Limerick car trader fined €2,000 for misleading commercial practice
January 19, 2023
A Limerick based car dealer, Patrick Quinn, trading as Raheen Auto Centre, Co. Limerick, has been fined €2,000 at Kilmallock District Court after he entered a guilty plea for providing false information in relation to the usage or prior history of a car. This outcome was the result of an investigation by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
Under consumer protection law, it is an offence for traders to give false, misleading or deceptive information about the history of a car. Unless otherwise stated, a motor trader should complete due diligence, including car history checks, before making a car available for sale to a consumer. Consumers should be told if the car was previously involved in a car crash, was recorded as an insurance ‘write off’, or displays the wrong mileage.
Commenting, Kevin O’Brien, Member of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission said:
“The fine imposed by the court reinforces that misleading consumers is a very serious offence and traders who fail to provide complete and accurate information will be held to account. The CCPC closely monitors the used car sector and we encourage any consumer who believes that they have been misled by a motor trader, or indeed any trader, to contact us.”
While consumer protection legislation places legal requirements on traders, consumers should also take a proactive approach when buying a car and use the CCPC’s online information and checklist to ensure they are getting what they pay for. Consumers who believe they have been misled by a trader can make a report to the CCPC helpline on 01-402 5555 or use the online contact form on CCPC.ie.
Case information
Having purchased the vehicle from another trader, Mr Quinn had brought the car for the National Car Test (NCT) and subsequently placed an advert on Donedeal.ie which included a photograph of the car’s odometer which read 183,231kms.
Further to a report received by the CCPC, Authorised Officers visited Mr Quinn at Raheen Auto Centre in the following days and upon inspection of the car, found that the odometer reading was approximately 68,000kms higher than advertised.
On entering the guilty plea, Mr Quinn was fined €2,000 and €500 costs. Judge Patricia Harney gave Mr Quinn six months to pay the entire sum in full.
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