Hidden fees, misleading information: Hundreds of new and used car dealers have been nabbed in a nationwide investigation. (AFP/Archives/LIONEL BONAVENTURE)
Hidden costs, misleading information: hundreds of dealers of new and used vehicles have been pinned during a national investigation, announced on Monday the General Directorate for Consumption, Competition and the Repression of Fraud (DGCCRF).
During this survey conducted between 2021 and 2022 among 2,200 points of sale, “nearly two thirds of the establishments presented anomalies, of varying severity”, indicated the DGCCRF in a press release. These anomalies related to “the good information of the consumer or the fairness of commercial practices in the sector”.
Used cars or two-wheelers, for example, were presented as new or “first-hand”.
On used vehicles, the labeling omitted certain essential information (date of entry into service, history, mileage, origin).
More or less significant reductions in the odometer have also been noted, up to a reduction of 121,000 kilometers, as has the sale of damaged vehicles without customers being notified, indicates the Repression of Fraud.
Some establishments also billed “packages” of up to 1,200 euros for various services on a new vehicle (engraving of the serial number and associated insurance, supply of floor mats, spare bulbs or a full tank of fuel ), without specifying that they were optional.
However, the regulations provide that the preparation costs, included in the selling price, are limited to washing the bodywork, polishing, checking the fluid levels, including 5 liters of fuel, as well as the supply and installation of a set of license plates, recalls the DGCCRF.
In the case of purchases with credit, the obligations associated with the financing were “not always clearly indicated” and the contracts “sometimes unbalanced in favor of the professional (reduced withdrawal period, for example)”.
Professionals also offered additional commercial guarantees (extended guarantee, maintenance, assistance, insurance) in exchange for the compulsory subscription of a loan from a partner organization, at rates “generally higher than the rates charged by the banks traditional”.
The services of the DGCCRF drew up more than 1,600 warnings, 1,500 injunctions, 320 criminal reports and 170 reports of administrative fines.
“In many cases, however, it was more negligence than a desire to overcome regulatory obligations, and professionals reacted quickly to comply with regulations,” tempers the DGCCRF.
The service of the Ministry of the Economy refers to its site signal.conso.gouv.fr to report problems during transactions.
© 2023 AFP
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