The Consumers’ Foundation said yesterday that large discrepancies exist among sellers of used cars, ranging from the types of vehicle safety tests conducted to misleading advertisements on warranties, calling for the enforcement of standard contracts to better regulate the market.
The consumer rights watchdog said that three out of every four cars sold in the country is a used car, but because pricing and product information is not transparent, many consumer disputes arise when used cars are purchased.
Last month, the foundation conducted a survey of six used car dealerships and asked them questions about safety testing and certification and found that large differences exist between sellers, and that it was difficult for consumers to make informed decisions when it came to buying second-hand cars.
For example, certain dealers check 11 items when performing safety tests on the engine system, while others performed up to 26 tests, said Hwang Yu-sheng (黃鈺生), secretary general of the foundation.
Road tests on vehicles could also range from checking only five items to as many as 15, he said.
Other tests and certification systems on transmission and directional control mechanisms also showed wide variations between dealers.
Different dealerships also vary widely on their policies for providing warranties, making it difficult for consumers to shop around and make comparisons among dealers to get the best deal, he said.
The foundation said that although the Consumer Protection Commission has introduced a standard contract for buyers and sellers of used cars, the standard contract is not mandatory and therefore has not had much effect.
The standard contract includes important terms and conditions that are sometimes neglected, such as clauses on a three-day review period of the contract and the amount of mileage accumulated on the vehicle.
The foundation called on the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the government agency that supervises sellers of used motor vehicles, to make the terms and conditions included in the standard contract mandatory, so as to provide better protection for inexperienced consumers of used vehicles.
Taiwan yesterday expelled four China Coast Guard vessels that entered Taiwan-controlled restricted waters off Lienchiang County (Matsu) shortly after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced the start of its “Joint Sword-2024B” drills around Taiwan. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a statement that it had detected two China Coast Guard ships west of Nangan Island (南竿) and another two north of Dongyin Island (東引) at 8am yesterday. After Chinese ships sailed into restricted waters off Matsu shortly afterward, the CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch deployed four patrol vessels to shadow and approach the vessels, it said. The incidents pushed up to 44 the number
Renovations on the B3 concourse of Taipei Main Station are to begin on Nov. 1, with travelers advised to use entrances near the Taiwan Railway or high-speed rail platforms or information counter to access the MRT’s Red Line. Construction is to be completed before the end of next year, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said last week. To reduce the impact on travelers, the NT$95 million (US$2.95 million) project is to be completed in four stages, it said. In the first stage, the hall leading to the Blue Line near the art exhibition area is to be closed from Nov. 1 to the end
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
The government has issued a deportation order for a Spanish fugitive, ordering him to leave the country within 10 days, as he is wanted by European authorities for allegedly operating a car rental scam. National Immigration Agency (NIA) officials yesterday said Salvador Alejandro Llinas Onate, 48, had been notified that he must leave Taiwan, as he was wanted for committing serious crimes. The Spaniard has been indicted by Italian prosecutors for allegedly leading a 30 million euros (US$32.74 million) car rental scam and setting up a fraudulent company in Trento, Italy. The deportation order is based on Article 18 of
RSS