FaultyCar.co.uk vs DIY

Why People Consider DIY

It's a fair question: why pay for anything when you can do it yourself for free?

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is public legislation. The information is out there. Forums like MoneySavingExpert and PistonHeads have years of threads from people who've successfully rejected faulty cars. Citizens Advice publishes guidance. Template letters exist online.

If you're resourceful, determined, and have the time, there's nothing stopping you from handling the entire process without spending a penny. We respect the DIY approach — and we'd never suggest it can't work.

What DIY Does Well

The biggest advantage is obvious: it's free. Zero cost, no commitments, no accounts to create. You research at your own pace, write your own letters, and handle things exactly how you want to.

The knowledge you gain has lasting value too. Understanding sections 9, 10, and 11 of the CRA (satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose, as described) and sections 22, 23, and 24 (right to reject, right to repair or replacement, right to price reduction) means you'll know your rights not just for this car, but for every consumer purchase you make.

Online forums can be genuinely helpful. MoneySavingExpert's consumer rights board has knowledgeable regulars who've been through the process themselves. PistonHeads has car-specific expertise. You can describe your exact situation and get advice from people who've dealt with similar dealers or faults.

Where It Falls Short for Car Rejection Claims

The problem with DIY isn't that the information doesn't exist — it's that it's scattered, sometimes contradictory, and easy to get wrong in ways that matter.

The Consumer Rights Act gives you a short-term right to reject within 30 days of taking delivery. Miss that window and your legal position changes significantly — you shift from an automatic right to reject to needing to give the dealer one opportunity to repair. That's a deadline you cannot afford to get wrong, and there's no reminder built into a Google search.

Forum advice, while often well-intentioned, can be outdated or incorrect. Consumer law changed substantially with the CRA 2015, and threads from earlier years may reference the Sale of Goods Act 1979 — which no longer applies in the same way.

One poster might tell you to demand a repair. Another might say reject immediately. A third might suggest going straight to court. Without legal training, it's hard to know which advice applies to your specific situation.

Many people also forget about Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. If you bought the car on finance or paid even a deposit on a credit card, you may have a parallel claim against the finance company. It's a powerful tool that DIY claimants frequently overlook because they're focused on the dealer.

Then there's the letter itself. The difference between a strong legal letter and a weak one isn't just the tone — it's the specific sections cited, the timeframes given, the remedies requested, and the language used. "I want my money back because the car is broken" is legally very different from a letter that formally rejects the vehicle under section 22 of the CRA, citing a breach of the satisfactory quality requirement under section 9.

When FaultyCar.co.uk Is the Better Choice

Our platform is essentially the bridge between DIY and professional help. You still send the letters yourself and maintain full control — but you don't have to do the legal research, draft the letters from scratch, remember the deadlines, or figure out what to say when the dealer claims the fault is "wear and tear."

For £69, you get CRA-specific letter templates that cite the correct sections, a deadline tracker that emails you before critical dates pass, an evidence store for your photos and documents, and pre-written responses for the dealer excuses that come up again and again.

The guided process takes you from first discovering the fault through to resolution, step by step.

Our Honest Take

If you have the time, the confidence, and the legal knowledge to handle a faulty car rejection yourself — go for it. We mean that genuinely. The law is on your side and the information is publicly available.

But most people don't have 10-15 hours to research CRA sections, draft multiple letters, figure out the right deadlines, and prepare responses to dealer excuses. Most people are already stressed, already out of pocket, and already dealing with the inconvenience of not having a working car.

Our platform exists for exactly those people — the 95% who'd rather pay £69 for a structured, guided process than spend their evenings on forum threads hoping they haven't missed something critical.

It's not about whether you can do it yourself. It's about whether you want to.