Hidden fees, misleading information: Hundreds of dealers of new and used vehicles have been caught in a national investigation, French authorities have announced. During this survey conducted between 2021 and 2022 among 2,200 points of sale, “nearly two-thirds of the establishments presented anomalies, of varying severity”, indicated the General Directorate for Consumer Affairs, Competition and the Repression of Fraud DGCCRF. in a press release.
These anomalies related to “good consumer information or the fairness of commercial practices in the sector”.
Used cars or two-wheelers, for example, were presented as new or “first-hand”. On used vehicles, the labeling omitted certain essential information (date of entry into service, history, mileage, origin).
More or less significant reductions in the odometer have also been noted, up to a reduction of 121,000 kilometers, as has the sale of damaged vehicles without customers being notified, indicates the same source.
Some establishments also billed “packages” of up to 1,200 euros for various services on a new vehicle (engraving of the serial number and associated insurance, supply of floor mats, spare bulbs or a full tank of fuel ), without specifying that they were optional.