A car dealer who sold a vehicle that was “falling apart” has been prosecuted by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Trading Standards.
Officers received a complaint from a man who had bought a Ford Fiesta from William Dennis Williams, who sold the car from his home, stating it had belonged to his wife. Williams had previously operated as WD Cars, but the firm had closed before this incident.
The vehicle was not running properly and, as a result, the customer took it to a local garage, where numerous defects were identified, relating to the brakes, suspension and wiring.
This inspection led to the customer making a complaint to Trading Standards officers, who arranged for an independent inspection of the vehicle.
This probe led to a number of problems being identified, including long-standing corrosion, and the inspector deemed the vehicle to be unroadworthy.
During this ongoing investigatory work, Trading Standards made numerous attempts to contact Mr Williams, of Lincoln Street, Porth, but were unable to interview him.
As a result of the condition of the vehicle, which he had told the customer belonged to his wife and had a long-standing MOT history, he was charged with two offences and summonsed to court.
The case was heard in Rhondda Magistrates’ Court on May 21 and Mr Williams admitted two offences – one under the 2005 General Product Safety Regulations and one under regulation 5 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, 2008.
The bench fined Mr Williams £300 for each offence and also ordered him to pay £200 costs and a £15 victims surcharge.
In summing up, the bench stated Mr Williams was a trader with a vast amount of experience and should have known the vehicle was in poor condition.
It added that customers needed confidence that the vehicle they are buying is in good condition and that the car in this case was bought by the consumer in good faith, when it was falling apart.
David Jones, Head of Community Protection at Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said: “Cases such as these make it clear why it is so important Trading Standards officers work proactively on behalf of customers.
“They regularly hold proactive inspections at local garages to check the standards and safety of vehicles that are being offered for sale to the public.
“However, in this case, the successful prosecution followed a complaint made direct to Trading Standards by an unhappy customer.
“I hope this serves as a warning to traders that we do take complaints seriously and will take action where necessary.
“I hope is also serves as a reassurance to the public that we will listen to their concerns and act accordingly on their behalf.”
