Not upheld: mis-selling / misrepresentation regarding vehicle mileage complaint against Lendable Ltd trading as Autolend

Decision detail

Summary

Mr B purchased a used car via hire purchase from Autolend in March 2022, presented as having 19,900 miles. In January 2026, he discovered MOT records from 2021 showing the car had over 95,000 miles, leading him to believe the odometer had been tampered with (clocked). Autolend rejected his complaint, attributing the discrepancy to possible mis-keying. The ombudsman found the MOT discrepancies concerning but insufficient to prove misrepresentation without additional corroborating evidence. Despite the complainant's provision of repair quotes and claims of premature wear, the ombudsman concluded these did not prove altered mileage and could be explained by lack of proper servicing. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman acknowledged the MOT discrepancies were concerning but found they did not prove misrepresentation without further corroborating evidence. The ombudsman noted that mileage discrepancies on MOT records are frequently the result of mis-keying errors rather than deliberate odometer tampering. The repair quotes provided did not prove altered mileage, as the car's lack of proper servicing could explain premature component failure. The ombudsman emphasized that the MOT history was publicly available and the consumer could have checked it before purchase.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website