uncooperative. They refused to refund the car, offering to repair it instead. They said they could not refund it because Id taken it to a garage to have the issues inspected, which is not a valid reason/exemption under the Consumer Rights Act. I nearly sent a "letter before action" to take them to small claims court. Id prepared it to send at the 2-week mark. However, after about 10 days, they agreed to collect the car but insisted on fees for me being an extra keeper, miles used, valeting, and pick-up costs. I let them know I shouldnt have to pay these fees. So, they said theyd give me all my cash back (4490) without returning the value of the car I traded in. I insisted they were not having my old car for free! We eventually settled on a 150 fee. As mentioned earlier, I shouldnt have had to pay this, but I just wanted the situation over. After another three weeks of poor communication, they picked up the car, which I had been unable to use for last six weeks. Whilst the collection driver was there, they claimed there was a small, extra dent just above the wheel arch of the rear passenger-side wheel. I believe this was there when I bought it. However, I couldn't prove it due to the lack of my own photos and their low-quality image. I also think factors such as the cleanliness of the car (it had been sat near the beach without driving for 5 weeks), and the light from the sun affected the visibility of this dent in the photos. The whole process took about 90 minutes due to the dealership person's slow responses, leaving me waiting with the collection driver and missing work meetings. I had to pay extra for this dent, which I doubt they will fix as it didnt stand out from any of the other minor cosmetic issues on the car. In the end, I only received 5000 back of the 5490 I paid. I still believe I should have received the full 5490. This experience with Auto Road Sales was incredibly stressful, disappointing, and upsetting. However, I did learn the importance of taking high-quality photos when purchasing any car. I would not recommend Auto Road Sales to anyone.
Mar 24th, 2023

Excellent service and aftercare! Would recommend this garage.
May 4th, 2023

Apr 23rd, 2023

Apr 7th, 2023

Bought a Peugeot 208 from Auto Road Sales and only have positive things to say about the company. Given this was my first time purchasing a car, I was slightly apprehensive going into it as I did not what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when I visited the garage. A friendly family run business that prides themselves on delivering a high quality service. The car was nice and clean and I could tell they made sure of that! I also went on a test drive which was very smooth and enjoyable. At the end of it, it was impossible to not go ahead with the purchase given how great the car was as well as the people that were selling it. MOT and delivery of the car was completed free of charge and the car is now sitting on my drive in a matter of days. Honestly, cannot say enough good things about the company. Will definitely be coming back for my second car!
May 2nd, 2023