Stephen: Northamptonshire: Purchase of Historic vehicle [2023]
After many years of dithering & deliberation, I finally decided to try and purchase a historic vehicle [this is a car that is at least 40 years old].
When it actually came to start the process of buying an older vehicle I quickly realised that I had to pick a well-cared for and maintained vehicle in an attempt at avoiding spending many times the purchase price just trying to keep the vehicle on the road. My knowledge and experience in this regard is at best, limited. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So setting to one side my technical pride I decided it was time to call in the “Cavalry”. Enter Elite Inspections!
I liked the website and the speed and courtesy from Doug once contact had been established. We had a few phone calls and email exchanges before I decided on the car I wanted to pursue.
Doug made all the arrangements for the inspection and my wife and I joined him toward the end of that inspection, where Doug took us through every detail.
Doug then accompanied my wife and I on a test drive and finally produced a snag list. Then to my surprise, conducted the transaction on our behalf, where all the snag list items [minor in this case] would be corrected and an acceptable purchase price agreed.
Hence my dream of a historic vehicle becomes a reality, a journey I could not have made without Doug’s help!
So a very big thank you and well done Doug & Elite Inspections: Multiple gold stars from me.
Mr David Stevenson - 22/06/23
I recently requested an expert inspection from Elite, within the hour they contacted me to get the full detail of what I required. Within the week, Michael arrived at my address to conduct the inspection, which he conducted professionally, thoroughly and as a neutral party. Then within a week of the inspection a full report on the vehicle was received, the whole experience from beginning to end was 5 star, everything was punctual, professional and unbiased.
Mrs Claire MacDonald - 24/07/23
AMAZING, BRILLIANT, COMPETENT
Doug and his team have been absolutely invaluable in helping me reject a seriously dodgy and faulty vehicle from ************** (do not buy a car from these idiots). They have the knowledge, the specialist detailed and intricate knowledge of everything to do with your car. I knew my car was a faulty piece of $hit but couldn’t prove it - Doug Reid and his fabulous team helped me to get my car rejected back to ********. It was falling apart in ways I didn’t know which could have killed my family or other road users. Elite inspections are first class in what they do. Happy to talk to me and spend time explaining things to me when I didn’t know where else to turn. These guys are busy but ALWAYS GET BACK TO YOU. One million percent trust these guys, thank you so much for the everything you have done for me. SUPERSTARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Edit: you’ve done it again Doug. Knocked it right out the park. I don’t think I’m allowed two separate reviews, but you’ve helped me again, this time when looking to buy and not reject a car. Friendly, professional, courteous, seems to magic time for you out of thin air. I don’t know how you do it. Great team at Elite Inspections. Absolutely first class, second to none, you should have an office outside every car dealership. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Mr Arfan Akhtar - 18/08/23
Absolutely brilliant. The best engineering company in the Country. 1000% rate this company. They did everything on point as mentioned on their website. Michael was fantastic. Very helpful, considerate and professional. Did a fantastic job on the inspection of my car crash causation and a brilliant report provided. Worth Every penny. Absolutely top class. I endorse these guys for top quality service. Thank you Elite inspections and Michael was brilliant.
Miss Laura Davies - 01/08/23
I was forced to seek expert advice as a last attempt to prove that expensive turbo and oil system faults that caused an engine failure, were not my fault. The finance company had used TWO very biased reports from their chosen inspection company - that came and took photos, plugged the vehicle in and told me nothing more than I already knew before sending a report that blamed me for failure to maintain servicing & not having a terraclean done (untrue and I had the service book to prove it, terraclean is not part of routine maintenance and wouldn't of fixed either fault).
Thank goodness for Doug! He listened to my story and considered all my evidence before looking at the vehicle. The service was prompt and professional. He dismantled the parts of the engine that he needed to inspect, took samples of oil and preserved damage parts for safe keeping as evidence. Within days I received a comprehensive report, detailing all the faults and explaining why the original brief reports were not adequate and the remedies recommended would not have been sufficient. Doug has been so supportive and reassuring throughout, always at the end of the phone for advice and support!
The finance company still wouldn't budge on their decision initially, because they found my report to be biased. However, thanks to the attention to detail and the descriptive, knowledgeable report - the decision has been overturned by the financial ombudsman! The vehicle in question has now been collected and I'm being reimbursed every expense that I paid out for repairs, finance payments for the months where the vehicle wasn't on the road, hire cars, buying a second car etc. They've even been ordered to pay a courtesy payment for distress!
It has taken such a long time to get to this stage, and I wish I used Elite inspections long before I did.
I highly recommend Elite inspections for a thorough and fair assessment! Worth every penny! Doug has saved my sanity and it's thanks to him that I was finally able to prove the true cause of my vehicle faults.
Mr Gary Webster - 12/12/23
This is my second time dealing with Doug at Elite Inspections. This time he inspected my new 2006, e46 M3 prior to purchase. The report he produced was thorough and gave reassurance of the overall standard of the car. I found Doug very pleasant to deal with.
Mr Ben Harris - 09/08/19
The service provided to us by Doug at Elite Inspection was nothing short of outstanding. Doug provided clear information on the steps and process, which really helped put our minds at ease. His extremely detailed forensic report identified the precise cause of engine failure in our case, providing undisputable evidence, which allowed our claim to fall in our favour. I wouldn’t hesitate to call or recommend Elite Inspections. Thanks again!
Ms Laura Millighan - 11/07/19
We have just been through a terrible and stressful experience following the purchase of a new campervan. The vehicle was defective from purchase with serious water ingress issues. We attempted to reject the vehicle under the CRA 2015 but the dealer was totally uncooperative (and unpleasant) and refused to take the vehicle back. We instructed a solicitor to assist with this matter but we needed and expert opinion on the vehicle. We had the absolute good fortune in engaging Doug Reid of Elite Inspections to carry out the inspection. Doug carried out a comprehensive inspection of the vehicle and found a catalogue of serious issues which rendered it unfit for purpose and not of satisfactory quality. Doug also provided us with much needed reassurance and advice. Based on Doug’s inspection the dealer had no choice but to settle this matter to our satisfaction. I don’t know where we would have found ourselves without his help and I can’t recommend Elite Inspections highly enough. Thanks again Doug!
Mr Lee Piddock - 10/09/19
I had an automatic gearbox repair to my car by a garage, I collected the car and it was not correct and they were not really interested in sorting it out. I contacted Doug at Elite Inspections who was very polite and knowledgeable, after a short discussion we made an appointment for him to inspect my car. he turned up exactly when he said, we had a converstation regarding my car, he then set to work and throughly inspected all aspects of the repair, test drove the car and unfortunately I was advised the car was dangerous to drive.
After a few days I recieved a 25 page very detailed report which would help me win my court case, Doug always answered the phone when I called, and answered all my questions and was genuinely interested in how my court case was going.
I can 100% say without Doug's help and the detailed report I would have not won my case. I cannot praise or thank Doug for all his help, definitley will be using Elite inspections again.
Doug keep up the fantastic work
Mrs Julie Balfour 18/06/18
Outstanding! Doug explained exactly what the process was when we were in a lengthy dispute with the finance company to reject a faulty vehicle. Ultimately, the comprehensive expert report from Elite Inspections is what tipped the Ombudsman to decide in our favour. The service provided was tailored to meet and exceed our needs and expectations. We also received invaluable email and phone support from Doug from start to finish. We will be using Elite Inspections again prior to purchasing our next vehicle to ensure we are purchasing a safe and quality used vehicle. I would highly recommend anyone thinking of purchasing a used vehicle to phone the team at Elite to make sure your vehicle purchase is hassle free and you are able to enjoy your motoring.
Kevin Peake from Leeds - 26/04/18
In today’s world where you get what you pay for, it's rare to come across a company that goes the extra mile, Elite Inspections is one such company. Not only did Doug find and record all the faults with my vehicle, but he also explained the implications, relevant rules/laws and most importantly his written report matched his verbal. Yes, there are cheaper companies out there, but neither is he expensive to, instead it’s a fair price for a very detailed inspection and report. I used a “cheaper” company first time around and got a 3 page report that wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. Elite inspections on the other hand gave me a 41 page report with over 180 points on it, meaning that I have gone from a weak case to a very strong one all thanks to them. Very highly recommended and should be everyone’s 1st port of call.
Mr Gavin Hawdon from Leeds - 18/04/18
"Doug at Elite Inspections was most helpful and knowledgable right from my first contact via email when I was shopping around for a classic car assessment. All the way through the the process of searching for, test driving and then purchasing a used Morgan his advice and guidance has been informative, insightful and valuable. In terms of inspection, the photographic evidence and written report are detailed yet conveyed in language a layman can understand. The follow up phone call reinforces this. The team will deal with all aspects of the purchase (price negotiation, agree remedial work on the car etc.) if you do not feel confident doing this. In short, this is an essential service when buying a classic car and money very well spent. If they do not save you the money you spend in either negotiated price or agreed repair I'd be very surprised. At the very least you will get a very good idea on the state of the vehicle you are purchasing, or even save you from a very expensive mistake. Highly recommended."
John Surrey from London - 27/02/18
I would just like to take the time to right this letter and thank you for your time and helping me resolve the problem with my Volkswagen Golf. After the garage received a copy of your report they were very helpful in getting my car back on the road without me having to pay any further costs. I will certainly be recommending your services.
Colin Munro from Birmingham
Many thanks once again for all the time and patience that you had to put up with me when I first came to you with the problem with my wife’s Audi. I have to say I was somewhat concerned with the processes and procedures of having to deal with the garage but you were very professional and helpful and always seemed to be in control of what was going to happen and what the garage would say. It was reassuring that we could call you at any time for an update or if we were worried could actually get you at the other end of the phone. Many thanks for all your time and effort and defiantly money well spent.
Sean and Jane Somerfield from Surrey
Hi Dougie and the team, just a quick note to say cheers for all the help and advice that you gave me and Jane on getting our car fixed. Without you and the guys help there would have been no way of getting my car fixed or my money back. To be honest I didn’t even know there was a company like yours out there it was only when we contacted our insurance company that they recommended you guys to see if you could help. One of the things that made us go through with the process was the amount of time that you spent just listening and taking all the information in before deciding whether or not you could actually help us. This put Jane and I at considerable ease when deciding to go ahead with the inspection. I hope we never end up in that position again but if we do I will be straight on the phone to you.
James Wright from Kent
Thank you for your polite and professional manner when we first contacted you. The thought of actually speaking to a person rather than a messaging service was somewhat of a relief. Understandably we were unsure of where to start and what to do but you took the time to listen and explain exactly what would happen and what the best course of action would be. I have to say we were also impressed when you said one of your engineers would call us within 15 minutes and this actually happened. When Douglas called he was already briefed and made us feel at ease when we were both concerned over what had happened to our Mercedes. The whole process was flawless and having the engineer’s direct number who we could call on at anytime was also reassuring.
Many thanks
Mrs D Miller from Edinburgh
A big thank you to you and the team on helping me resolve my problem with our Renault garage. Without your report and help we would never have found out exactly what went wrong and more so why it went wrong in the first place. I think the garage was even impressed with the professionalism and consistency of your company especially when they decided to resolve the problem without any further interruptions or excuses. Don’t take this the wrong way but I hope we don’t need your services again but we will defiantly use your company when we decide to buy another vehicle. I have to say I was very impressed when you were able to explain exactly what the garage would say when we contacted them and that how you knew pretty much word for word what there reply would be. This gave us the confidence to use your company as up until then you hadn’t even charged us a penny and had spent considerable time on the phone with us.
Miss Susan Holding from Essex
I would like to start by saying a big thank you to Chris for putting up with my constant calling and whining over my case, god only knows how he never lost the place with me or even hung up. I know I probably called him at least once every day and he was always polite, honest, reassuring and always put my mind at rest when I started to get worried and worked up about the car. Secondly I would like to say a big thank you to the rest of the team for there hard work and effort which I know without that I would never have got anywhere with the repair centre.
