Second-hand cars top gripes list

The used-car trade has topped the lists of complaints in recent years

Second-hand cars top a list of complaints received by Consumer Direct about defective goods.

The consumer helpline received more than 120,000 complaints about defective products in the first six months of the year out of a total of 425,406 gripes.

Furniture and audio-visual equipment were next on the list.

Sales of second-hand cars by independent retailers also prompted the most complaints to Consumer Direct in 2006 and 2007.

Trading standards officers warned last month about "death-trap" used cars, after five out of eight second-hand vehicles bought during an undercover operation in Hertfordshire were found to be unsafe to drive.

Consumer rights

The law states that goods bought from shops and online traders should be of satisfactory quality, fit for their purpose and matching the description.

Shoppers can claim a repair, refund or replacement if this is not the case.

"It is worth checking where you stand as you may have more protection than you think," said Michele Shambrook, of Consumer Direct.

Defective large domestic appliances, computers and accessories, and telecommunications also prompted more than 8,000 complaints each to the advice line in the first six months of the year.

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