I recently purchased an Alfa Romeo Giulietta from Carpoint Motor UK on 24/05/2024, and my…read moreexperience has been nothing short of a nightmare. Within the first 30 days of ownership, the vehicle developed significant faults, making it undrivable. I sought an independent inspection from A for Alfa, an Alfa Romeo specialist, which revealed numerous issues that clearly indicated the vehicle should never have been sold in its current state. One of the critical faults was a sticking rear brake caliper, which caused the brake pad to disintegrate.
Despite my immediate communication with Carpoint Motor UK to reject the vehicle under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the dealer has been incredibly uncooperative. They delayed acknowledging my rejection and have consistently ignored their legal obligations. The dealer's response has been slow and evasive, attempting to shift responsibility and delay the process.
The vehicle had several faults with its suspension, a check engine light came on shortly after purchase, and A for Alfa discovered a major coolant leak from the inlet manifold. Given the extent of the issues, I had no choice but to have the vehicle recovered at my own expense because Richard refused to arrange transportation, and I couldn't afford to keep the vehicle.
Furthermore, Carpoint Motor UK's offer to cover the cost of a damaged alloy as a "gesture of goodwill" is laughable when compared to the severity of the vehicle's faults. They also expected me to cover the transportation costs to return the undrivable vehicle to their dealership in Wales, which is clearly against consumer protection laws. According to Section 20(8) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the dealer must bear any reasonable costs associated with returning rejected goods.
The dealer also insisted on seeing invoices for third-party work conducted on the vehicle, which were necessary to diagnose its faults and ensure safety. I had already provided these invoices to Lloyds Bank for their investigation into the vehicle's condition and lack of service history at the time of sale. Their insistence on seeing these invoices, despite having no legal obligation to provide them, further exemplifies their unprofessional conduct. Richard only wanted these so he could advertise them to new customers, no other reason.
To make matters worse, when I attempted to return the vehicle, the dealer refused to refund me unless I provided the full logbook with my personal information on it, suggesting they would 'Tippex over' my details. Richard then stated I would have to wait six weeks for my refund until he received the logbook. This is highly illegal. After I outlined that his actions were illegal and informed him that I would be contacting Trading Standards to add this to their existing case, Richard finally refunded me, realizing I was not going to be easily dismissed. I also spoke to the DVLA, who advised that Richard had no legal grounds to withhold my refund and were baffled by his actions, confirming it was illegal. I have received these recordings and will be sending them to Trading Standards as well.
Additionally, Carpoint Motor UK advertises all their cars as having completely clean MOTs and full service history. However, the car I purchased had little to no service history, which constitutes false advertising. The numerous suspension issues do not indicate a worthy MOT as these should have at least been advisories. The rear wheels aren't even aligned correctly due to the condition of the rear suspension arms. This has also been reported to Trading Standards. Moreover, all their cars are parked outside next to the coast, leading to rust. The car I purchased had been sat outside for five months before I bought it and had not been driven more than 50 miles, meaning it hasn't even been driven properly.
In summary, Carpoint Motor UK has shown a blatant disregard for consumer rights and has failed to provide the basic level of service expected from a dealership. Their handling of my situation has been unprofessional, and their delays and evasive tactics are unacceptable.
I strongly advise potential buyers to avoid Carpoint Motor UK. My experience has been highly distressing, and I hope this review helps others steer clear of the same ordeal.
The best part is, the car is already back on the website advertised as Well Maintained and Full Service History. Richard you are a joke as I've reported you to trading standards for this, so you clearly haven't learned your lesson from doing illegal practices such as withholding money because you didn't ger your way, and now lying about the car's service history.
