Dodgy Cars, Returns Fraud, Potholes

Available for over a year

Second-hand cars are big business. Over six million were sold in the UK last year, that's according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. But while buying used can save you thousands compared to the cost of a new car, it can also leave you stranded if that car breakdown and claps out soon after. Under the Consumer Rights Act, you have protections - but what happens when dealers dodge the law and even court orders? We hear from one father whose daughter saved up £4000 for a car that broke down on it's first long trip... A type of return-fraud called 'wardrobing' costs UK retailers around £1.3bn every year. Wardrobing is the act of purchasing clothing, wearing for an occasion and then returning it for a refund without disclosing that the item has been worn. Cases of wardrobing jump by 33% in the peak season between November and January as many of us prepare for nights out, work dos, and family gatherings during the Christmas period. We hear about how retailers are trying to crack down on it... Scam text messages claiming to be from the likes of HMRC and asking you to click a link are a nuisance. Ofcom tells us a hundred million were reported to mobile networks this year. That's an 800% increase since 2023. The criminals behind this are becoming more sophisticated and are often based overseas. In June a Chinese national on a student visa who was sentenced to a year in prison after 15,000 scam texts were sent from a portable device that was in the back of a car he was driving. We hear from the Police trying crack down on this type of scam... PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: JAY UNGER