An illegal motor vehicle dealer has been fined $25,000 and ordered to pay costs of $916 after being convicted in the Perth Magistrates Court of buying and selling vehicles without a licence.

Mark Wayne Williams, who resides in Kensington and formerly operated in Kenwick under the trading name of Car 1 Vehicle Wholesale, was convicted in his absence on 12 October 2018 after purchasing 51 vehicles from various dealers and private sellers and selling 56 vehicles to private buyers and a dealer from 1 June 2016 to 9 September 2016 in breach of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act.

During the three month period, Mr Williams had used the licence details of a licensed motor vehicle dealer when buying and selling the vehicles for his own business.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard said ending the illegal trade in motor vehicles was a high priority.

“It’s unfair for the dealers who do the right thing to have to compete with unlicensed operators who do not offer the same rights and warranties to their customers as the licensed businesses,” Mr Hillyard said.

“Unlicensed dealers are undermining the industry and consumers should have nothing to do with these operators who we want to locate.

“We need the community’s support to achieve our aim of shutting down any illegal dealing, so we urge anyone with information to come forward so we can take the appropriate action.”

Consumers can check whether a motor vehicle dealer is licensed by doing a search on the Consumer Protection website: www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au. Unlicensed dealers can be reported by emailing consumer@dmirs.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@dmirs.wa.gov.au