Adrian M

I’m happy for you if your car buying….

I’m happy for you if your car buying experience from Kings Road Garage was a happy one, but I curse the day I ever set foot in this place! When I think back, I shudder at how a family business with an award from AutoTrader decided to throw their reputation away. Yes, I had all the smooth sales patter and bon ami, as well as remorse that the car I bought for the full asking price was faulty! But what still hurts to this day, is that they promised to return it fixed. They returned it on a trailer, but had the engine been fixed? Absolutely not. I took it to 2 independent Land Rover Specialists straightaway who both diagnosed it as a timing chain issue, and no change since the promise to return it fixed. When I therefore asked to return the vehicle and my money back, was told me that I could not as I’d agreed to them repairing it. I should have sued under the Sales of Goods and Consumer Rights Acts but accepted a paltry £1000 refund. Warranty they sell is not worth the paper. You have been warned! What they fail to recognise is that after we went our separate ways, I contacted the supposed Gold Warranty Company who immediately ordered me to stop driving the Land Rover and find a repair shop. Great, except you try finding a LR Specialist who is prepared to carry out work for the labour rate his Warranty Provider was offering. I hawked the vehicle around 2, one in Hook and the other in Salisbury and in their professional opinion after inspecting the vehicle, the timing chains needed replacement with a new kit and advised me not to continue to drive it as it could go at anytime. One of the Specialist spoke to the seller who was supposed to have carried out the work to query what they had done, as they’d inspected the car before it was returned on the day of collection (what a day that was - even my partner who knows nothing about car engines on seeing the car on my arrival home, asked if the engine should sound like it did!). I then immediately took it to my trusted LR Specialist who immediately diagnosed timing chain and was shocked that they had allowed me to drive off in the vehicle as there was a serious risk that it would breakdown at anytime. Do they remember telling me about the free AA cover before letting me go? Maybe they had a prick of conscience who knows! I accepted your £1000 because they gave me no choice having refused to take the car back the second time of asking and refund me. I wish I’d stuck to my guns when they had no choice but to agree to a refund, but knowing how much we liked the car, got me to agree to allowing them to return it to me repaired. They knew we were in Spain and could deliver the car and I would not be there to check it! In hindsight, I noted on our CCTV that they trailered it back and didn’t drive it themselves - I wonder why? As for P/X the car, I was very fortunate that the Marshall JLR accepted it in P/X after Hendy JLR had understandably rejected it first-time around due to the rattle from the engine. For the record, Marshall soon realised that it was not mechanically sound and took it down from their website and sent it to auction. I can provide details of the dealer who purchased it, together with their own description advising potential customers that they had replaced the timing chain. I paid full asking price for a car not fit for purpose, bought for £23995.00 on 27/10/2022. Seller refunded me £1000 equals £22995.00. I am happy to confirm what Marshall JLR took it in P/X for on the 30/05/2023 so that you can appreciate how much money I lost on this vehicle in the 7 months of my ownership you allude to in your reply for your information. Marshall gave me a P/X allowance of £15,600. I therefore lost £22,995 - £15,600 =£7,395.00 in 7 months of ownership. To say I’m still frustrated would be an understatement.