PDI/habitation check certificates?

[phantom]

I purchsed my 1994 Eldiss Autoquest in August 07 and have been chasing the dealer for a number of things - I only just got my tax reimbursed last month after nearly threatening the small claims court. I am trying to get from them some service documents including something certifiying the PDI check but they seem reluctant to give me this and I have no documentation from them besides the manual and the tax book.

 

What should they give me - am I expecting too much? This is my first motorhome and I don't want them to take advantage of my lack of knowledge.

 

Help please

Phantom

[Brian Kirby]

Afraid I'm a bit confused, Phantom.  Reasons below.  Can you please clarify a bit where indicated?

I purchased my 1994 Eldiss Autoquest in August 07 and have been chasing the dealer for a number of things - I only just got my tax reimbursed last month after nearly threatening the small claims court.

But why should you be getting your tax reimbursed?  Do you mean that the vehicle was untaxed (i.e no tax disc) when you bought it, but the dealer promised to reimburse you if paid for it yourself, but was then slow to do so?

I am trying to get from them some service documents including something certifying the PDI check....

Your vehicle would have had its pre-delivery inspection (PDI) back in 1994.  Is it evidence of this that you now want?  Since the vehicle will long since have come out of warranty, proof that the PDI was properly carried out would now have little significance.

.....but they seem reluctant to give me this and I have no documentation from them besides the manual and the tax book.

By tax book, do you mean the Registration Certificate (the "log book", or V5C)?  That is the most important document to be sure you get when buying a used van, and it seems you have it.  It seems you also have a manual, which is more than many get, so you're not doing too badly!  Does the manual cover both base vehicle and conversion, or only one of these?  So long as you have the conversion manual, you have the most important general document.  If you want/need the base vehicle manual, you should be able to get one as a spare part from a commercial vehicle dealership for the relevant make.

What should they give me - am I expecting too much? This is my first motorhome and I don't want them to take advantage of my lack of knowledge.

It seems you have most of the main things already.  A service record for the vehicle would be nice, but it will only cover the base vehicle servicing.  Once out of warranty these don't really have much significance, saving to provide proof that it has been serviced regularly.  For most motorhomes, this means only once per year, due to their generally low annual mileages. 

I assume you will have bought the vehicle on the basis that it will have had a full habitation service, a damp check, and a full annual vehicle service, before you took delivery?  If so, you should have little to worry about for 12 months from the date these were carried out.  If not, I'd certainly ask the dealer why not since, if there is no service record, he can't know when the vehicle was last serviced so, if he's a good dealer, should have done this by default. 

Habitation check before sale is not (so far as I know) mandatory, but he is obliged to sell the vehicle in a safe condition for you to use.  Since gas systems and on-board electrics can be dangerous, it would be a rather rash dealer (or an eternal optimist!) who sold the vehicle without completing at least the minimum safety checks (gas leakage, hose condition/dates, appliance safety, and mains electrics insulation, earth continuity and polarity checks).  If he carried out these checks, it would seem odd that he hasn't provided the resulting certificates, since those are his evidence that the vehicle was safe at the point of sale.  If you don't have these, might it be because they reveal shortcomings that he'd prefer not to admit, or because he is that eternal optimist? 

If you don't have any proof of servicing in the docs you received, ask him if any servicing or checks were carried out prior to sale.  If he say they were, he should be able to provide the relevant record sheets.  If he admits they were not, I'd suggest you visit your local Trading Standards department and chat to them about how to proceed. 

The absence of the documentation doesn't prove the van defective, hopefully it is fine in all respects.  Equally, although the wise (and honest) dealer will complete all these items before sale, I don't believe he is legally obliged to do if he judges that the vehicle is sound and of "merchantable quality" having regard to its age.  This is where TS can advise. 

If you suspect there may be problems, get the base vehicle checked and serviced (don't go to a car dealership for the make, you'll need a commercial dealership with adequate workshop space and facilities to accommodate a motorhome) and, if the original service record cannot be found or is not forthcoming, buy one at the same time and have it completed by the dealer.  Then take the van to a reputable Eldiss dealership for a habitation check and damp check.  If all checks/services show the vehicle is sound it will have cost you around £300-500 to find out.

I don't think you can expect to get that back from the seller, but TS will be able to advise.  Unfortunately, if these items were not included in your understanding of what would be done pre-sale (don't forget if push comes to shove you'll have to prove it, so if it ain't in writing.....), I think that may be your loss.  However, if faults do show that require repairs to rectify them, these should have been identified and remedied before the vehicle could reasonably be sold as being as of merchantable quality (TS again!), and you may be able to sue the dealer for the cost of repairs, or even legally reject the vehicle (in either case definitely on advice from, and with the guidance of TS - and probably a solicitor!). 

However, you need to act quickly in all these matters, since your room for maneuver diminishes the longer you leave things.

Best of luck.

[phantom]

Thanks Brian

You're so thorough!

 

Yes I had to get my own tax because the van was untaxed but eventually got it reinmursed.

 

When I talked about PDI I think I meant habitation and damp check. I will ask them for the record of that and see what happens. She goes well and any problems we have had we have had fixed under a one year warrranty.

 

Thanks

 

Phantom