Rogue car dealer given suspended prison sentence in Milton Keynes

Dariusz Pipcyznski clocked up almost £190,000 in fraudulent activities and has been punished with a suspended sentence and 200 hours of unpaid work.

The prosecution followed a successful investigation by MK Council's Trading Standards Officers.

Pipcyznski, whopleaded guilty to the offences under the Fraud Act 2006, used false identities and failed to declare he was a valid trader, Aylesbury Crown Court heard.

"By failing to declare himself as a car trader, anybody who purchased a car from Pipcyznski wouldn’t have been aware that they would have been entitled to claim for a repair or refund under their civil rights, had the car been found to be faulty," said a council spokesman.

Pipcyznski was given a 17-month prison sentence, suspended over two years. He was also ordered to pay pay £33,654 in proceeds of crime and £7,000 in legal costs.

Sue Crawley, Trading Standards Manager at MK Council said: “Pipcyznski duped customers into thinking that they were buying their car from private seller rather than a business."

She added: “Trading Standards seeks to protect the rights of consumers to ensure that they have the legal redress they are entitled. Hopefully this case will send a message to other traders who masquerade as private sellers that we will take robust enforcement action where necessary.”

If you want to know your civil rights in relation to a vehicle that you have purchased or any other products or services you have bought, you can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Direct on 0808 223 1133 or www.citizensadvice.org.uk.