Council catches up with ‘lost miles’

A Manchester man has been prosecuted by Rochdale Council under the Trade Descriptions Act after the mileage of a BMW offered as part-exchange to a Middleton car dealer proved to be false.

Last week Ali Raza from Urmston was sentenced to a Community Order at Rochdale Magistrates Court, requiring him to do 60 hours unpaid work in the community and he was also ordered to pay the £3,500 prosecution costs. The sentence was given after he pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 23 of the Trade Description Act 1968.

Raza took his BMW 330i to the CarShop Megastore, Middleton in May 2006 claiming it had 46,000 miles on the clock giving it a part-exchange value of £8,600. It was then sold to a CarShop Megastore customer who later reported the company to Rochdale Council’s trading standards service.

Rochdale Council’s Head of Planning and Regulation, Peter Rowlinson, said: “When we investigated the complaint it became clear that the CarShop Megastore and their customer had been duped. We estimated the car had done somewhere between 70,000 and 80,000 miles which made it worth around £7,000 rather than the £8,600 Mr Raza got for it. When we know the trader is not to blame, the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 allows us to prosecute the people who have caused the trader to give customers a false description of the goods.”

The council started its investigation in February 2007 after the car’s new owner took it for a service and it became clear that the mileage had been altered.

Rochdale Council’s cabinet member for the environment and sustainability, Councillor Wera Hobhouse said: "The council will not allow innocent traders to take the blame when car owners looking for a part-exchange deal make false claims about car mileage.

“For any purchase, let alone a very expensive one like a car, customers must be able to rely on the accuracy of any descriptions given so they know they are getting good value for their money. They can be assured that the council’s trading standards and legal services will do their utmost to ensure it’s those who make false claims about the goods they sell that pay the price.”

Members of the public who are concerned about car clocking can phone trading standards for more help and advice on 08454 040506.