Dear Claudienne:
In August 2004, I purchased a 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer (Cedia) from Jay's Automotive Limited. The performance of this car so far is OK. However, I am at a stage where I need to inform myself about the dos and don'ts of this car.

I requested a manual from the manager since none was given to me at the time of purchase, but he seemed surprised and annoyed. He believes that the manual is not a big deal and despite my request I have not been provided with one.

This leaves me no choice but to purchase a manual which I should not have to do. Please see what you can do to help me to obtain a manual from the used car dealer.
Rodney

Dear Rodney:
The Bureau of Standards informed Tell Claudienne that you were entitled to a manual or a photocopy of the original, at the time you purchased the motor car.

For the company not to have provided you with one is a breach of the Standards Act. Under this Act, used car dealers must provide each purchaser of a vehicle with a manual written in English.

The Ministry of Commerce Science and Technology developed a motor vehicle import policy consultation with the Fair Trading Commission and the Motor Dealers Association.

This policy was tabled in Parliament as a ministry paper. Among the matters discussed in that policy document are the age of vehicles that are allowed to be imported into Jamaica, what warranty should be provided and a mandatory requirement for the provision of maintenance manuals in English. Such manuals must be available at the time of purchase and should be supplied at no additional cost to the purchaser.

But even before this ministry paper was prepared, the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) had received complaints from consumers who bought cars with manuals written in Japanese. The bureau then held a meeting with the Used Car Dealers Association and advised them that manuals in Japanese had to be translated into English.

The Used Car Dealers Association Secretariat told Tell Claudienne that the Standards Act also empowers the bureau to order any dealer in breach of the Act to have in stock a manual in English for every car in the used car lot.

If the dealer does not comply, the bureau can shut the gate of the business until the company is able to show the bureau a manual for each vehicle.

After our intervention, Jay's telephoned Tell Claudienne on Monday to advise that Rodney could collect his manual.
We note that he has since done so.

Trousers in Denim

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