Car dealer ordered to compensate buyer

Ciaran Marcus Coyle, (26), of 32 Whitehouse Park, was also given a two year conditional discharge on three charges of engaging in a banned practice by advertising cars as a private individual when in fact he was a motor trader.

A case was brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment following an investigation into Coyle’s trading practices, after a complaint was received from the consumer.

The investigation confirmed that Coyle had sold a BMW 525D car and failed to tell the consumer that the vehicle was categorised as a Category D Insurance Total Loss. This failure denied the consumer important information and this affected his decision on whether or not to buy the car.

Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 traders commit criminal offences if they mislead consumers about goods offered for sale either by withholding vital information or providing false information.

Eamon McPartland of the Trading Standards Service said: “Car dealers have a responsibility to ensure that all descriptions applied to vehicles are truthful and are not misleading to consumers. Traders must therefore provide consumers with all material information regarding a vehicle. It is the duty of the trader to ensure all important checks are conducted on vehicles and that all important information is made known to the potential buyer to allow them to make an informed decision on whether or not to buy the car.”