The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in the United Kingdom has once again highlighted the growing number of complaints that they are receiving from those who have purchased used cars. One of the most often cited complaints made by consumers is that they have been conned by ‘clockers’. This refers to the illegal activity of tampering with a car’s odometer to reduce the millage. The aim of this is to try to fool people into thinking that a particular car has been used a lot less than it really has.
There was a shocking 72,000 complaints last year alone from those who had bought second hand cars. This number is scandalous and is causing huge concern when it is compared to the total number of used car sales in the country as the percentage is quite high. This is very bad news for those involved in the industry because it is all leading to a breakdown in trust between sellers and buyers. Even though most used car sellers would never resort to this illegal activity to try to get a better price for a used car, the fact that a number of sellers are doing this is having a negative affect on the whole industry.
The current used car market is volatile and a lack of supply has meant a big increase in the price of these vehicles. This is all making the customer a lot more cautious and continued bad press may be convincing many that it is best to save for a new car rather than take the chance on a second hand motor. Social media can really make news spread like wildfire and if there is too much bad news about the used car industry spreading too far, then it really could have a bad effect on the whole used car market in the UK. This would be disastrous for those who make a living in the industry and the people who benefit from the great deals that can be found. So those working in this industry should really be doing all they can to try to solve this problem before it goes too far.
Whenever you happening to be looking for used cars, you are always better off trying to research your vehicles beforehand. Researching allows you to find the very best used cars for the category you are looking for. And when you finally finish your research, you could find yourself leaving the car delears with a splendid used cars billericay or even a used cars bleddfa.