But after taking it home and checking with a friend she realised it ran solely on petrol, despite it being advertised as a hybrid on the vehicle offer, sale agreement and consumer information notice. McHerron said Lockyer “promptly complained” to the dealership but was told she should have been aware it was not a hybrid and that it would not be refunding the purchase price or returning her trade-in vehicle. Lockyer “formally rejected” the car in an email 10 days later, which the dealership did not accept. It then changed its mind in March, agreeing to refund the full purchase price and stating it would be processed the following week.
Alex Burton/Stuff
It is pretty hard (but not impossible) to live without a car in Auckland, but surely when we buy a new one, we should be able to expect the paintwork to last for more than six years.
OPINION: Sandra Whitmore is an unsung consumer champions, so I will sing her praise. I’ve never met her, and I expect she d be a bit surprised I know anything of her fight to get Hyundai Motors New Zealand to repaint her car after bubbling and flaking began just six years after she bought it. But Whitmore s battle has lessons for us all fighting back when we are left out of pocket by someone else s mistakes, or sold something that really isn t fit for purpose.