A rogue car dealer who clocked up almost £190,000 in fraudulent activities has been served a suspended sentence and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Dariusz Pipcyznski, from Milton Keynes, sold cars via Facebook and Gumtree and was investigated by Milton Keynes Council before pleading guilty to the offences under the Fraud Act 2006 at Aylesbury Crown Court on 23rd February.
He failed to declare himself as a car trader, which meant anybody who purchased a car from him would not have been aware that they would have been entitled to claim for a repair or refund under their civil rights, had the car been found to be faulty.
Related: Man jailed for ‘inept’ attempt at stealing £40k Jag from dealership
As well as being given a 17-month prison sentence, suspended over two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, Pipcyznski will pay £33,654 in proceeds of crime and £7,000 in legal costs.
Sue Crawley, trading standards manager at Milton Keynes Council, said: “Pipcyznski duped customers into thinking that they were buying their car from private seller rather than a business.
“Trading Standards seeks to protect the rights of consumers to ensure that they have the legal redress they are entitled.
“Hopefully this case will send a message to other traders who masquerade as private sellers that we will take robust enforcement action where necessary.”
