How to complain about a used-car deal

If you’re not happy with a used car deal you should complain, because it will benefit every second-hand car buyer in the long run. That’s the advice from an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) study into the sale of second-hand cars.

The OFT is launching the report because of concerns about the large number of complaints relating to used car deals.

More than 68,000 motorists complained to Consumer Direct, which is the OFT funded telephone and online consumer advice service, about issues with second hand car sales.

Buying a second hand can work out considerably cheaper than a new car and you can often bag yourself cheaper car insurance too, but moans about bad service, defective vehicles and misleading sales people are among the top complaints to Consumer Direct, so the OFT is now taking action, firstly with a market study.

This aim is to consider whether existing buyer legislation is sufficient or effective and to try to identify the causes of such high levels of complaints.

OFT chief executive John Fingleton says: "Buying a second hand car is a major and potentially difficult purchase. We aim, particularly given the current financial climate, to look at the entire process of buying a second hand car, and whether existing regulation delivers sufficient robustness, confidence and clarity for both customer and car dealer."

The OFT says written views can be submitted via e-mail to: second-handcars@oft.gsi.gov.uk

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