Charles Hurst fined for failing to service car

A car dealership has been fined £2,000 for charging a customer for a service that did not happen.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s Trading Standards Service brought the prosecution against Charles Hurst Toyota on Boucher Road, Belfast.

The company has pleaded guilty to two charges under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968.

A customer had left his car at the Charles Hurst Toyota centre for its 40,000 miles service, when the case came to light. He had taken the precaution of marking the fuel and air filter components as both of these needed changed.

When the car was ready for collection the customer was presented with a bill for £270, but when he checked neither filters had been changed. He was also charged for a rear wiper rubber even though the car did not have a rear wiper.

Alison Gilchrist, Trading Standards Service said: “In our experience a number of businesses could do much better in providing car servicing and repairs to ensure situations like this did not occur.

“Car servicing does not come cheap and the ordinary consumer has no way of telling if the work has been done properly. The consumer completely relies on the diligence of the trader to ensure the car is fully serviced.”

She continued: “Customers whose cars are still under a manufacturer's warranty should remember they are not tied to the specific dealer who supplied the vehicle, they can use any authorised workshop.”

Anyone who has concerns about car servicing should contact Consumerline on: 0845 600 6262.

(JM/KMcA)