A motor trader from Caerphilly county borough has been prosecuted after Trading Standards found discrepancies in the way he was advertising his vehicles for sale online.
Vanbank Limited, based in Wattsville and the Company Director, John Strain were prosecuted after Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Trading Standards team carried out a forecourt inspection and compared the advertising on the vehicles to that on the company’s website.
Trading Standards found discrepancies between information advertising the vehicles online, and the vehicles correct information.
This included four offences for providing factually incorrect information about the number of former owners of vehicles, four offences for advertising a lower price online than the cars were up for sale for in reality, and one offence for providing factually incorrect information about the expiry date of MOT’s.
The case was heard at Caerphilly Magistrates Court on 4th November. Vanbank Limited and John Strain were found guilty of the offences – Vanbank Limited was fined £900 and ordered to pay £200 costs to Caerphilly County Borough Council, and a £15 victim surcharge.
John Strain (as the Company Director) was given a 12-month conditional discharge.
Cllr Lyn Ackerman, Cabinet Member for the Environment said, “With consumers increasingly using the Internet to find items such as cars to buy, it is important that web descriptions do not misinterpret the truth about the vehicles, and mislead customers before they get to the forecourt.”
She continued, “Misleading customers in this way means that they are not fully informed and may be swayed into visiting to look at cars for sale under false pretences.”
“Our Trading Standards team work tirelessly to ensure that consumers are protected against this type of offence, and I am pleased that the court has emphasised the seriousness of this offence in the fine it imposed”.
To report an issue to Trading Standards, please call 01495 235 291.
