A Surrey Hills car dealership and its director have been disqualified from holding a licence for four years, after a hearing found that they breached various provisions of Victorian motor car trading laws.
We took action in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against Wapshott Motors Pty Ltd (ACN: 107 084 560) for alleged contraventions of the Motor Car Traders Act 1986 (the Act) and its associated regulations.
We alleged, among other things, that the:
- director of Wapshott Motors, James Wapshott, 44, of Surrey Hills, was not a fit and proper person to be a director or licensee
- business was being carried out in an unfair and/or inefficient manner
- company failed to comply with its licence conditions, by failing to lodge relevant transfer documents with VicRoads within the required time, following the sale of two cars
- company advertised cars for sale without including their total single price, including all fees and duties
- company did not correctly complete entries in its dealings book.
VCAT found that:
- there were grounds for taking action against Wapshott Motors, and
- Mr Wapshott was not a fit and proper person to be a director of a licensee.
We investigated Wapshott Motors after receiving complaints about the company. Our staff also found alleged breaches of the Act during an on-site visit.
Businesses and individuals found to have breached certain duties under the Act, including some of those described above, may face penalties of up to $5,000. VCAT also has the power to suspend or cancel a motor car trader’s licence.