A Peterborough used car dealer has been jailed for eight months following repeated breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) intended to safeguard consumers.
Shaffarat Parvez, 37, formerly of Cromwell Road, Peterborough, was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court after being found guilty in November of violating the terms of the order, which was originally imposed in 2020 after a successful prosecution by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards.
Parvez, who operated under various business names including Carzona and Haxton Car Group from premises in Fengate, was required by the order to address customer complaints promptly, maintain accurate records of all complaints and actions taken, and ensure that his staff were appropriately trained.
A Peterborough used car dealer has been jailed for eight months following repeated breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) intended to safeguard consumers.
Shaffarat Parvez, 37, formerly of Cromwell Road, Peterborough, was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court after being found guilty in November of violating the terms of the order, which was originally imposed in 2020 after a successful prosecution by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards.
Parvez, who operated under various business names including Carzona and Haxton Car Group from premises in Fengate, was required by the order to address customer complaints promptly, maintain accurate records of all complaints and actions taken, and ensure that his staff were appropriately trained.
Despite this, authorities continued to receive reports of customers experiencing serious issues with cars shortly after purchase and struggling to obtain repairs or refunds.
His Honour Judge Lowe, handing down the sentence, said: “Parvez did not simply behave in the way he did in breach of a suspended sentence. He did so in relation to 12 separate individual consumers.
“He did so over a period of over a year. He did so having tried to hide what he was doing behind multiple entities and identities. And in my judgment, this is one of those relatively rare cases where a short sentence should be immediate to properly reflect the seriousness of what this defendant has done.”
Cllr Alison Jones at Peterborough City Council, welcomed the verdict: “”The sentence imposed by Cambridge Crown Court sends a strong message to the car sector that they cannot ride rough-shod over consumer rights in Peterborough.
“For many people, the purchase of a car is the biggest financial outlay they ever make, and it is imperative that appropriate redress is provided when the customer is entitled to it by law.
“We are lucky enough to have some very reputable car traders in Peterborough and I would urge all residents to do their research when it comes to finding a car trader they can trust.”
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