10:14 am, July 20, 2026
A disgruntled customer has staged a protest outside a Hertfordshire used car dealership after claiming a £13,000 second-hand car he bought developed several problems within days.
Richard Grant bought a Peugeot 208 from Car Planet Watford, in Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green, at the end of May and says he soon became concerned about the condition of the vehicle.
The 48-year-old said he returned the car after about a week and asked for his money back, claiming he had been sold a vehicle with ‘various issues’.
He said: ‘There were flashing lights, wing mirrors that were flapping around and a hole in the carpet, which wasn’t told to me before I bought the car. There is also a discrepancy with the mileage and a recall on it from Peugeot.’
Grant, who says the issues were not apparent when he test drove the car, claims the dealership has refused to refund him.
Car Planet said it was ‘disappointed by the portrayal of this matter’ and argued that the account did not reflect the steps it had taken to investigate and respond to Mr Grant’s concerns.
A spokesperson said technicians inspected the vehicle after the complaint was raised and found no faults, but said the business offered to rectify cosmetic concerns as a gesture of goodwill.
Grant has alleged Car Planet fails to disclose problems with vehicles and pointed to a Facebook group called ‘Car Planet Watford Barnet and Enfield sale issues’, where other customers appear to have posted similar complaints.
The dealership said it does its ‘utmost’ to resolve complaints fairly and within the law, and said customers who remain dissatisfied can contact The Motor Ombudsman.
On Saturday, July 11, Grant joined a small group of protestors outside the dealership. The dad-of-two said he would ‘keep going until I get the resolution I want’ and planned to hold another protest the following weekend.
He said Car Planet had not been registered with the ombudsman until recently, but added that he now intends to contact it after approaches to Citizens Advice did not resolve the dispute.
In a statement issued to the Watford Observer, a Car Planet spokesperson said: ‘Shortly after purchasing the vehicle, Mr Grant contacted us to report an issue relating to a warning light and the door mirrors.
‘As with any customer who reports a potential fault within the first 30 days of ownership, we immediately invited Mr Grant to return the vehicle so that our technicians could inspect it and verify the reported concerns.
‘Our approach is consistent for every customer. Where a fault is confirmed following inspection, we work with the customer to provide the appropriate remedy in accordance with our obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
‘Had a qualifying fault been identified during our inspection in this case, we would have offered Mr Grant a full refund in accordance with our obligations under consumer law.
‘Mr Grant returned the vehicle to us, and our technicians carried out a thorough inspection. No faults relating to the reported issues were identified or replicated during that assessment.’
The spokesperson said an independent assessment also found ‘no faults’ and repeated that the business had offered to address cosmetic concerns as a goodwill gesture.
The spokesperson added: ‘We are committed to resolving customer concerns fairly, professionally and in accordance with consumer law.
‘Throughout this matter, we have acted openly, investigated the concerns raised, encouraged an independent assessment and offered a goodwill resolution despite no faults being identified.
‘We remain willing to work with Mr Grant to bring this matter to an amicable conclusion and are disappointed that this has been presented publicly without full reference to the steps we have taken to investigate and resolve his concerns.’