Dealer told to pay Rs 1.5 lakh for concealing car’s accident info

RAJKOT: A consumer court in Rajkot has ordered a car dealer to pay Rs 1.50 lakh as compensation for selling a demo car to a buyer by concealing information about the vehicle’s accident.
The complainant Ashwin Kava had filed a petition in consumer court against Parin Motors and its service centre. He had purchased a demo car from the dealer on March 31, 2020, paying Rs 11.61 lakh. He also paid road tax, RTO fees, and extended warranty charges. However, Kava found that the dealer had deliberately not disclosed that the car had met with an accident on March 7, 2020. The dealer argued that Kava had purchased the three-year-old car knowing that it had run 26,000 km and was using it for commercial purposes. The dealer also argued that at the time of purchase, the complainant was told about the limitations of the demo car.
The court noted that the complainant got to know about the accident only after he managed to get the car’s history, but the dealer did not mention it in the bills. This, the court said, was a deficient service by the dealer.
Along with compensation, Parin Motors was to return the car in complete roadworthy condition, three free services for the next one year and free repair for the two years for any defect except an accident.
The dealer was also directed to bear 50% cost if the spare parts required to be replaced.
The consumer court also gave an alternative to the dealer to pay Rs 10 lakh with interest plus Rs 1.5 lakh compensation if he did not wish to comply with the order.