Approved Motor Trader Scheme

The Brent and Harrow Approved Motor Trader Scheme was successfully launched on 10th November 2004 at H R Owen - Jaguar, Colindale at a special event attended by the Deputy Mayor of Brent and the Mayor of Harrow, who presented certificates to the traders.

The registered traders must sign a commitment to fair and honest trade and undergo a Trading Standards audit. The commitment includes:

• Having an adequate customer complaints procedure
• Providing honest and truthful descriptions of cars
• Compliance with the letter and spirit of consumer protection law
• Carrying out a pre-sales inspection of cars - the checklist used in the inspection should be available to the customer on request
• Taking reasonable steps to verify recorded mileage of a used car

John Taylor the Director of Trading Standards for the London Boroughs of Brent and Harrow said, "This is truly a win/win/win situation. The scheme will benefit consumers who can have confidence in approved traders, while the traders themselves will in turn benefit from increased business. The Trading Standards Service itself will also benefit as hopefully complaints about the motor trade will reduce".

Brent Councillor Lesley Jones said "In Brent and Harrow the regulatory services, such as Trading Standards, are committed to working in partnership with local businesses to ensure fair and honest trading takes place. I understand this is the first of several similar schemes the Trading Standards Service are working on and hope to introduce in the future."

Registered traders can display the Approved Motor Trader Scheme logo and certificate.

Current registered members

(correct as at 26-09-2007)

Brent

1. M1 Autos (London) Ltd of 417 Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, NW9 9DT - (020) 8204 5924
2. PMC of Pinner of 832 Harrow Road Sudbury Town, Wembley, HA0 3EN - (020) 8868 0088 (car sales)
3. Warwick Wright Brent Cross of 393 Edgware Road, London, NW2 6LN - (020) 8452 0041
4. Alan Day (Honda) Ltd of The Hyde, Edgware Road, London, NW9 6TH - (020) 8200 4040

Harrow

1. Car Deals of 201-205 Headstone Lane, Harrow, HA2 6ND - (020) 8421 6645
2. PMC of Pinner of School Lane, Pinner, HA5 5NF - (020) 8868 0088 (workshop)
3. Inglebys Ltd of 120 Uxbridge Road, Harrow Weald, HA3 6TR - (020) 8954 4552
4. Hornett Developments Ltd of 248 Headstone Lane, Harrow, HA26ND - (020) 8428 4444
5. Kirk Bros of 786 Kenton Lane, Harrow, HA3 6AG - (020) 8954 3692

Photograph of launch event

Background

The Approved Motor Trader Scheme has been developed following the introduction of the "Enforcement Concordat" by the Cabinet Office. The principles of the Concordat recognise that enforcement of regulations should be carried out through a partnership approach between enforcers and business by working together to achieve higher levels of voluntary regulatory compliance. This approach particularly helps small business to understand and meet their responsibilities more easily. It also helps achieve higher levels of compliance and provides greater benefits to the consumer. Ultimately this also contributes to the economic vitality of our local communities. With compliance made easier, and with enforcers able to focus their resources on businesses who deliberately break the law, law-abiding businesses will be free to compete on a level playing field.

By working in partnership we aim to improve the standards of trade in the retail motor industry in Brent & Harrow. The Scheme relates only to businesses involved in the sale of new and second hand motor vehicles at premises within the London Boroughs of Brent and Harrow.

Email us or telephone 020 8937 5555 if you require further assistance.

Your Questions Answered

What is the Approved Motor Trader Scheme and how does it benefit me?

The Brent & Harrow Approved Motor Trade Scheme was set up in order to help consumers identify car traders who have given a commitment to act in a fair and honest way. Buying a car from a trader who is a member of this scheme means you can buy with confidence knowing that comprehensive checks have been made to ensure that everything is in order. Such checks would include verifying the mileage and service records to ensure that they were genuine and ensuring that cars offered for sale were in a safe and roadworthy condition. Remember you can ask to see the documented checks that the trader has done on any car that you might wish to buy.

What checks are made on members of the scheme?

A car trader who is a member of the Brent & Harrow Motor Trader Scheme would have to meet strict conditions laid down by Trading Standards. Members of the scheme would also be subject to regular audits which are carried out by Trading Standards in order to check for compliance with the terms and conditions of the scheme.

How can I identify or find a member of the scheme?

A member of the scheme would be authorised to use the logo that you can see at the top of this page. You can also check to see if a car trader is a member of the Brent & Harrow Approved Motor Trader Scheme by calling Trading Standards or checking the list on this web-page above.

Can I do any checks to verify what the trader is claiming?

If you wanted to you could also complete three simple checks yourself to ensure that the mileage and service records are genuine.

1. Ask to see the registration document (V5). Try and contact the previous keepers yourself by phone or post. Tell them that you are thinking about buying the car and would like to know the mileage when they sold the car.
2. Ask to see any service records. You can then telephone the dealer who stamped the service history to check that the service stamp and mileage is genuine.
3. Ask to see the current and old MOT certificates for the car. Put the certificates in date order and check that the mileage history does not contradict the mileage which is displayed on the odometer of the car.

Remember you can also take the car for a test drive to see how it performs and depending on the age of the vehicle you may wish to get an independent organisation to examine the car before you decide to buy it. Please contact the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for further advice and information.

What else should I be aware of when buying a second hand car?

Buying second hand cars from those dealers who sell from the roadside is generally much riskier than buying from a garage. The reason for this is that very often roadside sellers do not give their true name and address. Therefore, if you later encounter a problem with the car, then you are unlikely to get a refund or any form of compensation. It is always best to buy a car from a reputable dealer, or a dealer who is a member of the Brent & Harrow Approved Motor Trader Scheme. It also pays to shop around and compare deals. For further self help advice sheets, visit our consumer advice page.