Warning on roadside car sellers
Carmarthenshire Trading Standards is warning people to beware of traders secretly selling cars from roadsides, verges and waste land.
Officers are warning that such activities raise issues that can adversely affect consumers and reputable businesses particularly in the current economic climate.
The county has more powers than most Welsh local authorities because it is able to use the Dyfed Act passed in 1987 to tackle vehicles left on council land.
Council area environmental enforcement officer Paul Morris said: “The Dyfed Act came out in 1987 and allows the authority to display a notice that prohibits or restricts the leaving of vehicles on authority land. We can use it for a multitude of sins including vehicle left for sale.”
Following a survey by local Trading Standards services in Wales, a report has been compiled about roadside sellers, which has highlighted key issues such as that some roadside sellers are often traders hiding behind mobile telephone numbers, and purporting to be private sellers; posing as private sellers restricts the rights of consumers who deal with them; and that a third of vehicles examined breached some form of consumer protection law.
Wales Heads of Trading Standards (WHOTS) data shows that, on average, local authorities receive around 30 complaints a year about roadside sellers. Some of the infringements found included car clocking, untaxed vehicles, re-built and un-roadworthy write-offs being sold (without declaring that information), and misleading information declared about their condition (such as ‘Full MOT’).
WHOTS is promoting joint working in this area with other council sections and agencies such as VOSA, DVLA and the police forces in Wales.
Carmarthenshire Trading Standards manager Roger Edmunds said: “We are aware that in the current economic climate, consumers may find these sellers attractive. However, our advice is to be very wary about buying vehicles in this way as you don’t know who you’re dealing with and may end up being ripped off.”
Officers are warning that such activities raise issues that can adversely affect consumers and reputable businesses particularly in the current economic climate.
The county has more powers than most Welsh local authorities because it is able to use the Dyfed Act passed in 1987 to tackle vehicles left on council land.
Council area environmental enforcement officer Paul Morris said: “The Dyfed Act came out in 1987 and allows the authority to display a notice that prohibits or restricts the leaving of vehicles on authority land. We can use it for a multitude of sins including vehicle left for sale.”
Following a survey by local Trading Standards services in Wales, a report has been compiled about roadside sellers, which has highlighted key issues such as that some roadside sellers are often traders hiding behind mobile telephone numbers, and purporting to be private sellers; posing as private sellers restricts the rights of consumers who deal with them; and that a third of vehicles examined breached some form of consumer protection law.
Wales Heads of Trading Standards (WHOTS) data shows that, on average, local authorities receive around 30 complaints a year about roadside sellers. Some of the infringements found included car clocking, untaxed vehicles, re-built and un-roadworthy write-offs being sold (without declaring that information), and misleading information declared about their condition (such as ‘Full MOT’).
WHOTS is promoting joint working in this area with other council sections and agencies such as VOSA, DVLA and the police forces in Wales.
Carmarthenshire Trading Standards manager Roger Edmunds said: “We are aware that in the current economic climate, consumers may find these sellers attractive. However, our advice is to be very wary about buying vehicles in this way as you don’t know who you’re dealing with and may end up being ripped off.”
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