Following on from RTE's The Consumer Show, the SIMI is reiterating the need for consumers to be extremely careful when purchasing a used car. The programme highlighted the awful consequences of not undertaking a number of key checks when it comes to buying a used car. In both case studies, the aggrieved consumers had either purchased their car from a private seller or a non-SIMI dealer, which meant that redress was not an easy option even in light of major issues uncovered about their car.
If either the written-off car or the car with outstanding finance was purchased from a SIMI dealer, the responsibility would have been on the dealer to clarify these issues in advance of offering the car for sale, and in the event of failing to do so, the customer would have been entitled to redress from the dealer. Customers who have experienced difficulty in this regard are advised to avail of the society's consumer complaints service which is free of charge and whose decisions are binding on the SIMI member garage.
“It is imperative that consumers know as much as they can about who they are buying from and the car they are buying,” said Alan Nolan, director general of SIMI. “If you are considering buying a used car, make sure to ask your SIMI dealer for a car history check certificate which was designed to give you peace of mind that the car you are buying has a clean history based on the available data sources.”
