Firm to pay out £8k over car mileage

A Black Country car dealership has been ordered to pay out thousands of pounds after being found guilty of selling a car without giving the customer full details about its mileage.

Arnold Clark Automobiles in New Swan Lane, West Bromwich, was found guilty after a trial at West Bromwich Magistrates Court of engaging in a misleading commercial practice by omitting the full details of the car's history. Magistrates heard that mother-of-four Sarah Roberts bought a Renault Grand Scenic during October 2008.

She was told the car had just over 49,000 miles on the clock and bought it. But when she went to drive out of the forecourt the odometer read 7,300 miles.

Miss Roberts told the court she was told by the salesman she had got "a bargain" and the lower reading in the car had been correct.

But the court heard that some weeks later, when things started to go wrong with the car, she discovered the odometer had been replaced and the 49,558 initial figure was the right one.

The court heard the odometer had been replaced when it was with its first owner after a complete electrical failure and the whole dashboard was replaced.

Bosses from the company, whose head office is in Glasgow, had denied the charge.

At yesterday's hearing defence witness Ashley Norman who sold the car to Miss Roberts said he had never said the mileage was anything other than 49,558.

However, Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting on behalf of Sandwell Trading Standards, said: "When they turned the car on they noticed that the mileage is considerably lower than they have been led to believe the mileage of the car is.

"She called you and asked what was with the discrepancy. What you said to her was you would go and check but if that was the right mileage they have got themselves a bargain."

To which Mr Norman replied: "I wouldn't have said that, it's not in my nature to say that type of thing. It's a typical car salesman language, I'm not a typical salesman."

The company was fined £2,500, ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and costs of £6,224.58.

Magistrate Mr John Bowen, said Miss Roberts may not have bought the car had she known the odometer had been changed.