As part of VACC’s long-standing strategy to direct car buyers away from the private-to-private market and have them purchase their used vehicles from a Licensed Motor Car Trader (LMCT), Courtney Youngman – Vice Chair of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) Used Car Traders Division (UCTD) Executive Committee – hit the airwaves with 774 ABC Drive Show, hosted by Ali Moore, for Victorians to hear why they should purchase from a LMCT.
Right now, the Victorian private-to-private market has 62 per cent of the Victorian used car sales market. That means a lot of vehicle purchasers buy lots of cars with no right of legal remedy when things go wrong.
Courtney provides a great example of how VACC UCTD member LMCTs deal with consumer issues involving a used car, large or small. The answer is not to always litigate. Consumers have rights, but so do LMCTs.
Courtney also discusses consumers’ obligations to provide LMCTs with realistic opportunities to fix an issue before clogging up VCAT.
VACC sees many cases go to VCAT or the LMCT Fund because consumers get advice from the wrong people. When consumers receive inadequate advice, it affects the ability of those most vulnerable to access justice for genuine issues.
That’s why VACC calls on the Victorian State Government in its 2024-25 Victorian State Budget to reroute LMCT residual annual licensing fees to VACC. This will enable the Chamber to set up a Special Consumer Unit using its vast know-how, technical capabilities and solid relationships to help the most vulnerable consumers and industry arrive at realistic outcomes instead of waiting on an overloaded VCAT.
It costs the government nothing but helps Victorian consumers and LMCTs who may be in dispute, and takes pressure off VCAT. Now that’s smart use of government resources.
Listen to Courtney’s radio interview here