FAILING to carry out a proper service on a car cost a Kidderminster Rover dealership nearly £8,000 after it admitted two breaches of the Trade Descriptions Act.
Clarks Motor Services was fined a total of £6,800, with £1,122 costs, in a prosecution brought by Worcestershire Trading Standards.
A professional vehicle examiner had rigged a Rover Metro with 23 defects - which a Trading Standards spokesman described as "very obvious" - and seven had not been spotted when the car was returned.
These included faulty lights, a deflated spare tyre - which could have posed a safety problem - and a torn windscreen wiper.
Damage could also have been caused to the car's gearbox following the inspection as it had not been checked to see if it needed oil.
The car was taken to the dealership for a 48,000-mile service costing £218 as part of a Trading Standards probe into the quality of car services across Worcestershire.
The firm was fined £3,400 for each of two breaches of the Trade Descriptions Act. It is the first time the company has been prosecuted.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article