What are my rights when buying from a used car dealer?

I purchased my Jaguar from the forecourt of what I thought was a normal second hand car dealer after trading in my own Suzuki as part exchange. I found a fault with the car on the way home and took it back to the dealer. He adopted the attitude of "what do you want me to do about it" as the car had been sold to me as a "trade deal" and the moment I had taken the vehicle off the premises they had no legal obligation for the vehicle. Is this true and what should I do if it happens again?

Asked on 15 December 2018 by Derek Maddock

Answered by Honest John

If the 'dealer' is selling cars to the public, then he cannot turn around and claim they are 'trade sales'. You have all the rights against him that you would have if you had bought the car from a franchised dealership. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/ Enforcing those rights against a scumbag dealer who refuses to comply with CCJs can be a different matter, though.

Tags: consumer rights used car dealers

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