Checks on 26 car retailers from 23 January to 3 February revealed issues with pricing transparency, according to the Ministry for Consumer Protection.

On Friday the Ministry issued a statement confirming that checks had been carried out on 26 car distributors carrying 30 different brands between 23 January and 3 February 2023. A number of infractions were found during these checks.

The most common infraction was failure to display the establishment's authorisation paperwork. Some retailers were caught displaying labour tariffs without VAT, while others showed discrepancies between the pricing on their website and in their showroom.

Others failed to display prices for accessories such as tyres or oil. A number of retailers tried to apply VAT rates of 17% instead of 16%.

The Ministry added that the majority of traders were compliant with the correct procedures; however, 6 of the 26 retailers will be subjected to further checks by ministry officials and the police.