A used vehicle seller from Andalusia will be judged in the Valladolid Court for allegedly defrauding a customer in the sale of a Mercedes car. The accused is being pointed out for appraising the vehicle at almost 7,500 euros and hiding supposed defects that required repairs worth nearly 12,000 euros.
The Prosecutor's Office is requesting three years of imprisonment for Sergio del R.M for a crime of fraud, another of attempted procedural fraud, and a crime of falsification in a private document. Additionally, a fine of 1,200 euros is demanded. The public prosecution is also requesting the annulment of the sales contract, the return of the money paid by the affected party (7,400 euros), and the delivery of the vehicle to the dealership in Utrera, Seville.
In case the annulment does not proceed, the Prosecutor's Office suggests that the seller, with subsidiary civil liability of the company, pays the buyer the nearly 12,000 euros needed for repairs. It is also requested that both parties compensate the affected party with 20,604 euros, including expenses for the repair estimate, the tow truck used, and damages for not being able to use the vehicle.
The sale of the Mercedes took place through an advertisement on a web portal in November 2021. The buyer, a resident of Valladolid, agreed on a price of 7,200 euros and made a transfer of 500 euros as a deposit. When picking up the car in Utrera, he discovered numerous defects, problems starting it, and difficulties in the gearbox, which prevented him from going beyond first gear on the way back.
Despite trying to rescind the agreement, the seller refused and even sent a mechanic to start the car. Upon arriving in Valladolid, the buyer took the vehicle to a Mercedes Benz workshop, where serious faults were confirmed that required repairs estimated at nearly 12,000 euros. The Prosecutor's Office also accuses the seller of having made modifications to the sales contract in an attempt to evade responsibilities.