CCPC issues Compliance Notice to Dublin car dealer

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has taken enforcement action against Solid Motors Limited, more commonly known as 7 Seaters Ireland, Naas Road Business Park, Dublin 22.

A Compliance Notice was issued against the trader for engaging in misleading commercial practices and providing inaccurate information to consumers.

Traders must share relevant information with consumers before they make a purchase.

It is an offence for car traders to give false, misleading or deceptive information about a vehicle’s history, such as whether it was previously crashed, written off, or clocked i.e. displaying the wrong mileage.

In this case, a consumer reported that, in September 2022, they purchased a Mercedes Benz E250 for €13,200 from 7 Seaters Ireland but they were not informed that the car had previously been damaged and written off in the UK.

Authorised Officers from the CCPC established that the consumer would not have purchased the vehicle if they were given this information.

Also, following enquiries by the CCPC, it was found that a donedeal.ie ad, posted by 7 Seaters Ireland in May 2022, did not make any reference to the car being an insurance write-off.

Following engagement with the CCPC, a Compliance Notice, issued under section 75 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, was served on 7 Seaters Ireland.

The Compliance Notice requires 7 Seaters Ireland to complete history checks on all cars sold in future and, where the car was crashed, damaged or written off, the consumer must be informed.

Although consumer protection legislation places requirements on traders, the CCPC recommends that consumers should independently check a car’s history and use the CCPC’s Car Buyers Checklist when buying a used car.

The CCPC also encourages any consumers who suspect that they may have been misled by a trader to report it to the CCPC’s Consumer Helpline on 01 402 5555 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) or visit www.ccpc.ie