Punjab commission orders dealer to refund man for blacklisted car
A consumer commission directed a pre-owned car dealer to return Rs 2.51 lakh to a buyer after the vehicle was found blacklisted.
A Punjab district consumer commission has ordered a pre-owned car dealer to refund Rs 2,51,700 to a man who bought a second-hand Maruti WagonR that was blacklisted due to a Punjab and Haryana high court case, according to The Times of India.
The complainant, Pardeep Kumar, purchased the vehicle from the dealer True Value on July 1, 2022. He later received a letter on December 6, 2022, from the Vehicle Registration Authority, Ahmedgarh, stating the car was blacklisted by an order of the high court.
The commission, led by president Naveen Puri and members Prem Singh Salaria and Harvimal Dogra, ruled that the dealer failed to verify the legal status of the car. The bench stated that the dealer, being in the business of reselling pre-owned vehicles, was expected to exercise reasonable care in checking registration particulars and documentation.
The dealer argued that Kumar had inspected the car and taken a test drive before purchase. However, the commission noted that a test drive could not reveal pending legal proceedings or blacklisting orders.
The commission directed the dealer to pay the refund of Rs 2,51,700, subject to the vehicle remaining in its possession, along with 6 per cent annual simple interest and Rs 7,500 in litigation costs. The dealer must comply within 45 days of receiving the order issued on October 21, 2026.