Beware when purchasing cars - auto or manual

[Aikshin]

DRIVER'S FRUSTRATION

She wants auto car but gets manual one instead

 

# Her copy of sales contract is different from that of the dealer

# She claims she paid for auto car but dealer says otherwise

 

By Tan Mae Lynn

[email protected]

-- HEDY KHOO

 

MRS L C Loke and her husband paid for a new car but for three weeks, they refused to collect it.

 

Because they thought were buying an auto-transmission model but ended up with a manual one instead.

 

Mrs Loke, who got her driver's licence in Canada, cannot drive a manual car.

 

The 31-year-old said: 'I cannot drive a manual, why would I get manual car?

 

'From the start we intended to buy an auto. I've never driven in a manual car before, I got my driver's licence in Canada. My lessons and driving test were all in an auto car.'

 

So how did she end up with a car she cannot drive?

 

And why is her copy of the sales contract different from the car dealer's?

 

The dealer who sold her the Kia Cerato Sedan for $56,499 could not explain the discrepancy to The New Paper.

 

The newly-married medical executive and her engineer husband, had gone to the dealer, test-drove an auto-car and paid.

 

So imagine their shock when they went to collect their car earlier this month and found that it had manual transmission.

 

The Lokes at first refused to accept the car. Mrs Loke said: 'Why should I accept the car? I cannot drive it.'

 

But she is stuck with it.

 

Cycle and Carriage (C&C), which handles the sales of Kia cars here, told The New Paper that the $56,499 paid by the couple was the price of the manual-transmission model.

 

A check on the Kia Motors Singapore website indicates the current price of a Kia Cerato Sedan 1.6 Auto as $56,499.

 

But Mr Thomas Lim, sales manager at the C&C Fulco branch, pointed out that the Lokes bought the car in December and there were fluctuations in COE prices.

 

He added that the advertised prices of cars do not include insurance and finance charges.

 

'We also indicate in the ads there are terms and conditions,' he said. 'If consumers do not want financing or the one year insurance, then we will sell at exactly the price advertised.'

 

But he could not explain the difference in the contract.

 

The Lokes signed the deal on Dec 5.

 

They were given a photocopy of the sales contract.

 

The couple's photocopied version of the handwritten contract simply states the car model as 'Kia Cerato Sedan 1.6', but Mr Lim said his copy has it as 'Kia Cerato Sedan 1.6 M'. The 'M' stands for manual transmission.

 

Mrs Loke said: 'There is no letter next to the car model indicated on our copy of the contract.'

 

Mr Lim acknowledged: 'Her photocopied contract was without an 'M', but the price that we sold as stated in the contract is actually a manual model.

 

'There may have been a misunderstanding between parties.'

 

Mrs Loke complained: 'We paid that amount of money thinking we were going to get an auto car... When we saw the manual car, we were even willing to top up money to get an auto car but the dealer told us they couldn't do anything about it since the car had been registered.'

 

Now she can only scrap the car or resell it if she doesn't want it.

 

Mr Lim said everything is explained to customers before they buy a car.

 

He added that the salesman who assisted the Lokes had duly explained the process.

 

Mrs Loke agreed that the insurance charges and financing were explained to them, but insisted that the salesman never told them that the price that they were paying was for a manual car.

 

LTA APPEAL

 

Mrs Loke later asked the dealer to appeal to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to have the car registration cancelled.

 

But their appeal was rejected. (See other report.)

 

Mrs Loke admitted that she and her husband, being first-time buyers, only checked the car model but did not check for other details in the sales contract.

 

On the mix-up, Mr Lim said: 'Yes, we accept partial responsibility. But as a buyer, you must also be aware of what you're buying.'

 

For three weeks, the couple refused to accept the car.

 

They finally relented and collected the car on Jan 25 because her husband felt it was a matter of 'cutting losses', since the car has been registered and instalment payments had to be made.

 

COMPENSATION FROM C&C

 

As a goodwill gesture, Mr Lim said they have given the couple some compensation to resolve the dispute amicably.

 

The compensation package includes one-month instalment on the loan worth $550, car accessories worth $950, one full tank of petrol and $200 in cash.

 

Mr Lim said: 'It's something that she and the sales representative have agreed on. We tried to be fair and she has accepted the package.'

 

As for Mrs Loke, she said it was fortunate that her husband is able to drive a manual car.

 

She said: 'The plan was for us to drive to work, he'd get off first since he works close to our home and then I'd drive to work. We are planning to start a family next year, and the car is meant for me to shuttle around for the family. Now I have a car that I cannot even drive. It's been a very expensive lesson.'

[Hogster]

Wah, this sucks.

[Caaa]

Normally the ads will show the lower price of the model, which is ususally a manual transmission. As a buyer, we have to check the purchase ourselves also otherwise would be like what the owner said - expensive lesson. I guess the SE also failed to do a good job, as the transmission is such a basic yet important issue, how come can get wrong????

[Silver_blade]

C&C should have done the exchange. They can transfer that car to their rental dept. I would assume that the contract is questionable since it is non-standard.

[Caaa]

Guess the mistake is not just the seller but also the buyer, thus buyer also has admit her part of responsibility......... a lesson to learn!

[Silver_blade]

I felt C&C should have done it out of goodwill. Guess they didn't cos it is 'only' a Kia. They had done quite a few one-to-one exchange for their Merc S-Class customers.

Edited February 1, 2005 by Silver_blade

[Kaer]

I believe LTA could have given her a better option to de-reg than what? scrap away?

 

Cmon, it's a honest mistake, isn't it?

Edited February 1, 2005 by Wiise

[Hogster]

Moral of the story, everyone should just double check their our chase at the end of the day.

 

Same thing happened when I got my window grills installed. Wrong colour, still, it was a small issue but we went ahead with the install, but for a car. Wah, cannot play play.

[Osiris]

Agree, small things, maybe ok lah, 50k purchase also never do their due diligence. Maybe singaporean are too sheltered/trusting by a uncorrupted, efficient system.

It's really funny. They say they first time buyer. Shouldn't a first time buyer knowing that you don't know anything be even more careful? Not say they BTC, 1 of them engineer leh. I figure his rigorous training would account for something. Perhaps he did and C&C SE was at fault.

The news was poorly written and analysed on whether they paid for the car is actually for a auto or manual. Dealer say he cannot explain decrepancies...ie it could be they paid for auto car.

 

why dealer say car price depend on whether finance or insurance scheme. couldn't they figure out what the Lokes paid and sign up for to figure if the price quote was correct for a manual or auto? The way they explain is like they have something to hide.

 

Maybe the couple should smash the car up with a sledge hammer in protest.

[BMW320i]

Its quite a clear cut in the discrepancies of the contract. The consumer's rights is violated and should be taken to court and sue those MOFOs

[Osiris]

how much is it to change from M to A gearbox? instead of giving freebies and cash back, couldn't C&C subsidize this critical change?

[Hitman]

DRIVER'S FRUSTRATION

She wants auto car but gets manual one instead

 

# Her copy of sales contract is different from that of the dealer

# She claims she paid for auto car but dealer says otherwise

 

By Tan Mae Lynn

[email protected]

-- HEDY KHOO

 

MRS L C Loke and her husband paid for a new car but for three weeks, they refused to collect it.

 

Because they thought were buying an auto-transmission model but ended up with a manual one instead.

 

Mrs Loke, who got her driver's licence in Canada, cannot drive a manual car.

 

The 31-year-old said: 'I cannot drive a manual, why would I get manual car?

 

'From the start we intended to buy an auto. I've never driven in a manual car before, I got my driver's licence in Canada. My lessons and driving test were all in an auto car.'

 

So how did she end up with a car she cannot drive?

 

And why is her copy of the sales contract different from the car dealer's?

 

The dealer who sold her the Kia Cerato Sedan for $56,499 could not explain the discrepancy to The New Paper.

 

The newly-married medical executive and her engineer husband, had gone to the dealer, test-drove an auto-car and paid.

 

So imagine their shock when they went to collect their car earlier this month and found that it had manual transmission.

 

The Lokes at first refused to accept the car. Mrs Loke said: 'Why should I accept the car? I cannot drive it.'

 

But she is stuck with it.

 

Cycle and Carriage (C&C), which handles the sales of Kia cars here, told The New Paper that the $56,499 paid by the couple was the price of the manual-transmission model.

 

A check on the Kia Motors Singapore website indicates the current price of a Kia Cerato Sedan 1.6 Auto as $56,499.

 

But Mr Thomas Lim, sales manager at the C&C Fulco branch, pointed out that the Lokes bought the car in December and there were fluctuations in COE prices.

 

He added that the advertised prices of cars do not include insurance and finance charges.

 

'We also indicate in the ads there are terms and conditions,' he said. 'If consumers do not want financing or the one year insurance, then we will sell at exactly the price advertised.'

 

But he could not explain the difference in the contract.

 

The Lokes signed the deal on Dec 5.

 

They were given a photocopy of the sales contract.

 

The couple's photocopied version of the handwritten contract simply states the car model as 'Kia Cerato Sedan 1.6', but Mr Lim said his copy has it as 'Kia Cerato Sedan 1.6 M'. The 'M' stands for manual transmission.

 

Mrs Loke said: 'There is no letter next to the car model indicated on our copy of the contract.'

 

Mr Lim acknowledged: 'Her photocopied contract was without an 'M', but the price that we sold as stated in the contract is actually a manual model.

 

'There may have been a misunderstanding between parties.'

 

Mrs Loke complained: 'We paid that amount of money thinking we were going to get an auto car... When we saw the manual car, we were even willing to top up money to get an auto car but the dealer told us they couldn't do anything about it since the car had been registered.'

 

Now she can only scrap the car or resell it if she doesn't want it.

 

Mr Lim said everything is explained to customers before they buy a car.

 

He added that the salesman who assisted the Lokes had duly explained the process.

 

Mrs Loke agreed that the insurance charges and financing were explained to them, but insisted that the salesman never told them that the price that they were paying was for a manual car.

 

LTA APPEAL

 

Mrs Loke later asked the dealer to appeal to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to have the car registration cancelled.

 

But their appeal was rejected. (See other report.)

 

Mrs Loke admitted that she and her husband, being first-time buyers, only checked the car model but did not check for other details in the sales contract.

 

On the mix-up, Mr Lim said: 'Yes, we accept partial responsibility. But as a buyer, you must also be aware of what you're buying.'

 

For three weeks, the couple refused to accept the car.

 

They finally relented and collected the car on Jan 25 because her husband felt it was a matter of 'cutting losses', since the car has been registered and instalment payments had to be made.

 

COMPENSATION FROM C&C

 

As a goodwill gesture, Mr Lim said they have given the couple some compensation to resolve the dispute amicably.

 

The compensation package includes one-month instalment on the loan worth $550, car accessories worth $950, one full tank of petrol and $200 in cash.

 

Mr Lim said: 'It's something that she and the sales representative have agreed on. We tried to be fair and she has accepted the package.'

 

As for Mrs Loke, she said it was fortunate that her husband is able to drive a manual car.

 

She said: 'The plan was for us to drive to work, he'd get off first since he works close to our home and then I'd drive to work. We are planning to start a family next year, and the car is meant for me to shuttle around for the family. Now I have a car that I cannot even drive. It's been a very expensive lesson.'

 

Kinda shows you one thing .... how rigid the system is , no flexibility

 

KNS .... manual to auto, buyer willing to top up the diff also cannot change.

 

Also shows you .... how rigid C&C is also ... no creative thinkers, no sense of customer obligation

[Hitman]

I agree Sue them

[Hitman]

I believe LTA could have given her a better option to de-reg than what? scrap away?

 

Cmon, it's a honest mistake, isn't it?

LTA also damn one kind one

[Mzrmazda3]

TAMADE Like that also can??? Happily go & book for a new car and in the end the car is not what they have wanted. Really sway. IMHO, the buyers themselves must also double check the sales contact that everything indicated on it is as per what they have wanted but i feel that C&C should at least help this buyer to do a one to one exchange since the buyer is willing to top up the balance to get the auto transmission one. Imagine yourself in their shoes, got to drive a car which is not what they have wanted for at least a few years down the road unless they tulan and sell it off at a great loss. They are as sway as my bro whom had met that Fxxking SE from Tan Chong whom had make news in the Straits Times.

[Safetyfirst]

what is IMHO ?

[Hogster]

They are damm full of crap lah.

Edited February 1, 2005 by Hogster

[Hitman]

My sentiments exactly .... the gahmen better do something about this creative thnking skills

 

Cause their people seems to have none