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Car dealer sentenced for tricking used car buyers

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Time 11:17 am, December 4, 2013

Screen-shot-2013-10-28-at-08.46.59A BIRMINGHAM-based car dealer who tricked customers into buying insurance write-offs has been handed a four-month suspended prison sentence.

The second-hand dealer, Peter Robinson, was caught trying to trick drivers into buying former write-offs while running the Midland Ford Centre on Warwick Road in Tyseley.

According to the Birmingham Mail, both he and his business were found guilty of five charges of misleading customers by leaving an explanation of the trade term on adverts.


Judge Andrew Menary QC told Robinson it was not the first time he had ‘pulled this stunt’ and the court heard Robinson had been previously convicted of two offences for misleading adverts in August 2010.

Robinson faced trial at Birmingham Crown Court where Mark Jackson, prosecuting, said prospective buyers were effectively blinded by mundane details about features of vehicles.

The court heard one customer paid £2,850 to buy a Ford Fiesta for his wife, but it was only when the DVLA wrote to her that the couple realised the vehicle was in fact an accident-damaged car.


Judge Menary said: ‘This was planned deceit, persisted in over a significant period.’

The customer has been given a refund minus £170 for a warranty and the judge ordered Robinson to pay him the total figure in compensation.

Oliver Grimwood, defending, said adverts now read ‘category D write-off’.

Robinson was ordered to pay £6,000 towards the costs and handed a four-month suspended prison term. The company was also fined £2,500.

 

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