An unlicensed car dealer operating mostly from his St James home has been fined $10,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court.
Ehsan Nadeem Malik pleaded guilty on 26 June 2014 of buying and selling numerous motor vehicles via Gumtree between February 2012 and November 2013, without having a licence as required by the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. He was ordered to pay Court costs of $1,734.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll said unlicensed dealers undermine the motor vehicle industry and threaten the legal rights of consumers.
“Unlicensed dealing is a real danger to the community because the vehicles being sold could be substandard and, without a warranty, it could be difficult for consumers to get redress if things go wrong soon after purchase,” Ms Driscoll said.
“The licensing system ensures that only fit and proper people are involved in the motor vehicle industry and each licensed dealer must comply with the strict rules that are in place to protect consumers.
“Illegal operators undermine industry standards and consumers are urged not to deal with them. If anyone knows about an unlicensed dealer, their activities should be reported to Consumer Protection so that appropriate action can be taken.”
Consumers can check whether a car dealer is licensed by doing a search on the Consumer Protection website: www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumerprotection. Unlicensed car dealers can be reported by emailing consumer@commerce.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 30 40 54.
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