Zodiac car dealership in court for false claim

Zodiac car dealership in court for falsely claiming to be AA appraised

South Auckland motor vehicle dealer, Zodiac Motor Company Limited (Zodiac), and its owner Nezam Anwer appeared in Manukau District Court today on charges for false representations about its AA Appraised Used Vehicle Dealer membership.

Zodiac faces 14 charges and Mr Anwer faces six charges which were brought by the Commerce Commission under the Fair Trading Act 1986.

The charges relate to false representations that vehicles advertised for sale by Zodiac were AA appraised when they were not and that Zodiac was an AA Appraised Used Vehicle dealer when it was not.

The Commission alleges that even though AA cancelled Zodiac’s membership as an Appraised Used Vehicle Dealer Zodiac continued to promote itself as one on its website, at its car yard and in radio advertising. Further, the Commission alleges that Zodiac advertised individual vehicles on its website as having been AA appraised when they had not been.

As this matter is now before the Court, the Commission is unable to comment further at this time.

Background

Zodiac was incorporated on 1 September 2006 and is a registered motor vehicle dealer that sells used, imported vehicles from a car yard on Great South Road, Manurewa, Auckland.

In 2014, Zodiac failed to ensure that 70% of its stock was AA Appraised, as required under the AA Appraised Used Vehicle Dealer programme. The AA therefore removed Zodiac from the program and Zodiac lost its status as an AA Appraised Used Vehicle Dealer.

ENDS

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