9:25 am, December 12, 2025
Car dealer Tim Atkinson has hit out at consumer protection laws that were ‘written around fridges and televisions’ as he laid out his vision for his fledgling new trade group.
Atkinson, who runs the specialist dealership Sports & Touring in Andover, is currently in the process of setting up the new group to represent the best interests of independent retailers.
The group already has a name – which is currently being kept under wraps – and work is underway to register it as an official company.
While several of the finer details are still being ironed out, Atkinson is hopeful that the new body will be up and running over the coming weeks.
Speaking exclusively to Car Dealer, the 58-year-old criticised the way the trade is portrayed to the public and said independent dealers need a voice to represent their views to the government.
He also questioned whether consumer laws were up to scratch as he outlined what his new organisation would be focussing on.
He said: ‘We [independent dealers] are very diverse, there are some people selling two or three cars off their driveway and I think when it comes to those people, our role may be in helping them to come up to scratch.
‘In the big dealer groups, I hope that we will be the voice that represents the industry to government, and to government agencies like the DVLA.
‘I think it is interesting how the general public are taught to think about motor traders. I was listening to a You and Yours on Radio 4 and it was basically just a programme about how motor dealers are disreputable, and how not to be stung by them.
‘Where’s the voice saying “Hang on. No. A lot of motor retailers are trying to do things precisely correctly and actually is consumer protection too strong?”.
‘Consumer protection laws are written around fridges and televisions, are they really applicable to motor vehicles that are 10 years old? I’m not sure they are.
‘There are very, very many areas in which the motor trade is not listened to, doesn’t have a voice. Things could be made better for the trade, but also for the consumer.
‘I think the value might be brought in part from representing the trade, and in part from helping the trade to be the best it can.
‘I’ve been struck by how good and honest and diligent and fair-minded a lot of people in the business are and so there’s an element of capturing that.’
Auto Trader action continues
Car Dealer previously reported how Atkinson is planning a complaint against Auto Trader via the Competition and Markets Authority.
He has accused the giant of having a ‘monopoly’ over dealers and was previously running a protest group on Facebook, which had 1,300 members.
Atkinson, who used to work as a senior inspector of air accidents, says his new operation will be involved in ‘leading the fight’ against the listings giant.
He told Car Dealer: ‘We will be starting as the organisation representing the motor trade in its action against Auto Trader.
‘My plan is probably that we’ll have, we’ll have something like a future project officer who, for the moment, will have a big book in which he or she will note down concerns that are suggested as being ripe for action and start creating some thoughts as to how that action might come about.
‘It could be little things like how awkward it is to use the DVLA’s website or why are we writing a cheque every year for trade plates?’
