A Dublin based car trader, Andrius Miliauskas, of Newcastle Motors, Ballymount, Dublin 24 has been convicted at Dublin District Court of misleading a consumer in relation to the crash history of a car.
This outcome was the result of an investigation by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). Mr. Miliauskas did not appear in court for the hearing.
The case concerned the sale of a Peugeot 508 by Andrius Miliauskas to a consumer on 29 August 2019 at Newcastle Motors, then trading at Unit 1 Ballymount Cross Industrial Estate, Ballymount, Dublin 24, now permanently closed.
The court was presented with evidence showing that the car in question had been crashed in June 2019 and subsequently classified as a Category D insurance write off, meaning it was deemed too costly to repair.
The vehicle was purchased by Mr. Miliauskas through a salvage company the following month, and then sold on to the consumer in August.
The consumer stated that, at the time of the purchase, Mr. Miliauskas told the consumer that the car had not been previously involved in an accident.
In January 2020, the consumer discovered the car had previously been crashed and written off.
The CCPC alleged that Mr. Miliauskas had, by providing false information to a consumer, engaged in a misleading commercial practice, which is an offence contrary to sections 47 and 79 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007.
Mr Miliauskas was fined €2,000, and required to pay a further €2,500 in compensation to the consumer, €320 in witness expenses and a €1,500 contribution to the CCPC’s costs. Judge Halpin gave Mr. Miliauskas six months to pay the entire sum in full.
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.