Not upheld: goods not of satisfactory quality under hire purchase agreement complaint against N.I.I.B. Group Limited, trading as Northridge Finance

Decision detail

Summary

Mr B purchased a three-year-old used car with 56,013 miles under a hire purchase agreement with Northridge Finance for £20,499 in March 2025. He complained in July 2025 about braking defects, charging issues, and wheel noise, and later in September 2025 about poor paintwork repairs allegedly consistent with prior collision damage. Northridge Finance rejected his rejection of the car, and the FOS investigator recommended the complaint not be upheld. The ombudsman found that Mr B failed to provide sufficient evidence of pre-supply defects, particularly given his delayed complaint about paintwork (over six months later), the dealer's inspection finding no accident evidence, and the car's successful MOT test with no advisories. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mr B failed to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the car was not of satisfactory quality when supplied. While Mr B provided a body repair specialist report suggesting prior collision damage, the dealer's inspection found no evidence of accident damage. Critically, Mr B did not complain about paintwork until over six months after supply, placing the burden on him to prove pre-supply damage. Mr B provided no independent inspection report or qualified mechanic evidence regarding the alleged brake, charging, or wheel issues. The car's passage of an MOT test with no advisories in February 2026 further supported the conclusion that the car was of satisfactory quality.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website