Trade Centre Wales
Encyclopedia
The Trade Centre Wales is a used car sales company located in Neath
, Wales
just off the M4
. The claim that they are the suppliers of 'Probably the UKs Cheapest Cars'.
However, these were reduced to three after the company entered guilty pleas on the morning of the trial.
Iwan Davies, prosecuting on behalf of the council, said the offences came to light after a customer received a Ford Ka as a courtesy car on May 20 last year.
"While driving and stopping on the A48, he examined the tyres and noticed the front tyre was defective," said Mr Davies.
He said the tyre was later examined by an authorised inspector who found it to be below the minimum tread of 1.6mm, and had ply cords which were exposed.
Mr Davies said trading standards then called at the Trade Centre Wales business park in Neath Abbey on June 3 following a complaint about the bald tyre on the courtesy car.
He said officers noticed two cars, a Kia Picanto and a Ford Focus, for sale on the forecourt which also had tyres below the minimum tread.
Mr Davies also told the court one of the staff members at Trade Centre Wales discovered after visiting a dealer about the tyre issue, that they had been measuring them incorrectly.
"They did not realise they had to measure on each side," said Mr Davies.
He told the court that the company had no previous offences.
Anthony Vines, defending, said the problem with the courtesy car was down to a "system error".
He said the system at the time the car went out was "not as robust" as it is now.
However, district judge Richard Williams said the problem with the tyre was self-evident.
He told the court: "Quite frankly, from the picture I have of the vehicle, as opposed to any technical training, one need only be awake [to see it]."
Referring to the two cars on the forecourt, Mr Vines said they would not have been sold in the condition that trading standards found them in.
He said company policy was not to allow customers to test drive or take a car away on the same day.
He told the court that the company takes customer care very seriously.
For the offence of supplying a Ford Ka in an unroadworthy condition, the company was fined the maximum penalty of £5,000.
However, this was reduced by £500 because of the company's guilty plea.
Judge Williams said this car was used by a consumer "in a condition where it was foreseeable that one or both front tyres might have failed during that journey causing serious consequences".
For the other two offences of possessing cars in an unroadworthy condition, the company was fined £2,250 with credit given for the guilty pleas.
In addition, Trade Centre Wales was ordered to pay costs of £1,332.50 and a victim surcharge of £15.
and Bridge FM
. The adverts are recorded by Mike Doyle
and feature fictional characters including 'Trevor' and 'Mario from Maesteg
'. One advert featured the fictional character Trevor (voiced by Doyle
) repeatedly singing the lyrics "Cars for a pound" over the tune of William Tell. Their adverts have a comedy feel to them. At the end of each advert a jingle is played, with the lyrics 'Trade Centre Wales, We've got the car for you' followed by Trevor saying 'Tell them Trevor sent you'. These advertisements won an award in the Commercial Radio Station Creative category at the annual Arqiva
Commercial Radio Awards. The voice of Trevor was created by Swansea Bay Radio
which helped to promote the company. The company had negative feedback about their advertisements at first, stating that people felt they were making fun of local accents.
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
just off the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
. The claim that they are the suppliers of 'Probably the UKs Cheapest Cars'.
£5k Fine, Bald Tyre - Court Proceeding
The company had originally been set to stand trial after denying a total of 12 charges brought by the council.However, these were reduced to three after the company entered guilty pleas on the morning of the trial.
Iwan Davies, prosecuting on behalf of the council, said the offences came to light after a customer received a Ford Ka as a courtesy car on May 20 last year.
"While driving and stopping on the A48, he examined the tyres and noticed the front tyre was defective," said Mr Davies.
He said the tyre was later examined by an authorised inspector who found it to be below the minimum tread of 1.6mm, and had ply cords which were exposed.
Mr Davies said trading standards then called at the Trade Centre Wales business park in Neath Abbey on June 3 following a complaint about the bald tyre on the courtesy car.
He said officers noticed two cars, a Kia Picanto and a Ford Focus, for sale on the forecourt which also had tyres below the minimum tread.
Mr Davies also told the court one of the staff members at Trade Centre Wales discovered after visiting a dealer about the tyre issue, that they had been measuring them incorrectly.
"They did not realise they had to measure on each side," said Mr Davies.
He told the court that the company had no previous offences.
Anthony Vines, defending, said the problem with the courtesy car was down to a "system error".
He said the system at the time the car went out was "not as robust" as it is now.
However, district judge Richard Williams said the problem with the tyre was self-evident.
He told the court: "Quite frankly, from the picture I have of the vehicle, as opposed to any technical training, one need only be awake [to see it]."
Referring to the two cars on the forecourt, Mr Vines said they would not have been sold in the condition that trading standards found them in.
He said company policy was not to allow customers to test drive or take a car away on the same day.
He told the court that the company takes customer care very seriously.
For the offence of supplying a Ford Ka in an unroadworthy condition, the company was fined the maximum penalty of £5,000.
However, this was reduced by £500 because of the company's guilty plea.
Judge Williams said this car was used by a consumer "in a condition where it was foreseeable that one or both front tyres might have failed during that journey causing serious consequences".
For the other two offences of possessing cars in an unroadworthy condition, the company was fined £2,250 with credit given for the guilty pleas.
In addition, Trade Centre Wales was ordered to pay costs of £1,332.50 and a victim surcharge of £15.
Advertising
The company are well known around South Wales for their adverts heard on Bay Radio, The Wave, Real RadioReal Radio (Wales)
Real Radio Wales is a Regional Radio station owned and operated by GMG Radio and forming part of the Real Radio network. The station broadcasts from studios at Morganstown in Cardiff on various FM frequencies, DAB via the MXR Severn Estuary multiplex and across the UK on digital satellite TV...
and Bridge FM
106.3 Bridge FM
Bridge FM is the local commercial radio station broadcasting in south Wales' Bridgend County Borough and the surrounding areas on a frequency of 106.3 MHz....
. The adverts are recorded by Mike Doyle
Mike Doyle (comedian)
Mike Doyle is a Welsh comedian, vocalist and broadcaster born in Carmarthen, but he is now based in Bridgend. Doyle made his debut television back in 1988, winning the BBC's Opportunity Knocks....
and feature fictional characters including 'Trevor' and 'Mario from Maesteg
Maesteg
Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000....
'. One advert featured the fictional character Trevor (voiced by Doyle
Mike Doyle (comedian)
Mike Doyle is a Welsh comedian, vocalist and broadcaster born in Carmarthen, but he is now based in Bridgend. Doyle made his debut television back in 1988, winning the BBC's Opportunity Knocks....
) repeatedly singing the lyrics "Cars for a pound" over the tune of William Tell. Their adverts have a comedy feel to them. At the end of each advert a jingle is played, with the lyrics 'Trade Centre Wales, We've got the car for you' followed by Trevor saying 'Tell them Trevor sent you'. These advertisements won an award in the Commercial Radio Station Creative category at the annual Arqiva
Arqiva
Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless...
Commercial Radio Awards. The voice of Trevor was created by Swansea Bay Radio
Swansea Bay Radio
Bay Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting in Swansea and South West Wales. The station launched as Swansea Bay Radio on 5 November 2006 with Take That's Back for Good as the first song played....
which helped to promote the company. The company had negative feedback about their advertisements at first, stating that people felt they were making fun of local accents.