CARCRAFT ON BBC WATCHDOG

On the 8th April 2003 CARCRAFT was featured on BBC Watchdog.

Watchdog report about Carcraft on their television programme due to over two hundred complaints received from viewers, with more being received each day. Trading standards across the country told Watchdog that they were dealing with double that amount.

According to BBC Watchdog, viewers have complained that the cars are overpriced, unreliable and are sold under high pressure credit deals.



Featured in the film was Linda Clarkson who purchased a Vauxhall Frontera, however upon leaving the forecourt with her children, she found that the engine warning lights were flashing. Carcraft informed her that it was no longer their problem, as the car was now hers. According to a Vauxhall dealership, the brakes were fitted back-to-front which could have caused Linda and her children to have been involved in a serious accident.



It was highligted in the report that Carcraft MOT their cars themselves.

The Watchdog reporter tells the salesman "If I press the brake padal, its still going, look. Brakes have gone. There's no brakes on this.". Excessive play in the handbrake was also found and the salesman is told: "I can actually drive it with the handbrake on.".

Watchdog wanted to see how the salesman would react to other faults found on the car. The reporter tells the salesman: "You see that, see that there. Do you know what that is? That's water in the oil. That means the head gasket's gone.".

The report continues with the story of Mark Townsend, who bought a Vauxhall Vectra from Carcraft for £4,500. The car was only worth £3,500.

Mark had signed a finance agreement, however Carcraft wanted him to sign a new agreement - after he had already taken the car home. According to Mark, at around 6.30 in the morning a large man came to his house with a letter stating that Carcraft were now the legal owners of the car as the finance company had cancelled its decision and reversed the finance.

Later that morning, after the car had been taken away from Mr Townsend, he telephoned the finance company who asked why they had cancelled the finance agreement. Mark was told that they hadn't cancelled the agreement and as far as they were concerned, it was still okay.

Mr Townsend then immediately telephoned Carcraft to ask what they were doing with his car, and the that finance agreement hadn't been cancelled as they had stated. According to Mark, Carcrafts response was: "Are you going to come down to the store now and re-sign these documents?"



In the report Jamie Lewis, nearly paid £14,000 for a Carcraft car he did not have. Mr Lewis was told that at most, a car would only be £95 per month, however when the finance agreement came through it had changed to £160. When Jamie told Carcraft that he wanted to cancel the agreement, as the figures had changed, he was told that he should meet them halfway.

In the report, Watchdog signed the same agreement, a "Provisional Order Form" and decided that they did not wish to proceed with the finance agreement - however were told they would lose their deposit, despite being told this wouldn't happen.

Mr Lewis paid a deposit of £1,410 which Carcraft refused to refund after they changed the finance agreement. Jamie did get his money back eventually, but only after consulting a solicitor.

Finally, in the report Chief Executive of Carcraft, Noel McKee is interviewed who states that the company has been established for 50 years and pride themselves on customer satisfaction.