Not upheld: goods not of satisfactory quality / right to reject complaint against Lendable Ltd trading as Autolend

Decision detail

Summary

Miss F purchased a nine-year-old car with 77,000 miles under a hire purchase agreement with Autolend in October 2025. She reported a cracked windscreen, missing window buttons, and a knocking noise shortly after acquisition. The dealership repaired the windscreen and window buttons, but Miss F claimed the knocking noise persisted and requested rejection of the vehicle within 30 days. The ombudsman found that the cosmetic defects were successfully repaired and that there was insufficient evidence to establish the knocking noise was a fault, as diagnostic checks found no defect and the vehicle had recently passed an MOT. The ombudsman concluded the vehicle was of satisfactory quality at the point of supply and did not uphold the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which requires goods to be of satisfactory quality at the point of supply, taking into account factors such as age, mileage, and price. The ombudsman found that the cosmetic defects (windscreen and window buttons) were clear and obvious defects that Miss F had the opportunity to examine before taking possession, and these were successfully repaired. Regarding the alleged knocking noise, the ombudsman found insufficient evidence to establish a fault existed, noting that diagnostic checks found no fault, the videos did not conclusively demonstrate a defect, and the vehicle had recently passed an MOT. The ombudsman concluded that given the vehicle's age and mileage, it was reasonable to expect some wear and tear, and without persuasive evidence of a defect, the vehicle was of satisfactory quality at the point of supply.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website