OFT Used Car Dealer guidance

chewonit

Just found this, might be usefull for anyone having problems with used car dealers.

https://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/676408/oft1241.pdf‎

motorguy

chewonit wrote: »

Just found this, might be usefull for anyone having problems with used car dealers.

www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/676408/oft1241.pdf‎

Yes, worth a read but worth noting :-

Its for car dealers, ie, its what they need to be doing / have done prior to and after the sale, this may not necessarily help the consumer.

Its guidance - just because it says so in there, doesnt mean you as a consumer can enforce it. You may well have to go to court if a dealers view of things differs from yours, and you'll have to pay for that (in hassle and financially) yourself as neither the OFT, Trading Standards nor Consumer Advice will fight your case for you OR 'guarantee' that the advice they give you will mean you will win in court (defining a win here as getting everything you expect to fully resolve the situation).

I would still be phoning Citizens advice in the first instance, and involving Trading Standards if there appears to be willfull wrongdoing by the trader in question.

motorguy

chewonit wrote: »

Just found this, might be usefull for anyone having problems with used car dealers.

www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/676408/oft1241.pdf‎

Also technically, its not aimed at helping customers to minimise likely problems with unreasonable used car dealers its for used car dealers to minimise likely problems with unreasonable customers.

ontrack

problem 1 dodgy traders who wont give a stuff about these and are impossible to sue or get any form of compensation from
problem 2 dodgy customers who try to pass off damaged or fault ridden cars into the trade
problem 3 trading standards and small claims courts who have no real effective powers
leaves the honest car dealer squeezed in the middle

motorguy

ontrack wrote: »

problem 1 dodgy traders who wont give a stuff about these and are impossible to sue or get any form of compensation from
problem 2 dodgy customers who try to pass off damaged or fault ridden cars into the trade
problem 3 trading standards and small claims courts who have no real effective powers
leaves the honest car dealer squeezed in the middle

+1

And as an honest trader who was squeezed in the middle between having to compete on price with fly by night merchants who'll meet you at Tescos filling station with cars they bought the previous night from auction and dishonest customers trading in cars with hidden problems, I'm very glad to be out of it!