'Vehicle matching' company in court
26 March 2008
- Motor Help UK hauled before High Court
- Company had no record of ever selling a car
- Charged sellers up to £99
A company offering 'vehicle matching' to people trying to sell their cars has been called before the High Court after cold-calling sellers and failing to make a sale.
The Court heard that Motor Help UK, based in Hertfordshire, told sellers it had buyers for their vehicle lined up in their area, and would even go as far as to arrange finance. The company found most of its customers by trawling through the classified car sections of UK newspapers, magazines and websites.
Less than 50% of sellers were matched to a buyer, and nobody received a refund of their fee. Charging customers £79 or £99 for the service, Motor Help UK also 'guaranteed' to market the vehicle until it was sold.
The company's computer system matched sellers to people advertising in 'car wanted' sections of newspapers or car magazines every week, but the system did not check if the purchaser could afford the seller's asking price or if they were in the same region.
In summary of the case, the Court heard that the company had misrepresented its service by claiming it already had a number of enquiries from potential buyers.
Most damning of all, the company also had no record of having successfully sold a vehicle using their 'vehicle matching' service.
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