Christopher S

Caveat Emptor!!

I purchased a Ford Transit Custom from Exeter Diesels in early January 2025. On initial inspection prior to purchase I recognised that the discs and brake pads, especially those on the front, were VERY badly worn and corroded. I drew this fact to the attention of Vince, the salesman. He replied "we thoroughly inspect our vehicles before letting them go and if anything needs doing then we will do it before letting the vehicle go". He seemed to be reluctant to admit that the van was in anything other than top condition though. I took him at his word and the discs and pads were replaced. However, several other faults had been missed vis: On the vehicle service history I learned that the van had been owned as a lease vehicle by U Drive. Fair enough, BUT U Drive's service history indicated quite clearly that the brake discs and sensors had been replaced as part of their own routine servicing! Why then were the discs and pads absolutely worn to the point of destruction when Exeter Diesels sold the vehicle to me two months after receiving the vehicle from U Drive? Had U Drive misled Exeter Diesels? Perhaps Exeter Diesels could have picked this up for themselves? 1. The two wing mirrors were of different colours! One silver and one black - Vince expressed surprise - "I don't know how I missed them"! 2. The passenger front vanity mirror was entirely shattered beneath the sliding cover. Again, Vince expressed "surprise". 3. I had the van serviced in mid June 2025 by my own garage (six months after taking delivery of the van). On collection of the van from my local garage (I have been using this garage for my vehicle servicing and repairs for 25 years) I commented on how much quieter the engine sounded. The mechanic explained that it was due to the fact that the old engine oil was entirely exhausted and had very little viscosity left. The filters needed to be replaced also. When had the oil and filters last been changed? My mechanic also drew my attention to a ruptured rear offside shock absorber. Just six months after me having taken delivery of the vehicle. I had never carried any heavy loads in the van and had never driven the van on rough or uneven surfaces. I was advised that this would be a "fail" with any MOT test. Exeter diesels replaced the ruptured shock absorber without argument. BUT - how had it been missed in the first place? I was sold an extended RAC Platinum Plus warranty with the vehicle - £999 inc VAT. In the event I didn't need the warranty, thankfully. But a word to the wise - I was NOT informed that, in the event that I sold the vehicle before the expiry of the 3 year RAC warranty then, unless I sold the warranty on as added value WITH the van, then it was non-refundable on a pro-rata or any other basis! I fully understood that Exeter Diesels would refund the pro rata funds to me - not a chance, so caveat emptor and quiz Exeter Diesels very closely on this matter. One of Exeter Diesel's employees - a lady - informed me that one of the clauses contained in the RAC Platinum Plus warranty leaflet undertook to replace, free of charge, any component that had failed due to "wear and tear" provided the vehicle had covered less than 80,000 miles or /and less than 8 years old. She told me that the particular clause had proved to be "a problem" and that they wanted to discuss the matter with the RAC. She need not have bothered, because Dan, the Sales Manager, in my and others' presence, had queried the import of that clause on the phone with the RAC contact, who confirmed the terms of the clause. We were all very encouraged by that confirmation and I decided to proceed with the purchase on that basis, In summary - Exeter Diesels are hard-working and helpful BUT, NOT very thorough in their pre-delivery checks and inspections. If at all possible when considering a purchase from this company, conduct a VERY thorough inspection of your prospective purchase, preferably in the company of a knowledgeable mechanic of your acquaintance. I found the salesman, Vince Riley, very resistant to any questioning although Dan was somewhat less belligerent. In retrospect, not an exercise to be repeated and perhaps more attention to detail by Exeter Diesels would not come amiss.