A CAR dealership was found guilty of misleading consumers following an Essex Trading Standards investigation.

Saxton 4x4 Ltd, found guilty on Monday, received a number of complaints which then led to an investigation by trading standards, around the sale and description of a vehicle sold by the dealership, of Westway, Chelmsford, on more than one occasion during the course of 2017 and 2018.

The jury at Chelmsford Crown Court heard from the prosecution that the vehicle had been sold to the first customer as a 2015 vehicle and it was discovered by that customer via the main dealer that it had in fact been first registered in Germany in 2011. He informed the business and was refunded. The vehicle went on to be sold by the business on two further occasions and a non-returnable deposit placed by another potential customer based on an inaccurate description.

Each time the business was informed of the problems with the age description of the vehicle, they failed to modify their advertisements or any of their sales communications to reflect the real age of the vehicle or to inform the subsequent purchasers of the true age of the vehicle.

In total, there were seven charges against Saxton 4x4 Ltd and seven charges against the Managing Director Mr Alwyn (Alan) Austin – all relating to misleading consumers.

The jury found the company Saxton 4x4 Ltd guilty on a total of six charges relating to misleading customers.

The company Saxton 4x4 Ltd was found not guilty on one charge relating to a single customer.

Mr Austin was found not guilty in his capacity as a director on seven charges.

Susan Barker, councillor for Customer, Corporate, Culture and Communities said: “The purchase of car is often the second largest financial decision that a consumer makes, they need to feel confident that they can rely on the information provided by the dealer. "Essex County Council Trading Standards has an ongoing commitment to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for businesses."

The sentencing of Saxton 4x4 Ltd will follow at Chelmsford Crown Court on November 1 2019.