A consumer filling his case at the Johor Baru Consumer Claims Tribunal at Menara Ansar in Johor Baru. — Filepic
JOHOR BARU: A second-hand car dealer was ordered to return RM1,500 of a RM2,000 booking fee to a customer who had changed his mind on buying a vehicle from them.Johor Baru Consumer Claims Tribunal president Rashidah Abu Bakar said the dealer should have at least returned the calls made by the customer to cancel the booking when he was not reachable earlier due to the long Chinese New Year holidays in January.
She ordered that the booking fee be refunded to the claimant within two weeks.
Food operator Muhamad Atiq Mohd Fauzy, 32, and his wife went to a used car dealer in Taman Molek, Johor Baru, on Jan 16 to book a five-year-old eight-seater reconditioned minivan.
“We needed a bigger vehicle for our growing family and the minivan seemed perfect for us,’’ he said when met outside the tribunal office in Menara Ansar.
He paid a RM2,000 booking fee that day and the salesman who attended to the couple promised the necessary documents would be processed within a week.
Muhamad Atiq said the salesman called him on Jan 20, informing him that there would be a delay in processing the documents as Chinese New Year was approaching. (The lunar new year was on Jan 22 and 23).
“I called the salesman many times on Jan 26 to cancel my booking but my calls went unanswered,’’ said the claimant.
He then decided to book a multi-purpose vehicle with a different used car dealer in Taman Kebun Teh, Johor Baru.
On Feb 4, Muhamad Atiq managed to speak with the earlier salesman to cancel his booking because the company had taken too long to process the documents.
“We went to the dealer on the same day to collect the deposit of RM2,000 but he refused to return the money, giving the reason that it would jeopardise the company’s business,’’ he said.
The claimant, who runs a nasi lemak stall in Jalan Rosmerah, Taman Johor Jaya, lodged a police report on Feb 5 as the dealer refused to return his money.
At the tribunal hearing, the respondent told Rashidah that it was the company’s policy not to return a customer’s booking fee.
“We already blocked the sale of the vehicle booked by the claimant and it is a normal practice among used car dealers to reserve a car booked by a customer for 10 days,’’ he said.
Rashidah said the least the respondent could have done was to return calls by the claimant, but in this case the call was only picked up on Feb 4.
The respondent said at the hearing that the company could not return the full sum of RM2,000, and would only pay the claimant RM1,000.
The claimant appealed to increase the amount to RM1,500 and the respondent agreed.
Those who need assistance with regard to tribunal matters, can call 07-2271755/1766.
