There are more complaints about used cars than about the electric company

The Consumer Council has now summed up 2023. It's clearly been a hectic year, with almost 50,000 inquiries via email, phone and via the online contact form.

With the exception of last year, when the electrical industry performed the worst, it has historically been the used car industry that generates the most inquiries to the Consumer Council. It was like that last year. In 2023, the Consumer Council received 4,594 inquiries about used cars from Norwegian consumers.

There is almost twice as much second place that applies to rent.

New laws

The hope now is that the new rules will lead to fewer inquiries. On January 1, changes to the Consumer Purchasing Act came into effect, and one of the changes is that merchants can no longer take public reservations when selling to consumers.

In practice, the new rules mean that from the New Year the car cannot be sold “as is” or with similar reservations. If the car has known defects, the seller must provide specific information about these defects, and you must accept it explicitly and specifically, says Inger-Lise Blèverket, director of the Consumer Council.

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Read also: More arguments the older the car

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Recommend case report

When signing a purchase agreement, it is especially important to read it carefully before signing. If there is something discrepant or if there is something you are not sure about, you should ask the seller before putting your name on the contract.

– Cars sold privately may, for example, be sold “as is” or with similar reservations. I recommend getting a condition report before purchasing a used car that is a few years old. For electric cars, testing the battery's health can be a smart investment before purchasing, says Bleverket, who recommends entering into a special contract with the Consumer Council for used-car sales.

The article was first published by broom.