Case overview
An Oxfordshire used vehicle dealer, Grzegorz Seczkowski, 41, trading as GNA Car Sales, received an 18-month custodial sentence suspended for two years after being found guilty of fraudulent trading for “clocking” nearly new vans to inflate their value.
Sentencing and financial orders
- 18 months’ custody, suspended for two years.
- Compensation: £2,529 to affected customers.
- Costs: £5,000 toward Oxfordshire County Council’s investigation and prosecution expenses.
- Victim surcharge applied.
- GNA Car Sales Ltd fined £2,000 plus surcharge.
- Deprivation order for a seized, clocked van.
How the fraud worked
Trading standards officers found Seczkowski bought vans at auction and reduced their recorded mileage before selling them via AutoTrader and his forecourt. Six vans were identified as clocked, netting around £20,000 above their true value.
- All six vehicles were under three years old and had not reached their first MOT, a period with no government-held mileage record.
- Odometers were wound back to just above the most recent service-book entries, sometimes masking up to 22,000 extra miles.
- Aligned paperwork and dashboard readings made discrepancies harder to spot.
Why it matters
Vehicle clocking misleads buyers about condition, maintenance schedules, warranty thresholds and residual value, leading to unexpected repairs and higher operating costs—especially for vans relied upon for work. Officials said such practices damage confidence in the used market and harm legitimate traders.
Court and enforcement context
The suspended term leaves a custodial sentence in place should there be future offending. Compensation reimburses victims; cost orders offset public enforcement expense; the company fine addresses corporate responsibility; the deprivation order prevents a tampered van from re-entering the market.
Wider implications for retailers and buyers
The case highlights a compliance gap before the first MOT, when mileage isn’t centrally logged. Dealers are urged to conduct robust due diligence beyond service books, as manipulated histories can accompany rolled-back odometers, risking reputational damage and regulatory action.
Statements and next steps
Cllr Jenny Hannaby emphasized ongoing enforcement to protect consumers and the sector’s integrity. With sentencing complete, Seczkowski and GNA Car Sales Ltd must satisfy the court’s financial orders, and authorities will execute the deprivation order on the seized vehicle.
