Following a complaint from a member of the public, Officers from Merton’s Trading Standards Service carried out a comprehensive check at Japcars, located at 370 London Road, Mitcham. Japcars are a second-hand car dealer that specialise in the importation of performance and unusual vehicles from Japan.

Following their visit Trading Standards carried out a thorough investigation of the vehicles histories, which involved obtaining information from Japan with the help of The British Independent Motor Trade Association. The investigation revealed that the mileage indication on twelve cars had been reduced by between 30,000 to 90,000 kilometres, which substantially increased the retail value of the cars.

The proprietor of the business Mr Hamid Fadai pleaded guilty to six counts of applying a false Trade Description and six counts of offering to supply cars to which a false Trade Description had been applied at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on Tuesday 19th November 2003. Mr Fadai was fined a total of £30,000 plus £1500 costs.

Ian Murrell, Commercial and Trading Standards Manager at Merton Council, said:

“Buying a car is the second largest purchase that most families make next to buying their home. This conviction sends a clear message out to motor traders that misleading Merton residents by altering the mileage on cars in order to increase their retail value is simply not acceptable.

“The importation of cars from Japan is on the increase and this is the first case of its kind where a Trading Standards Authority has successfully prosecuted a dealer for defrauding members of the public from their hard earned cash.”

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