Vospers Mis Sold Me A Nissan Leaf 6.6kw Charger Which Turns Out To Be 3.6kw
If you have bought a Nissan leaf from Vospers Plymouth or are thinking of buying one you may find my experience helpful to any future decision making.
I bought the Leaf on the 1st April 2017. The model I chose was a 30kw Acenta with a 6.6 kw charger which was pre registered with 10 miles on the clock. I chose this car as it had the faster charging capacity. A normal leaf is a 3.6 kva charging capacity and is a much slower charger at home.
I was really pleased with my purchase and you can read my blog on my early days of ownership by clicking here Nissan Leaf Acenta 30 kW
Things did not start to go wrong until I had the Pod Point home charger installed.
I had to wait a couple of weeks as I had to have my garage electrics upgraded to take the 32 amp charging point. Once the Pod Point was installed I connected my car and that is when I discovered it could not take a 7 kw charge as it was only a 3.6kva charging model.
(click the link above to read all about this discovery)
It was then that I discovered Vospers Nissan in Plymouth had mis sold me a Nissan Leaf described as a 6.6 kw charger but was in fact a 3.6 kw charger.
Following research that night I found the label on the engine which confirmed this fact. I submitted a detailed email complaint that day and was invited into the showrooms on Saturday 22nd April 2017 for their staff to examine my car and confirm the discrepancy.
The staff were very apologetic and confirmed they had mis sold me this vehicle as it was clearly not as described.
We discussed possible resolutions. In my email complaint I pointed out my statutory rights for a full refund as this was within the 30 day period.
We also discussed me keeping this car which I declined as it did not meet my charging requirements.
We then went on to discuss Vospers replacing it with a brand new vehicle.
What followed was a week of unsatisfactory dialogue with the Group Customer Relations Manager where the offer of a new vehicle was withdrawn, my claim for reimbursement for electrical work denied unless I purchased a petrol vehicle and a veiled threat not to defame Vospers here on my blog. It was a most unpleasant experience with delays in collecting the vehicle all amounting to a considerable stress factor, the kind of which I had not experienced since I retired from the Police.
It concluded today 28th April 2017 with a 40 minute telephone call with the Used Car Dealership Director.
Whilst we agreed to disagree on some issues it was concluded with a full refund, an apology and my consumer rights met (but alas no new car!).
Apart from the conversation with the Director the only person to come out of this with any credit from Vospers was the used car salesman Darren Walker.
He was professional, helpful, understanding and informative. If I was ever to deal with Vospers again, which I will not be, then I would seek out Darren.
If you own a leaf you may want to check it is what you think it is.
Looking For A Used Nissan Leaf In The UK or a Nissan Leaf For Sale ?
If you are considering purchasing a leaf then please do check the engine label and charging display to avoid the grief I have endured.
The critical issue for me from this experience is that I wonder if there are any other 3.6 leafs masquerading as 6.6 out there in un suspecting hands?
Just to prove the point I found one example of mis selling a leaf here Discussions continue with Nissan Dealer on the internet.
I have then just gone on to check a few other adverts. Here is another Nissan Dealer advertising a leaf with a 3.3 & a 6kw charger. This was an advert for a 24kw leaf and in the text for the vehicle details it states it has a 3.3 and a 6kw charger.
I rang the dealer and pointed out my recent experience and asked him to check the vehicle and was told that in fact it was only the 3.6kva model. This was again a Nissan Dealer.
I suspect this may be a bigger problem than I had first thought.
I have put a link onto the UK Nissan Leaf Owners Facebook page which contains some further information from other leaf owners – Click Here
I am now undecided on what to do for a replacement vehicle. Should I buy an electric car now or wait…..
I have also posted this warning video on Youtube. If you think it worth while to share this around it might inform future buyers and avoid them having a similar experience….
Update 05/05/2017
I am not a great fan of Facebook, however I did put a link to this blog post on the Nissan UK Facebook page.
I have today had a phone call from the Managing Directors office of Nissan UK.
I discussed with them in detail my customer experience to date.
I pointed out the issue with Nissan Uk and its supply to dealers whereby cars are not identified correctly. I suggested that Nissan badge its Leaf in the same way traditional cars are badged.
If you buy a BMW 318 you know the size of its engine is smaller than a BMW 330. Surely Nissan could badge the Leaf at the Factory with a 30kw badge and a 6.6 charger badge? This would stop any possible mistakes by dealers as well as customers.
Whilst I appreciate there is nothing for Nissan UK to do in my case it was good that following the Facebook entry they took the time to make contact and establish the facts.
Update 09/05/2017
Warning – Have Vospers Done It Again??? Read this Facebook entry on the UK Nissan LEAF Owners Group
Please do share as much as you can as this information is published to help others – you can see below lots have already – thank you ……
Regards
Steve
