'Clocked' car's mileage halved

Roy Martin John Smiley, who trades as CT Autos at Doagh Road, was convicted on Tuesday of two charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

The case was brought by Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's Trading Standards Service.

A consumer, who bought a 2006 Vauxhall Astra from CT Autos, later found the car had travelled a much higher mileage.

When sold, the vehicle had an odometer reading of around 75,000 miles. However, the Trading Standards Service later confirmed this to be less than half of the true reading which was at least 165,751 miles.

The car's new owner raised the matter with the trader and returned the car.

Undercover Trading Standards officers were offered the car with the lower mileage a few days later. No mention was made about the previous change to the odometer.

The activity of turning a car's mileage reading back is illegal. Mileage is one of the factors which influence both a potential purchaser's decision to buy a vehicle and the price eventually paid.

Peter Rankin, Trading Standards Officer, said the case "demonstrates the lengths some unscrupulous motor traders will go to in order to mislead consumers."

"The trade in 'clocked' cars affects both consumers and honest motor dealers. Consumers may well find the condition of the vehicle with a false mileage to be much worse than they expect and this could lead to unexpected expense further down the line.

"Honest dealers are at a commercial disadvantage as a car with a correct mileage is generally more expensive than an identical model which has been 'clocked' to the same mileage. In this case the seller knew about the higher mileage but made no effort to tell prospective buyers of the true facts."

Mr Rankin concluded: "The penalty in this case should serve as a warning to traders that they should ensure that cars they sell are correctly described in advertisements and during negotiations with potential buyers. Failure to do so can result in a fine, with the maximum fine for each offence being £5,000."

Mr Smiley is awaiting sentencing.