Car Trader Fined For Selling Clocked Car

A Belfast car dealer now faces a fine of £2,000 after selling a clocked car with almost double the mileage than advertised while claiming to be a private seller.

Gareth Campbell, aged 52, of Church Road Belfast pleaded guilty to one charge under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and was found guilty of two further charges.

He was fined at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 03 December following the case brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department for the Economy.

The investigation was prompted by a customer complaint after they purchased an Audi A3 from Mr Campbell in April 2018.

At the time, Mr Campbell gave the impression that he was a private seller and was operating under a false name.

The car was sold with 77,000 miles on the clock, however when the new owner took the car to get some work done on it he discovered that the car's computer held a higher mileage reading.

The customer complained to Trading Standards, and subsequent investigations showed that the Audi had actually travelled around 150,000 miles.

Evidence was also obtained showing Mr Campbell to be actively engaged in the sale of cars. It was only some time later, after the owner had entered into correspondence with the seller, that the true identity of the seller of the car became apparent.

Kevin McNamara of the Trading Standards Service said: "This was a case where Mr Campbell did his best to mislead an innocent member of the public on a number of fronts: he sold a car with an incorrect mileage, portrayed himself as a private seller rather than a trader and used a false name in his dealings. Thankfully the buyer's suspicions were alerted and we were able to successfully prosecute Mr Campbell."

Any members of the public who have bought a vehicle and believe they may have been misled about the mileage can contact Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 or request advice online.



(JG/CM)