8:15 am, May 31, 2013
A DEALER has been fined more than £10,000 after selling a car with major MOT faults.
A R Motors of Oxford Road, Princethorpe, Warwickshire, sold a blue Skoda Felicia Estate with eight major MOT faults to a Coventry woman in July 2012, according The Rugby Observer. Each fault would have failed an MOT test.
The dealer, Akmal Riaz, 44, of Astley Lane, Bedworth, was fined £5,515 for the sale. Riaz was also found guilty of selling a vehicle in an unroadworthy condition and was ordered to pay a further £5,000 in costs.
An expert vehicle examiner was employed by Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service to inspect the Felicia. The inspector identified eight problems which made the car dangerous to drive – the most serious of which were missing nuts making the front suspension unsafe.
Riaz pleaded guilty to two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 at Nuneaton Magistrates Court on Friday, May 24. The two offences amounted to posting a deceptive eBay advert and providing a receipt stating the Skoda was ‘sold as seen’.
Riaz was fined £1,500 for the two offences and a further £500 for pleading guilty to one offence under The Companies Act 2006 of providing a receipt that did not include his name.
The dealer pleaded not guilty to selling an unroadworthy vehicle under the Road Traffic Act 1988, but was found to be guilty and was fined £2,000.
On top of this, Riaz had to pay £400 compensation to the customer, a victim surcharge of £15 and £5,000 towards the prosecution costs.
Head of Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service, Janet Faulkner, said: ‘Traders who are prepared to sell unroadworthy vehicles put at risk the lives of all road users.
‘Irresponsible garage owners not only face hefty fines if they are found to have sold an unroadworthy vehicle, but could face even more serious charges if faults on that vehicle cause a subsequent road accident.’
Riaz’s dealership has since moved to Banbury Road, Southam.
