8:50 am, June 27, 2024
A used car dealer has been ordered to stump up more than £2,000 after being found to have duped customers with a ‘misleading’ advert.
Jamie Green, director of M&H Cars in Pentre, Rhonda Valley, admitted to misrepresenting an car in relation to mileage and spec.
The dealer incorrectly claimed that the unnamed vehicle had a CD player and sat nav, when in reality, it had neither option at the time of sale.
NationCymru reports that when the issue was flagged with Green by local trading standards, he ‘declined to work with the officers’ and ‘refused to be interviewed’ about the problems.
However, following an investigation, the director has now appeared at Merthyr Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted four offences under the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
The court heard that in the online vehicle ad claimed that the car had done 57,590, when in reality it had covered 63,574 – a discrepancy of 5,674.
An investigation of the car also found that it did not have a CD player or an operational sat nav system, despite the dealer claiming the opposite in his ad.
Then, when the buyer raised a complaint, Green responded by telling them ‘Sorry this matter is now done, vehicle was delivered, no warranty applied or informed’. The court was told that this restricted the customer’s statutory rights.
Lawyers representing Green claimed that their client had not carried out ‘due diligence’ on the car and admitted that he had ‘made assumptions’.
Green said the car had a button for a sat nav system but the subscription had lapsed and would cost £40 for five years.
After hearing all the evidence, the court issued Green and M&H Cars with a £120 fine and ordered them to cover costs totalling £1,674.12.
They must also play £290 in compensation and a victim surcharge of £48 – taking the total to £2,132.12.
Speaking after the case, trading standards fired a warning to car dealers, saying ‘ignorance is no excuse’.
Louise Davies, director of public health, protection and community services at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, said: ‘It is vitally important that anyone owning or running a business makes themselves familiar with consumer legislation. As this case shows, ignorance is no excuse.
‘I am pleased that the magistrates recognised how serious these offences were and that our trading standards team were able to help this customer get justice and hopefully prevent any further issues arising.’
