Adrian Brown and The Cheap Car Trade Centre
Earlier this year, Sarah and I spent my bonus pay on a second-hand car from The Cheap Car Trade Centre in Gloucester.
Sadly, they neglected to buy it a tax disc before I picked it up, so I couldn't drive it (other than the quick trip) home for a couple of weeks while the papers went through to make me the registered keeper. However, even on the trip home, the engine started to overheat, and the engine started to run badly; as the car had been stationary for a while, and had been almost entirely out of fuel, I was suspicious but it might have just been sludge from the fuel tank washing into the engine; I looked into the cooling system and found a syphon tube had become disconnected, so the engine could blow out excess coolant into the reservoir when the pressure was high, but could not suck coolant back in. Sure enough, although the reservoir was full, the cooling system was very low, so I flushed it out and filled it up after replacing the syphon hose.
All was well for a few days, but then it started overheating again. I was dropping Sarah off in Cheltenham at the time, so I stayed in the car park to let it cool down before heading home; however, it quickly overheated again, and again, and started to emit white smoke from the exhaust, and steam from under the bonnet. I pulled in another car park, and rang the RAC, who came and told me the head gasket was leaking badly.
So I rang the warranty company, who said that head gasket failure wasn't covered. So I rang The Cheap Car Trade Centre and explained the problem, but they disavowed any responsibility, so I informed them that the Sale of Goods Act made them responsible for the goods they sell being fit for the advertised purpose, which includes a reasonable life expectancy, even if they are second-hand; and this car was sold to me as "ready to drive". They told me I'd have to take them to court in that case.
So I sent them the required two warning letters, then tried to take them to court. This was hampered somewhat by them refusing to say who owned the business, which is an obligation under the Business Names Act, so I rang Gloucester Trading Standards, who pointed me at:
Office of Fair Trading Investigation into The Cheap Car Trade Centre
Which led to:
Formal Undertaking against Adrian Brown, Sole Director, Adrian Brown Limited
So Adrian Brown was the man behind the business, using his limited company, Adrian Brown Ltd, company number 04831719, which is registered as being at The Cheap Car Trade Centre's premises.
A look on the Companies House web site reveals:
REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 16/09/09 FROM: SUNNYLEA ASH LANE DOWN HATHERLEY GLOUCESTER GL2 9PS
...that's five days after his "formal undertaking" with the OFT. I suspect he changed it from his home address to his premises to divert unwanted attention at home. However, Companies House remembers all. I wonder if he still lives there. I would discourage my loyal readers from jumping to the conclusion that he does and inundating the address with junk mail or any other forms of harassment, in case he doesn't.
Anyway, knowing who to sue, I proceeded to activate the county court system.
They answered my claim with a defence (stating that it must have been me driving the car while overheating that broke the head gasket), so I was waiting for a date for the hearing when I received my last letter to them returned unopened, with "THE LTD CO THAT TRADED AS 'THE CHEAP CAR TRADE CTR' HAS CEASED TRADING AND IS INSOLVENT WITH NO ASSETS, AND HAS VACATED 333 BRISTOL RD GLOUCESTER".
I got back in touch with the Trading Standards folks, who said that they knew the company was closing, but that this action was suspended as there were county court cases in progress, so my case would probably still proceed, even though I might never be able to extract any money if the company was truly insolvent.
However, I'm still going to try. Limited companies protect their shareholders and directors by limiting their liability; the company is sued, not the people. But there's a limit to the limit. If a director can be shown to have acted fraudulently or incompetently, then they can be personally liable.
It looks like I won't get my money back, which will leave us carless until I get another bonus or something - but I'm hoping that, perhaps, the courts might find Adrian Brown personally liable. Given the involvement of the Office of Fair Trading and Trading Standards, it would appear that I'm not alone in having suffered from his business practices (the OFT judgement explicitly mentions him attempting to avoid the Sale of Goods and Business Names acts).
After all, I have little choice but to pursue this - I am scraping by with buses (which run once an hour, and don't run at all after about 5pm), being bankrupted by taxis, and begging lifts from people. This is seriously hampering my ability to live my life.
Wed 7th Jul 2010 10:19 am 
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By Clare N, Wed 7th Jul 2010 @ 12:16 pm
Would a call to the BBC's Watchdog programme help at all? http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/
By Cait, Wed 7th Jul 2010 @ 1:07 pm
Ugh. I wish I could help, it's such a nightmare.
What it does suggest though is that second hand car dealers should be looked in to before purchases. It's such a huge undertaking, buying a car but a bit like buying a property, you're only going to come in to contact with a car dealer once every 5 years or something. the chances of you getting ripped off royally are exaggerated out of all proportion compared to, say, you buying a second hand hoover from an electrics shop.
But we're such a trusting lot. Why would we do due diligence on a company which looks legit? Well.... we'd do due diligence for our companies, so we should really do it for ourselves with even more diligence!
A lesson sadly learned. But good on you for keeping going. It's a matter of principle. McK did the same when he was ripped off by his agent. She pleaded poverty and inability to pay. He proceeded anyway, not knowing if he would be paid, purely so he could state clearly and publicly that she'd ripped him off (to save other actors from the same fate).
By Tom, Sat 10th Jul 2010 @ 12:51 pm
That sucks. Yeah, maybe this guy was honestly struggling to stay afloat like you and the rest of us... but it sounds like he did it by ripping off his customers. Unfortunately there are a lot of businesses like that, of all sizes. I believe we should all do our part to make life miserable for them. You may not get your money back, but revenge would be nice!
By Mark, Sat 17th Jul 2010 @ 2:14 pm
Hi,
I also bought a dodgy car from them in Oct 2008. I took Adrian Brown to court and won but am yet to recieve payment. The bailiffs have also been to 333 Bristol Road and Sunny Lea but to no avail.
Do you know his home address?
Would be great if you could contact me, as we could help one another?
Please note the bailiffs went there within the past 5 days.
By John, Sun 25th Jul 2010 @ 4:41 pm
Hi. I bought a car from Adrian Brown, the biggest fraud and con artist in the car trade. I've been chasing him for 18 months trying to get my money back. I too have obtained a court judgement but he somehow managed to lie his way out of paying it. Even if I get my money back I won't stop until he is ruined for all the times he has conned innocent people out of their hard earned money. If I can help anyone I will.
By John, Sun 25th Jul 2010 @ 9:32 pm
Hi. I've added 2 postings here regarding Adrain Brown but they're now gone. Have they been removed?
By John, Sun 25th Jul 2010 @ 9:34 pm
Ok I've found it now. Don't know why it wasn't showing before. Sorry.
By sarah, Tue 27th Jul 2010 @ 3:58 pm
Sorry we've been a bit busy so didn't check pending comments as much as we should have done - however, I approved your comment ages ago so am not sure why your subsequent ones hadn't gone through? I may need to tweek the blog settings a bit.
By John, Tue 27th Jul 2010 @ 8:16 pm
Hi. Thanks for replying. I'm still trying to track him down. I contacted Company House to register an objection to Adrian Brown Ltd being dissolved and that's in place until 26th September. I plan to keep doing this for as long as it takes for the net to close in around him. He also lied to me and the court about Adrian Brown Ltd being insolvent, no longer trading and having no assets. I think everyone knows that he either sold or kept the stock from Bristol Road and is lying low until we give up. The thing is I'm never going to stop until he pays. I'll keep you posted as and when. Thanks.
By erica, Wed 25th Aug 2010 @ 3:13 pm
i also brought a car from this conman mine lasted four weeks before the head gasket went and the gear box and guess what the warranty i was told would cover this did not so the long and short of it is i also took adrian brown to court that was in may this year and you guessed ithe did not pay me either so i called in the bailiffs on the day they were due to vist he appled to the court to change the name on my judement so we had a hearing three weeks later my judement is just for the chaep car trade center not with adrian brown ltd attached not only did he not turn up he also lost again so i went back to the bailiffs only to be told he had stopped trading very clever of him this man has run rings around the court and all of us by the way no one mentions the cheap car trade center he owns in worstershire im not cluded up enough to find out but if that is still trading we can send the bailiffs there i hope to hear your comments soon because i will stop at nothing to get my money off this conman the only ones who have got any money out of this is the courts and adrian brown .
By John, Tue 7th Sep 2010 @ 8:14 pm
Hi Erica. It appears that the list of people Mr Brown has conned and lied to is increasing all the time. I dread to think exactly how many innocent people he has ripped off over the last few years. There are probably a lot who haven't taken their claim any further and just given up. What I can't believe is how a judge - two in my case - can grant a judgement then the bailif never manages to collect. The scumbag is very experienced at ducking and diving. He's made a fool out of everyone, but like you I'm never going to give up. I'll let you know if I have any luck.