Need your help - company looking more money from me?????

Associate
Joined
28 Dec 2002
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2,400
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Northern Ireland
Hi guys,
I am rather puzzled at what i am about to tell you all and i hope you can give me your advice on what to do.

It all started 2 weeks ago....
THURSDAY MARCH 30TH - I went to my local ford dealer to trade in my car for a 2nd hand van, as i am starting my own business as a kitchen and bathroom fitter. The girl i was dealing with said there was no problem and she found me a van for £4995. (this is the price she told me on the phone) I said great i will go for that. They offered me £6600 for my car which meant i still owed £3400, which i was fine with. This meant in total i had to pay £8400. Everything was agreed and she arranged for the van to be brought down, so i could have a look at it before i paid anything.

MONDAY 3RD APRIL - I went in to have a look at the van and also to pay for it. When i went in she told me that the vans side door was badly damaged but not to worry she would get it fixed for me. I said that was great and asked her how long would it take, she replied "i will order the door, book it in for painting and servicing so your looking at just over a week, thursday 13th April you can pick it up". I said great and i gave her a cheque for £8400, i will add that she told me the amount i had to pay as i asked her over and over again, i also phoned her that morning before i got the loan for the van just to confirm the amount.

THURSDAY 13th APRIL - I phoned her today to arrange a time to pick it up only to be told that the new side door had not arrived therefore i could not pick it up. I was alarmed by this as i have a job to do tommorrow and a few next week, i also had the van booked in to get a towbar fitted and the new signs put on the side this coming saturday. I explained this all and she arranged for me to have a rental van.

THE REALLY INTERESTING PART - A MUST READ
I went in today to collect the rental van and was walking out the door when the girl i had been dealing with all along called me back in. We went to her desk and she turned her screen round to me and said that she was working out the figures and i owed an additional £800. Puuzled, i turned to her and asked why, she replied "all commercial vehicles are plus VAT", i said you never told me that you told me the van was £4995, plus £3400 for my car, and i wrote you a cheque for £8400 which you accepted after agreeing the figures. She said that she did tell me, i went on and said you didnt and if i have to pay any more i will want a full refund as i have budgeted for ever last penny.

Where do you guys think i stand on this one, my take on it is she told me the amount owed and she accepted the cheque for the amount, therefore its her problem and not mine and i should not have to pay anything extra.

Really appreciate your help on this one.
ace
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Dec 2005
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14,424
Location
Stoke on Trent
If the van was £4995 and they give you £6600 for you car how can you owe them anything?

Why didnt you sell it for £6600, then give them £4995 for the van and walk out with £1605? :confused:
 

daz

daz

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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24,073
Location
Bucks
Commercial vehicles are likely to be listed at their price without VAT, since they are commercial most of the people they will be dealing with are VAT registered and are only interested in the base price (without VAT).

It's difficult to say where you stand, but some legal bods might be able to say whether there has been an offer and acceptance (which as a layperson I would say there has been).
 
Associate
Joined
27 Sep 2004
Posts
488
get yourself vat reg and you get the tax back :)

and all commercial vehicles are plus vat i'm afraid your never beat the vat man
 
Associate
OP
Joined
28 Dec 2002
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2,400
Location
Northern Ireland
i owed £10000 on my car and they gave me £6600, this left £3400, 4995 for the van = £8400.

I understand that all commercial vehicles are ex VAT but i never knew this at the time and she never told me. I asked her what the final final price i owed her was and she said £8400.

Now to me, as a person starting up in business and i have dealt with car dealers before, they are meant to tell you everything when you are buying a vehicle. I belive i was mis informed by this person.
 
Suspended
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17 Mar 2004
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4,934
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Market Drayton, Salop
if they've accepted the cheque as full payment then kick up a fuss as this was obviously the price you had agreed upon.

If she did tell you then why didnt she pick it up straight away when the cheque was handed over?

Speak to her manager about it, kick up a fuss and if they refuse to help get your refund and take your money elsewhere!
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Feb 2004
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5,240
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Sealed in my Sarcophagus.
Yes but he hasnt said wether the reciept stated he had paid vat or not. Unless we know whats on the paperwork hes got we cant know if shes made a balls up or not. He must know that VAT is to be payed, the question is wether she made him believe it was included or not. Did she sign a piece of paper/recipt saying he had paid the sum and that INCLUDED vat? if yes then hes got them... if no then hes got to pay the VAT.
There MUST be some papework hes been given that states whats he payed for and the serparate parts broken down, ie payment for old car, payment for new van, vat etc etc.... if not then i find that very odd. This is afterall a business to business transaction and he must get proper records to allow himself to do his end of year accounts. Just a bit of paper saying "paid £850" or whatever wont be good enough. The tax man will want to know if he payed vat on it or not... and the car dealer must provide a VAT invoice.
 
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