Sparegate: Mis-selling of spare wheel on new purchase?

[acer]

A fellow poster on here has just alerted me to a possible error with my new purchase.

When I ordered my new 6.1 Ocean (with 17" Woodstocks) the salesman said that they all come with a 12v compressor and tyre sealant kit instead of a spare wheel as standard. If I wanted a spare wheel and carrier to be fitted I would need to pay £525 for this to be fitted by them before I collect. Is this correct? Or, have I been mis-sold?
Edit: Worth adding that I bought as a new stock vehicle.

 

[yossarian]

That is in fact a legitimate no cost option when ordering (the gunk, compressor and no spare or jack).

The vehicle has a build record that can be traced by the VIN. @calikev might run it for you if you PMed your VIN to him.

Whether that will change the line from your dealer I don't know.

 

[johns6809]

That is in fact a legitimate no cost option when ordering (the gunk, compressor and no spare or jack).

The vehicle has a build record that can be traced by the VIN. @calikev might run it for you if you PMed your VIN to him.

Whether that will change the line from your dealer I don't know.

I picked up our ex stock Cali on Monday and it does have a spare wheel.

 

[RockinNRollin]

It is(was) a no-cost option from the factory for custom orders, but once it's left the factory I expect it's a different matter and dealers can probably charge whatever the book figure is for those accessories. Because yours is a stock vehicle, I think you're probably stuck with how it is. In your shoes, I'd be tempted to try and find one online (used or new). I wouldn't be surprised if the last vehicles through the system didn't have the carrier/wheel as an option anyway though as it's going to be specific to the transporter platform I imagine whereas a compressor probably shares use with lots of VAG vehicles.

 

[Kayleigh]

It is(was) a no-cost option from the factory for custom orders, but once it's left the factory I expect it's a different matter and dealers can probably charge whatever the book figure is for those accessories. Because yours is a stock vehicle, I think you're probably stuck with how it is. In your shoes, I'd be tempted to try and find one online (used or new). I wouldn't be surprised if the last vehicles through the system didn't have the carrier/wheel as an option anyway though as it's going to be specific to the transporter platform I imagine whereas a compressor probably shares use with lots of VAG vehicles.

I agree. A second hand wheel can be sourced pretty cheaply and it’s worth checking out the price of the bracket to go under the van. It can’t be hard to fit, surely. Or is the cost you have been quoted just for the fitting? You probably want to get one of those red things that prevent theft too.
Also worth checking you have accessories that tend to go missing, for example the door bins and fly screens for the sliding windows. That’s from my own experience with… Eurovans.

 

[acer]

Thanks all. I've already got the vehicle now. It might be that as a stock item it came without the spare, but you'd expect that to be mentioned on the order form, like the other options that it came with.

I knew that £525 for fitting a spare could probably be sourced cheaper elsewhere, but I wanted to keep things simple. I've used the helpful checklist on the forum to check off other bits. I do think that I should probably have the missing 12v compressor and tyre sealant though that comes as standard. I've got the equipment to change the wheel in the tool box.

The only other 'missing' item to my mind is the provision of a written warranty, that I have raised on another thread. The lack of transparency is just so weird.

 

[yossarian]

I've got the equipment to change the wheel in the tool box.

VW provide this only if there's a spare wheel AFAIK.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

VW provide this only if there's a spare wheel AFAIK.

Our 2024 Ocean is on 18s so came with no spare, but we still got the jack and wheel brace.

 

[yossarian]

Our 2024 Ocean is on 18s so came with no spare, but we still got the jack and wheel brace.

Good to know, thanks. I stand corrected.

 

[Andy C Berks.]

Within the configurator you could spec. the “tyre mobility kit” (12v compressor and sealant) in lieu of the spare wheel as a no cost option. Sounds like maybe the dealer had done that when ordering to stock, albeit not quite sure why anyone would do that. It’s not as though deleting the spare frees up any interior space.

 

[Kayleigh]

I would ask VW to supply the compressor for free. What do they expect you to do if you have a puncture with no spare wheel and no compressor? Mind you there have been some strange things going on during the last year of production. Like the Cali that was delivered with one Cali side badge and one Transporter badge!

 

[Moggymog]

You may find it was originally ordered with 18" wheels and so no spare and the dealer has swapped them to gain a sale on another vehicle.

 

[acer]

I have learned in the last few minutes that the vehicle was built with a spare wheel. This would explain why no compressor or tyre sealant was provided when I collected it.

So, the dealer has raised an invoice for £525 for fitting a spare wheel, but didn't actually fit a spare wheel, because there was already one there!

 

[acer]

You may find it was originally ordered with 18" wheels and so no spare and the dealer has swapped them to gain a sale on another vehicle.

No, 17" Woodstocks on the spec sheet.

 

[RockinNRollin]

So what's the upshot? Are they going to sort you one out for free? Have a look and see if the carrier is there (just looks like a black bent metal bracket which holds the spare up against the underside of the van). If it is, it's only the wheel/tyre you need (plus a sparesafe from the forum shop is a wise move).

 

[acer]

So what's the upshot? Are they going to sort you one out for free? Have a look and see if the carrier is there (just looks like a black bent metal bracket which holds the spare up against the underside of the van). If it is, it's only the wheel/tyre you need (plus a sparesafe from the forum shop is a wise move).

I think you might have misunderstood the situation.
The vehicle left the factory with a spare wheel already fitted, and I do indeed have a spare wheel under the vehicle as I write. What I am waiting for the dealer to explain is why they have invoiced me for a spare wheel that the dealer can't have possibly fitted to the underside of my vehicle. Unless there are two wheels hiding underneath there!

 

[RockinNRollin]

I think you might have misunderstood the situation.
The vehicle left the factory with a spare wheel already fitted, and I do indeed have a spare wheel under the vehicle as I write. What I am waiting for the dealer to explain is why they have invoiced me for a spare wheel that the dealer can't have possibly fitted to the underside of my vehicle. Unless there are two wheels hiding underneath there!

I have misinterpreted your issue! Bizarre situation!

 

[acer]

Bizarre is a good word for it.

 

[rod_vw]

@acer if you haven't already done so get a Car Data Print off @calikev by supplying him with your VIN then highlight the PR number that states that your vehicle was built with a spare wheel.
Plant the highlighted printout under the nose of your supplying dealer and see how they react!

 

[acer]

I'm going to have to take the evening off. This is absolutely exhausting me. Thank you so much to everyone on this forum. (How many times have you seen that written on here!)

 

[andyinluton]

A fellow poster on here has just alerted me to a possible error with my new purchase.

When I ordered my new 6.1 Ocean (with 17" Woodstocks) the salesman said that they all come with a 12v compressor and tyre sealant kit instead of a spare wheel as standard. If I wanted a spare wheel and carrier to be fitted I would need to pay £525 for this to be fitted by them before I collect. Is this correct? Or, have I been mis-sold?
Edit: Worth adding that I bought as a new stock vehicle.

If it's a stock van it could well have been ordered with the compressor kit & no spare. Our local dealer said they always order stock vans like that as the spares tend to get pinched from their yard.
The cost looks about right for retro fitting a spare at dealer prices.

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

Bizarre is a good word for it.

Must be Crawley...

 

[andyinluton]

No need to ask Kev, if you click on "Equipment Details" on the screen below on the VW app it will list your factory fitted options.

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

No need to ask Kev, if you click on "Equipment Details" on the screen below on the VW app it will list your factory fitted options.

View attachment 128672

My app doesn't look like that nor have Equipment details...

 

[andyinluton]

My app doesn't look like that nor have Equipment details...

Do you get the first screen below? if so go into settings, then if you click on service packages it gets you over to your VW account that holds your info about finance agreements, service contracts etc Once there it gives you all your vehicle details & access to a digital copy of the manual.