987 Super Horsepower
Before picking up the car in the 4S shop, "car inspection" is an indispensable part. So what is the correct process for car inspection?
On October 5, 2021, Mr. Liu of Fuzhou ordered a CX-5 at Longyi Mazda and signed a car purchase contract on the same day. When signing the contract, Mr. Liu said that he must inspect the car before picking up the car.
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Mr. Liu: At that time, the shop was a white test drive, and what I wanted was silver gray. So after I signed the contract, there was a repeated and sales confirmation, and I had to check the car before doing the follow-up process. However, the sales said that they must first apply for a loan and pay insurance before they can inspect the car.
On October 17, when the 4S shop notified Mr. Liu to pick up the car, Mr. Liu found that his new door panel had scratches and the door slit was large.
Mr. Liu: At that time, I found a problem, and I questioned it. But the 4S shop said that my formalities have been completed, which means that I have recognized this car, so I can't return it.
Subsequently, when the reporter checked the car purchase contract signed by Mr. Liu and Longyi Mazda on October 5, he found that the frame number of the vehicle was already written in the remarks column at that time.
So why is the frame number already determined in the contract when Mr. Liu has not seen the car?
Mr. Liu: When the contract was signed, they said that there was a current car, and they said that it was a car produced in September. But before I saw the car, I asked them to write a water-free, flawless car in the notes.
Mr. Liu said that the 4S shop did not conduct a car inspection according to its own requirements, and when it was time to pick up the car, it found that there was a defect in the vehicle, so Mr. Liu proposed to return the car.
In this regard, Li Qingru, general manager of Longyi Mazda store, said that customers had already inspected the car on October 9 and posted chat records with customers.
Mr. Liu said that at five o'clock in the evening of October 9, he went to Mazda's warehouse in the new store and saw his new car.
Mr. Liu: At that time, when I arrived at the warehouse at five o'clock and six o'clock, a warehouse person took me to the front of the car and circled around, and there was no check, and I did not expect that it was a car inspection.
Reporter: Was there a salesman accompanying you to inspect the car at that time?
Mr. Liu: No, my wife and I took the bus to see it on our own that day, and it was dark and I couldn't see clearly.
If you look at the scratches and door slits of the new car alone, it is indeed impossible to meet the standards of changing and returning the car in the "three-pack method of cars". But at present, there is indeed a Rashomon "whether to inspect the car" in this purchase process.
Subsequently, the reporter consulted Ke Xuezao, an auto rights protection expert of the Fujian Provincial Consumer Commission.
Ke Xuezao, auto rights protection expert of Fujian Provincial Consumer Commission
Before picking up the car, our consumers must give the customer a PDI test for the delivery of the new car to prove that the vehicle is not damaged during transportation, in the warehouse or in a certain site of the 4S store. PDI testing should also be accompanied by staff with PDI testing qualifications, using equipment designated by the manufacturer to jointly go to the parking lot for testing. Then, the scratches and depressions on the door are definitely not in line with the delivery standards, and the consumer's request for compensation and replacement is also reasonable.
Regarding PDI testing, Li Qingru, general manager of Longyi Mazda store, provided PDI for vehicles out of the warehouse. Li Qingru said that it was supposed to be provided to customers, but the customer did not come to the store to hand over the car on the day of pick-up.
Regarding this complaint, the consumer and the 4S store have not yet reached a settlement, and Mr. Liu's Mazda CX-5 has been parked in the 4S store. Follow-up progress "Super Horsepower" will continue to pay attention.
Super horsepower view
When the purchase of a car occurs, if you want to protect your rights and interests, you can first sign a (refundable deposit) booking contract or intention to pay a contract, before the delivery of the vehicle, by the consumer and the 4S store staff are present, careful inspection and handover procedures. Otherwise, when all the procedures are completed, it is found that the vehicle is not 100% satisfactory to itself, then it will take a greater time and cost to protect rights and negotiate.