Used Cars: As 3.5 million people look to buy a used car we share top advice tips to help motorists steer clear of problems. Problems with used cars are consistently the top complaint made to Citizens Advice’s national Consumer Service. New data from Citizens Advice reveals last year the charity’s national Consumer Service received a complaint about a used car every three minutes. The majority of these (66%) complaints were about defective goods, while 13% concerned safety issues. With 3.5 million people across the country currently looking to buy a used car, we share our top tips with motorists.
Top tips to help put a stop to unexpected issues motorists might face when buying a used car:
- Check the trader - If you’re buying from a trader (a business that sells cars) you should look for an established firm with a good reputation. Look for a garage that is a member of the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme, this means you can act through the Code Sponsor if something goes wrong. If you’re buying from an individual seller, you’re entitled to expect that the vehicle is roadworthy, unless you and the seller clearly agree it is bought for scrap or for spares and repair.
- Check the car’s history - You’ll need the seller’s permission to have the vehicle inspected. Make sure to keep a copy of all inspections or checks, either by taking a screenshot or downloading the information.
- Check the car’s details with the DVLA using their free online vehicle checker and check the MOT history on GOV.UK
- Get a private history check. This might cost up to £20, but will give you valuable information about serious problems the car might have. If you’re still not sure - get an independent report. This will give you detailed information about the car’s condition and will cost around £120 to £250
- Inspect the car and take a test drive. You should arrange to view the car in daylight, preferably when it’s dry - it’s harder to spot damage to the car if it’s wet
Paying for a used car
Ask questions if you’re unsure about anything in the small print. Remember you can stop the deal if you feel like you’re being pressured into paying too much or buying additional features. And make sure you get the original (not a photocopy) of the log book (the V5C registration certificate) and the valid MOT test document. Never buy a car without the log book. The way you pay will affect what rights you might have if something goes wrong:
- If you pay by cash, there are no extra fees or interest but if something goes wrong with the car you won’t have the protection that you have if you buy using a card or on finance.
- If you use a debit card you might have protection from problems from your provider’s chargeback scheme. And if you use a credit card, you’re protected as long as you paid more than £100 and no more than £30,000, even if you only paid for a small part of the cost on a credit card (this is called ‘section 75’ protection).
- If you pay using finance arranged by a trader, you might have extra protection if there’s a problem later, because you can take action against the finance company as well as the trader (or instead of the trader).
You can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you have an unresolved complaint and have paid by debit card, credit card or using finance. Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone.
Slush-Ice Drinks: With the half term in full-swing we are reminding parents and businesses about the guidance on glycerol in slush-ice drinks. Slush-ice drinks should not be sold to children four years of age and under and free refill promotions should not be offered to under-10s. This is to prevent young children from being exposed to excessive amounts of glycerol, which is used as a substitute for sugar to create the slush effect in these drinks. More info on these Food Standards Agency voluntary guidelines and why they have been introduced can be found here: www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/not-suitable-for-under-4s-new-industry-guidance-issued-on-glycerol-in-slush-ice-drinks
Scam Call: A Suffolk resident has received a SCAM call from someone purporting to be from Suffolk Trading Standards. The caller advised that Trading Standards need to inspect the loft insulation at the property and an appointment needed to be arranged. The caller gave their name as James Mitchell. When the resident queried the caller the fraudster advised that they would send an email and ended the call. It is a criminal offence to impersonate a Trading Standards Officer and can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years. All Trading Standards officers carry identification and can be verified by calling the national consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133. As with any telephone call that you receive out of the blue, we urge you to be vigilant and take a moment to stop and think, especially if you receive a request over the phone or e-mail to make a payment from someone claiming to be from a trusted organisation. If you are in any doubt, contact the company or organisation directly using an email or phone number from their official website. Impersonation scams occur when the victim is persuaded to make a payment to a criminal claiming to be from a trusted organisation. This could include the police, a bank, a utility company, or a government department. Report all scam calls to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Fake Posts: Have you seen posts about cheap eggs, potatos and honey popping up in any community Facebook groups? They are not egg-sactly what they seem! Please do not engage with the person posting the advert, instead report it to the group admin for the post to be removed. These posts initially look legitimate. However, they soon turn malicious. The individual turns the comments off so that you can only contact them by privately messaging them, they then ask for payment for the eggs via a cash app. Once the money is transferred they disappear off of Facebook or you are blocked. A search of the text within the post shows the same or similar adverts across Facebook appearing in Community groups. We spotted them in groups in Ashford, Northampton and Luton, to name just a few. Facebook users can verify a post by doing a little bit of research before interacting.
- Read the information carefully, looking for spelling errors and out of place information.
- Check the profile of the person posting. Has it been created very recently? Do they appear to live locally?
- Do a reverse image search on Google. That will show if the image has been used elsewhere for adverts or websites.
- Copy and paste the text from the post into the Facebook search bar to see if other posts appear elsewhere on the platform.
- If you suspect a scam, report it to Facebook.
If you have lost money to a scammer, report it to your bank immediately. Report all scams to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Identity Theft: Criminals can steal your identity in a number of ways, for example finding your statements in your rubbish or stealing your driving licence or cards from your purse or wallet. Social media can also be used by criminals to find out personal details and build a better picture of your identity. How to spot identity theft:
- Transactions appear on your bank statement that you don’t recognise.
- You receive letters about loans or credit cards you didn’t apply for.
- You’re told you’re already claiming government benefits when you apply for them.
- You receive bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you for goods or services you haven’t asked for.
- A mobile phone contract has been set up in your name without your knowledge.
Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve been scammed and report it to Action Fraud.
Recall: Kellogg’s is recalling Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Chocolate Flavour because they may contain small hard lumps of food which have formed in the product. This makes the product unsafe to eat.
Pack size: 450g
Best before: All date codes from 06 December 2024 to 28 April 2025
If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, dispose of the product and contact Kellogg’s on 0800 626066 for a full refund.