11:50 am, March 6, 2025
Used car supermarket Big Motoring World has come under fire after featuring on the BBC’s Watchdog programme.
Consumer expert Matt Allwright heard from two customers who bought cars from the Kent-based business only for faults to appear within days.
In both cases, the customers complained to the group, which then failed to diagnose or fix the problems.
The firm then refused to accept returns on the vehicles, which Allwright claims is in clear breach of consumer protection laws.
According to the Consumer Rights Act, 2015, customers have a legal right to reject goods within 30 days if they are faulty.
Watchdog, which is now a segment on the One Show, spoke to one customer – Julia – who bought a Nissan Qashqai from Big’s Wimbledon branch.
Just five days after collecting the car, the vehicle refused to start. When it eventually did spark into life, she was met with an engine warning light before the car put itself into limp home mode.
Big then told the customer that she could take the Qashqai to a local garage or to the firm’s Kent service centre – around 60 miles away!
The company eventually came to collect the vehicle but after assessing it, ruled that there was no fault.
When the customer then requested a refund under the Consumer Rights Act, she was refused and the vehicle has remained off the road at the Kent site ever since.
In another case, a customer named Gemma, bought an £11,000 Hyundai Tuscon but noticed unusual vibrations within days of the purchase.
Again, Big agreed to assess the car but ruled that there was no issue. An independent inspection did later detect a fault and Big Motoring World took the SUV in for repair.
However, when it returned, the issue persisted and the customer tried to reject the car – which was refused.
Speaking on the show, leading expert Ian Ferguson said that refunds should have been granted in both cases.
He told Allwright: You just have to prove the existence of the defect. If you have a warning light on the dashboard or something that the car should not ordinarily be doing, that is enough to constitute a defect and you can reject the vehicle on that basis.’
He later added: ‘Gemma’s case is so clear cut, you wonder why they’re refusing it. Gemma has validly rejected the vehicle after a failed attempt at repair.’
In response to the feature, Big Motoring World’s ousted founder, Peter Waddell described it as a ‘dark day for the company’ and called for current boss Laurence Vaughan to resign.
In a statement issued to the BBC, Big Motoring World said that in the first case, both it and a third party had been unable to identify any fault.
It added that it had waived storage fees for the car but has now closed the case.
In Gemma’s case, the firm said the vibration was ‘characteristic of the car’ but said it has now accepted the return.
Ending the piece, Allwright said: Big Motoring World. You seem unclear when it comes to people’s legal rights when they buy a used vehicle from you.
‘We’re not unclear because they’re very simple. If they find a fault or defect within the first 30 days, then you give them a refund within 14.
‘You repay with no delay and no hurdles in the way.’
You can watch the full show here. The feature begins at 02.00.
