Customer Help

Here you can find answers to questions that we are regularly asked. Please click on the questions below to find out more. If you still have a question you can contact us and we will endevour to answer it as soon as possible - we will post more questions and answers here as we get them. We appreciate your feedback.

If you would like to know more about our buying process and learn how simple it is to buy a car from DC Cook Direct 2006, then please read our simple buying process.

About our Cars & Vans

* Many of your new cars and vans are shown as Pre-Registered - what does this mean?
* What is a nearly new car?
* Are any of your vehicles imports?
* Can I have factory fitted options on my chosen vehicle?
* Are the prices shown negotiable?
* Are there any extra costs I need to pay?
* Your price is several thousands less than my dealer. How do you manage to supply the car at this price and what services will I be sacrificing?
* Do your vehicles come with a warranty?
* Can I test drive my chosen vehicle?
* Can I add/remove an option on my car?

Availability

* How long will I have to wait for my car?
* Can you provide me with an exact date that I will have my car?

Part-exchange

* Will you accept my part-exchange?
* How can you give me a valuation on my part-exchange without seeing the car?

Car Finance

* Are all your cars available on finance?
* I can get 0% finance from the franchised dealers - can you match this?
* My dealer is offering me cash back for my part-exchange are you able to do this?

Delivery

* Can you deliver anywhere?

Servicing

* Can I still have my car serviced at a franchised dealer?
* If the worst should happen and my new car develops a fault do I still have the same come back I have with a franchised dealer?
* Will you be able to provide any after-sales support?

About our Cars & Vans

Many of your new cars and vans are shown as Pre-Registered - what does this mean?
A lot of the vehicles that we sell, we have bought in bulk. The reason we buy in bulk is that it means we can demand bigger discounts, which we pass on to you.

However, this means the vehicles are registered together - the new car is still unused and has only delivery mileage, the only difference is that you will be listed as the second registered keeper in the log book

What is a nearly new car?
A nearly new vehicle is a vehicle that is up to 2 years old. Nearly new vehicles can offer excellent value for money, as you avoid the initial depreciation that occurs when you first drive some makes, but are still getting a vehicle that in mechanical terms is almost new.

Are any of your vehicles imports?
Most of our vehicles are UK supplied and come from the same factory as if you brought through a UK dealer. However, we do import some vehicles, if it means a substantially cheaper price for our customers than a UK sourced vehicle.

In some instances, buying from other countries within the EU enables us to take advantage of more favourable pricing structures and deliver cars to UK customers at substantially lower prices than a UK model.

All of our imported vehicles conform to UK safety requirements and come with a full manufacturer’s warranty. Please ask our sales staff for information about the origin of your car.

Can I have factory fitted options on my chosen vehicle?
With some vehicles you can purchase factory fitted options. This may have an impact on the price of the vehicle, but will certainly still represent our usual fantastic value for money.

In addition, we can provide a number of different accessories which we will fit ourselves, so you can still benefit from our very best offers and save even more on accessories – just speak to one of our fully trained Sales Advisors for more information.

Are the prices shown negotiable?
No. All of our vehicles are priced as low as we possibly can and we don’t have the large margins that dealers have which enable them to knock a few more quid off on the day. This way, as well as knowing that you’ve got the best deal up front, it also saves you the pain of having to negotiate.

Are there any extra costs I need to pay?
The price shown is the price you'll pay for the car, all you need to pay extra is a first registration fee of £38 (if applicable), a small administration charge of £99 and decide if you want to pay for 6 or 12 months road fund licence (your car tax).

The only other extra costs are of any optional extra’s you may choose such as alloy wheels or metallic paint. You may also want to pay for delivery to your choice of address in the mainland UK. The cost is subject to location, with driven delivery starting from £125 and transported delivery starting from £200.

Your price is several thousands less than my dealer. How do you manage to supply the car at this price and what services will I be sacrificing?
We have a dedicated team of buyers all with several years of motor industry experience who continually seek out the best deals. This, coupled with our massive buying power, enable us to purchase cars at very low prices. In terms of services we still offer all the things you would expect to find at a dealer, although, admittedly, you don’t get a bunch of free flowers on the front seat.

Do your vehicles come with a warranty?
All of our new cars come with a full manufacturer’s warranty (imports even come with a full pan-European warranty). Therefore you can be assured that you will have the best possible protection. If you require specific details on the warranty supplied with your vehicle please ask.

Can I test drive my chosen vehicle?
A: As we sell direct over the phone or internet you are not able to test drive any of our cars. However, if you really need to get behind the wheel we suggest you get yourself down to your local dealer with a bit of cotton wool in your ears to avoid the painful sales spiel and have a go in their demonstrator.

Can I add/remove an option on my car?
If you have chosen factory fitted options, then your car will be a specific factory order for you, so unfortunately you will not be able to change your order once it has been processed. However, if you choose our own ‘retro-fit’ options, these are only fitted a few days prior to delivery, so with notice you can add or remove to your hearts content.

Availability

How long will I have to wait for my car?
Our website or sales team will provide you with an approximate time for delivery. However in order to reduce the time you wait we have hundreds of our most popular models in stock or on continual delivery, with the rest of our cars built to order in the same factories as if you ordered from a dealer.

You can be confident that you are not going to be penalised with longer waiting times just because you are buying direct. On the rare occasion that there is a delay with your vehicle, you can be almost certain that you would have suffered the same delay through your local dealer.

Can you provide me with an exact date that I will have my car?
A number of things have an impact on the speed of delivery of a new car. These include build times, shipping, receipt of paperwork, payment from customers, preparation and registration documents, to name but a few.

As all of these things can vary slightly in time, it is impossible to provide an exact date. However, we do provide an approximate date and will keep you informed of progress throughout you order.

Part-Exchange

Will you accept my part-exchange?
We recognise that most people will have a part-exchange, whether it’s an old car you need to dispose of or a valuable car in its own right, but you fancy an upgrade. At Motorsolutions Ltd, we actively welcome all part-exchanges, so you can avoid the hassle of trying to sell privately.

Please note that from the 1st July 2005, old-style V5 registration documents are no longer valid. As the DVLA has been issuing new V5C Registration Certificates since 1 January 2004 (for new vehicles) and since June 2004 (for used vehicles) any motorists using the V11 renewal reminder form to re-license or to make a Statutory Off Road Notification will automatically have been issued with the new certificate.

It’s more than likely you will now have a new style V5 (it has a prominent blue front page showing the words "Registration Certificate" at the top). However if you don't, you can't legally sell the vehicle, and we can not accept it in part-exchange, so you will need to contact the DVLA for a replacement.

How can you give me a valuation on my part-exchange without seeing the car?
All you need to do is to give us a detailed description of your vehicle and provided this matches with what we find when the part-ex is handed over then there’s nothing more to it.
Based on your description we shop around for the best price we can get and if you are happy with the amount you simply need to sign and return the part exchange appraisal form with the rest of the order documents.

All you need to do then is to drop off your old vehicle when you come to collect or, if the new vehicle is being delivered, we will pick up the part-exchange at the same time. This means you need never be without a vehicle.

Finance

Are all your cars available on finance?
Yes. Any of our cars can be purchased on finance, subject to status, written details on request. Click here to find out more about our finance options.

In addition, we are able to give you access to a range of finance packages and hence can find a deal which best matches your requirements, unlike franchised dealers which are usually tied to a specific Manufacturers finance scheme.

I can get 0% finance from the franchised dealers - can you match this?
The saying goes ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’ – and so it goes with 0% finance. In order to provide 0% finance dealers have to pay a subsidy to the finance provider.

To minimise the effect this has on their profit margin dealers often expect customers to put down a large deposit, pay the rest back over a relatively short period of time and receive little or no discount form the manufacturer’s list price.

However, even if you do find a genuinely good 0% finance deal (a very rare occurrence, but they do exist), our monthly payments are still likely to be less due to the saving you are making on the actual vehicle.

My dealer is offering me cash back for my part-exchange - are you able to do this?
Yes. You can take the value of your part-exchange as cash back or simply use it to reduce your finance payments.

Delivery

Can you deliver anywhere?
We will deliver to any address in mainland UK. For more specific details please enquire at the time of order.

Servicing

Can I still have my car serviced at a franchised dealer?
Yes. You can choose to have your car serviced at a franchised dealer if you prefer, however it is worth pointing out that you do not always have to use a franchised dealer in order to remain within the terms of your warranty.

If the worst should happen and my new car develops a fault do I still have the same come back I have with a franchised dealer?
DC Cook Direct 2006 is committed to providing its customers with exceptional service and, should your car develop a fault, you can be certain that we will act to rectify the problem.
Furthermore as we supply many different makes we are not interested in protecting the brand in the same way a manufacturer might try to. This means you actually have more come back as, if required, we will fight your corner against the manufacturer.

Will you be able to provide any after-sales support?
While we do not have our own service centres, this does not mean that our commitment to our customers stops when delivery has take place. Once you have taken delivery of your new vehicle you can contact us about anything whatsoever – whether it be to do with servicing or repairs, registration, or just a simple query – we’re here to help you.