A 53 year old Applecross man was fined $4,500 by the Perth Magistrates Court on 24 July 2020 after pleading guilty to buying and selling 52 motor vehicles without a licence.

The man, who was granted a spent conviction, had traded the vehicles between May 2018 and November 2019 in most cases using Gumtree. Not having a licence for this level of trading breaches the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping said the campaign to stop backyard sellers was ongoing.

“We take a dim view of people in our community who turn buying and selling vehicles into a business but don’t bother getting a licence as the law requires,” Ms Chopping said.

“These illegal operators are robbing consumers of their rights when buying a used vehicle by not offering warranties and are therefore undermining the legitimate businesses that do the right thing.

“We urge the community to report any unlicensed motor vehicle dealing so we can take action to stamp it out.”

Consumers can check whether a motor vehicle dealer is licensed by doing a search on the Consumer Protection website. Unlicensed dealers can be reported by emailing consumer@demirs.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 30 40 54.

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Media Contact: Alan Hynd, (08) 6552 9248 / 0429 078 791 / alan.hynd@demirs.wa.gov.au