Professional resellers are in the crosshairs DGCCRF , Directorate General for Consumer Affairs, Competition and Fraud Prevention. Indeed, a few days ago the commission announced that it had conducted an in-depth investigation into the professional sales network.

Investigation to find out violations

Almost after playing mystery shoppers 2200 establishmentshis agents noted violations in 64% of them. The problem, the violations in question, are not described in detail (this question “of varying degrees of severity”) not quantified despite our requests for clarification. The consequence of this artistic ambiguity: the seller, who would foolishly forget the legal notice on the poster, ends up in the same bag as the fraudster rejuvenated counters. Thus, many media outlets that reported the survey concluded that two-thirds of professional salespeople were dishonest. In its press release, Repression of Fraud points the finger three common practices, although prohibited…

Scam #1: Missing commissioning costs

First, Installation fee are often used without the client’s consent and are rarely detailed. A good old commercial “trick”, not legal, but which also does not fall under the case of the century. Remember that these costs are always optional (number plates, cleaning and 5 liters of fuel are included in the sale price). That way, you end up with a salesperson who presents them in detail, and you only keep the services you need (the yellow vest and triangle you’ll probably find cheaper elsewhere).

Scam #2: The Internal Funding Offer

In addition, DGCCRF deplores the compulsion of sellers to post a home financingusually under the guise of a warranty extension. For that matter, even if the seller pushes your hand a little, it is not necessarily a catch. While most manufacturers offer this type of policy for new vehicles regardless of credit or LOA/LLD, this is less common for used cars, especially those over a year old. The truth on this topic can almost always be found on the manufacturer’s website. It remains to assess the financial interest of the seller’s offer by comparing its total cost (based on the exchange rate is not enough) with that offered by other banking organizations. Ultimately, the saddest part is that salespeople tend to turn into “financial advisors” to the point that they sometimes know less about their car than the customer.

Scam #3: Vehicles are presented as new

Finally, some used vehicles are presented, wrong as new. Most often, these are cars that started their career as a “demonstration car” or “0 km used”. Already registered by the dealer before being sold almost new, these cars de facto already know the owner when they hit the used market. In short, no big deal, the buyer was misinformed, but not materially harmed. Therefore, having given in, there is no need to sound the alarm, even if certain practices come out of the nails.

Petty dealers in the viewfinder

On the other hand, a change in the situation of small dealers in used cars. The latter often return cars that have been used a lot and that dealers don’t want to hear about. Therefore, it is precisely in these small parking lots that the most serious deficiencies are observed. The worst? Forgeries of counters, sometimes in significant proportions (up to 120,000 km during the DGCCRF investigation). To protect yourself against this, ask the seller for all proof of maintenance since the car was put on the market.

Another fraudulent practice is absence traffic accident report. Because, unlike a natural person, a professional must systematically indicate in writing this type of damage as soon as it acquires a certain severity, for example, with the transition to home plate. The best way to avoid this risk? THE Histovec report. This official document, which lists all the events that required the passage of an expert, must be requested by the seller. If he refuses to give it to you, turn away.

Fraud happens less often on a new car. They mainly concern the absence of equipment specified in the order form or in the list issued by the manufacturer. If you find one of these faults, there is no doubt that the seller is playing the ignorance card. As a professional, he is responsible, even if he is conscientious. In this case, you should not hesitate to request a refund of the price paid, including the registration document and malus.