It is an offence for traders to give false, misleading or deceptive information about the history of a car
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is issuing a a warning to car dealers, reminding them of their "legal obligation to give complete and correct information to consumers when they are selling a car."
The CCPC says it has noticed a "sharp increase in the number of car related complaints received to its helpline. "
The commission, aided by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, inspected garages and used car dealerships in and around Dublin, including the Naas Road, Tallaght and Clondalkin for evidence that traders may have misled consumers about their history.
Each of the traders visited in the latest round of inspections had been the subject of multiple complaints to the CCPC.
It is an offence for traders to give false, misleading or deceptive information about the history of a car. This can include information about whether the car was previously involved in a car crash, was recorded as an insurance ‘write off’, or displays the wrong mileage.
Gráinne Griffin is Director of Communications at the CCPC.
She joined Eoin Beatty on Friday's edition of Kildare Today.