Headlines
Students reading the new guide
Clear steer given to Herefordshire's young drivers when buying their first car
13th November 2009
Young drivers across Herefordshire have been getting a clear steer when it comes to buying their first car. Consumer Direct and Herefordshire Trading Standards launched the brand new 'Your Guide to buying Your First Car' booklet aimed at helping young consumers through the maze of issues they often face when making the decision to buy their first car. Hundreds of students at Hereford College received a copy of the booklet last week along with information from the Driving Standards Agency on driving safely.
Consumer Direct has received over 100 calls between January and September 2009 relating to the purchase of second hand cars costing consumers in Herefordshire an estimated £405, 000 – an average spend of £3931.66 per consumer. Car related complaints have figured in the Consumer Direct Top 10 complaints about goods and services both regionally and nationally for the last 3 years.
Gary Griffiths, Consumer Direct West Midlands Centre Manager "Buying your first car – whether it is new or used is often an exciting time for people, but can also be confusing and expensive. We want new drivers to feel confident that they know what to look for when buying a car so this guide provides people with a useful checklist, top tips and much more…all in one place. We want to work with local business to provide consumers with clear advice on their rights, crack down on unscrupulous traders selling un-roadworthy cars and help local residents in Herefordshire make the right choices when choosing which car to buy."
"Our most common complaints related to cars cover a number of areas including issues with servicing, warranties, finance agreements and cars developing faults shortly after being purchased. By offering people clear, practical consumer advice Consumer Direct and Herefordshire Trading Standards will be working with local colleges, schools and a range of key organisations to raise awareness of the key issues"
'Your Guide to… Buying Your First Car' has been produced by Consumer Direct and Central England Trading Standards Authorities (CEnTSA) and can be downloaded from the 'News' pages at www.centsa.org.uk or contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 for more information and advice on your rights.