Car dealer pleads guilty to selling a ‘death trap’

The Nissan Pathfinder was described as a ‘good solid vehicle’

Car dealer pleads guilty to selling a ‘death trap’
Photo: Dorset Council

A car dealer from Essex has pleaded guilty to selling a car described by magistrates as a ‘death trap’.

Adam Hussain was appearing at Weymouth Magistrates Court after selling a Nissan Pathfinder to a customer in Dorset. The car was advertised on Gumtree and described as being a ‘good solid vehicle’, with Mr Hussain saying it would come with a new MOT and three-month warranty.

Days after taking delivery of the Nissan, the customer took it to a local garage where it was deemed to be unroadworthy. The mechanic found that the car had severe corrosion, a faulty handbrake and a leak from the exhaust system. All three faults should have resulted in the car failing its MOT.

An independent vehicle inspection was arranged by Dorset Council’s Trading Standards service, with the inspector noting that the Nissan was unroadworthy and dangerous to drive. He also noted that the car had previously failed an MOT test with the same faults.

Mr Hussain was unwilling to give a refund, telling the customer the car was ‘sold as seen’ and a ‘trade sale’.

He was then charged with selling an unroadworthy vehicle under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and for attempting to restrict the customer’s consumer rights by using the terms ‘sold as seen’ and ‘trade sale’.

He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay compensation to the customer of £3,740.

Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for culture, communities and customer services, said: “Our Trading Standards team work with the motor trade in Dorset to ensure they trade fairly and comply with all consumer legislation.

“When traders are found to be breaking the law and attempting to restrict consumer rights robust action will be taken against them.”

Gumtree worked with the authorities on this case and says it takes a zero-tolerance approach to fraud. Joe Rindsland, head of trust and safety at Gumtree, told Garage Wire: “We do not tolerate the use of our platform by criminals and we supported the National Anti-Fraud Network with this conviction.

“We are committed to educating our users on how to buy and sell vehicles safely on our platform, and we strongly encourage anyone that is considering purchasing a vehicle to go and see it in person, take it for a test drive and run your own Vehicle History Check before making a purchase.

If you have any doubts walk away from the sale. More information can be found at our dedicated safety hub.”

Source: Dorset Council

Have your say!

0 0

Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.