More than three thousand Irish consumers were ripped off by dodgy second hand cars last year, that’s according to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
The CCPC is now calling for Irish consumers to have free access to vital information before buying used cars.
Nearly every other EU member state except Ireland already has a freely available database for used car sales, according to the CCPC. That means potential buyers can simply look up a car’s history to find out if it has previously been in an accident or even written off.
Consumers in other parts of Europe can also check that the mileage on the clock is accurate by looking up the digits on file.
Now the CCPC is calling for the Irish government to set up a similar system here too.
“Thousands of consumers contact the CCPC helpline every year when things go wrong with second-hand cars”, says the chair of the consumer watchdog, Brian McHugh.
“CCPC officers carry out regular investigations, inspections and enforcement action, but arming consumers with information is the most efficient and cost-effective way to help safeguard every second-hand car sale in the country.”
The recommendations are included in a report presented to the government this week on “improving consumer outcomes in the used car market”.
Around 15,000 used cars are registered every month with another 5,000 imported from elsewhere.
Last year Japan overtook the UK as the number one source for used cars coming into Ireland from abroad.
Before buying a used car, consumers should have access to important information about a car’s mileage, past accidents, safety recalls, and import status, the CCPC says.
The watchdog says much of the information is already collected by state agencies, but is “either inaccessible or available only for a fee from commercial car history providers.”
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says its time for that to change.
Twenty other EU member states, including Belgium, Estonia and Poland, offer public access to car histories, with the UK, New Zealand and Australia also giving consumers access to essential car history information.
“sharing car history with buyers will protect all road users, helping to keep dangerous cars off Irish roads. It is in the public interest to have an open, free and accessible State database of essential car history information.
“Much of this information is already collected by the State. Some of that is made available to traders and car history providers, but not directly to consumers. We also know that information available from car history providers can be incomplete. Consumers deserve better.”
“We need the State to capture key car history information and share it with consumers for free. A car is one of the most expensive purchases a consumer will ever make, and buyers need accurate information so they can get value for money and a safe and reliable vehicle for them and their family.”