Car dealers fined for unfair trading

TWO motor dealers have been fined at Warrington after pleading guilty to 14 offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading regulations.
Simon Johnson,  33, of Holywell Drive and Colin Mercer, 42, of Buttermere Avenue, both Warrington appeared before the town’s magistrates for sentence after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.
The court was told Warrington Trading Standards received a high level of consumer complaints about the pair, who ran the second-hand car sale business, Cheshire Motor Company.
Consumers were reporting problems with the condition of vehicles they were selling, their failure to rectify faults, missing and inaccurate service records and problems with warranties.
Trading Standards officers had previously visited the business and offered advice on complying with trading standards law. However, despite the advice, the team still continued to receive complaints.
Officers found  cars were being sold with a three month warranty when they hadn’t been registered, while some were sold with inaccurate
service histories. Officers also received witness statements from 11 different consumers who had all been misled by the pair.
Mercer was fined £1,950 and Johnson was fined £400. They were also ordered to pay costs of £750 each and a £40 victim surcharge.
After the hearing, Cllr Judith Guthrie (pictured), Warrington Borough Council’s lead  member for environment and public protection said: “Purchasing a car is a significant expense for a consumer so ensuring they are buying
safe and accurately described cars is essential. I fully support the actions of Trading Standards in protecting consumer rights and would urge anyone who believes they are being lied to or deceived to contact the trading standards team.”
Dave Watson, service manager for regulation and protection, said: “This is a clear example of the work that Trading Standards do to protect residents from careless and unreliable business owners.
“The majority of traders selling second-hand cars in Warrington are responsible and are trying to make a living. However, there are a minority who act irresponsibly and it is these traders we will target and prosecute where necessary.”