I've just cleaned my car again and found a huge difference in colour between the NSR door and the rest of the car. Obviously had a repair but no blending done to match it in. There are squeegee marks in the paint which look like the car was just rinsed and dried rather than washed. Strange that the scratches only show on the repaired door. Checking the 165 point checklist it does include bodywork but I reckon they had Stevie Wonder in on the day mine was checked! I hadn't noticed before because you need to stand back to see it with the sun on it but when you do it sticks out like a sore thumb. Shame.
I have written an email to the sales guy with images (as below) which doesn't do the difference justice at all but gives them an idea. It also shows the scratch marks x 3 in the door (Just). There is no way that this car has been through a 165 point checklist. I think it may be time to speak to LR customer services.

Thats shocking, you really should escalate it to Land Rover UK, its time some dealers are made to conform with Land Rover Approved rather than think they can get away with it !!! Land Rover UK do watch this forum as i had an email from them yesterday asking about my problems !! I do hope you get things sorted and if the car goes back give Matford a ring and ask them to locate a car for you.

Land Rover UK should employ a few secret shoppers to sample the quality of Approved cars on offer.
I can think of a few forum members who would be well suited to the role.
Mike. G reg 2.5VM Vogue Portofino red 1991- 1999
V reg 2.5td P38 Rioja red 1999- 2006
53 reg td6 Vogue Oslo blue 2006- 2015
11 reg 4.4 TdV8 Vogue SE. Baltic blue 2015- date.
https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic56162...tty+affair

I've been back to the dealership who are deciding how best to deal with the issue. Luckily they had their paint man there who immediately said the door had been done but it had not been blended. The sales guy said he couldn't see it at all. I think thats where the problem is. A young guy with very little experience of the trade can't be expected to do a good job. He needs direction from people who know the game and there's no one there to do it. He's thrown in at the deep end and told to swim. Having now shown them what the problem is, and their paint guy agreeing, they are a bit stuck as to what to do other than blow in the door and the surrounding panels with a blend. I'd be happy with that if it is done well. My problem is that I'm running out of time. I go away for 6 weeks on 21st of this month and would have like it sorted before I go. We'll see.

Huw you may need to go down the same line as I have,,, get your money back and look elsewhere ! My worry was and I think you have the same prob is that if the previous owner had cheap work/bodwork done what else have that had done cheaply ! It may have just been a scratch that they had to paint the door but it could of been more !

My situ hopefully is sorted on Monday when they pick the car up and pay my money back, I'm happy about it but they have messed up my holiday plans if I can't find a new one fast ;(

I do hope you get it all sorted, keep me informed.

The dealership have agreed to get the bodywork sorted by my own guy. He will strip it back to bare metal and repaint it from there. Once it’s done and blended properly I’ll have it machine polished to get rid of all the swirls etc. At present it’s in having a turbo actuator replaced and a small oil leak sorted out. Then it should be spot on. Having paid a pretty good price I really don’t want to return it as I wouldn’t be able to replace it. All other cars are at least 10k more for the same year.

Well the car has finally been picked up this evening, its going straight into their body shop, I'm guessing they want to get it fixed asap incase Land Rover may inspect it which I very much doubt they will. It looks like Land Rover Approved means absolutely nothing as the Dealers just try to cover things up.

I have had Land rovers for over 30 years but I am seriously thinking of changing brands, Land rover approved is meant to be of top quality but if dealers can just decide what they think is quality its flawed !!

so as soon as I get my money back I will give you the dealers details and all watch to as I am sure they will resell the car as soon as possible and I bet they don't 4 wheel align.

Feel your pain with this - the issue is down to dick head salesmen who have different standards to us - remember the calibre of people you are dealing with - plus the Sales Manager and Dealer Principal don’t inspect every vehicle = a huge disparity in expectation. I know it’s really annoying but they are s/h car salesman for a reason and a sale to them is a sale  2021 L405 Vogue SE 4.4 V8 DIESEL ~ #17

Its been a learning experience, Land Rover Approved are meant to be to a standard but from what I see Land Rover don't check and some dealers do as they like and pass off rubbish as approved cars which ends up with Land Rover loosing their customers and name ! Why can't Land Rover inspect their dealers more and make sure they are not ripping people off. The car I sent back is straight into their bodyshop and any damage will be covered over and someone else will end up with a crashed car !!! Land Rover should have got more involved and had the car inspected !

All that I have been through has really made me re think buying Land Rover ever again, thats sad as I have had them for over 30 years, my second ever car was one ;(

I am expecting the dealer to give me more stress tomorrow as the car was missing a pair of head phones when I picked it up, rather than sound like a moaning buyer as I had already pointed out the car was damaged I purchased a pair on eBay, when I told them I wanted my money back and they could have the car back and I gave them a list of my expenses they told me " if you had pointed out that a pair of head phones were missing when you collected the car we would have given you a set" well f$£k me I was stressed enough and missed that they were missing. they said they would not refund my cost for them £45,,, guess what when the car was collected on the check list for the driver was 3 sets of head phones !!!!! you could not make it up !!! So the worst Land Rover Dealer goes to BARRETS in KENT ,,,,,buyers beware !!!!!

Don't know how I missed this one, 250 is a long way but if you believe its for the right car so be it. Having read your story walk away. For what its worth perhaps send an email to LR you wont get anything but it might highlight the skulduggery of if you'd taken the car then found the issues...........

Steve.

Unnecessary quote removed

I'm really surprised to hear this as I've always had good experiences on the service side of the business, albeit at Ashford and are the only dealers in and around Kent I use after painful experiences at all of the others. They tend to be very expensive on new and used car sales and don't discount. I wasted a Saturday driving to look at an "Approved Used" 68 Plate Vogue SE that was serviced on the 3rd September and been through the "160" point check that failed to pickup the back calipers were sticking, 2 outstanding campaigns and the deployable towbar didn't deploy.

Having worked in an LR dealership, the whole "LR Approved" is a complete farce

We used to have to note every single scratch, dent and mark in the paintwork. Which was completely ignored, the car was valeted and parked out the front, for the buyer to pick up anything on for rectification...

As well as any repairs being authorised by the sales manager. Instead of making the car right, they done the bare minimum to save money