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Used car dealer forced to give refund

Companies that sell used cars can be forced to return money to customers who discover hidden defects in their vehicles after purchasing them.

The Defensoría de Oficio de la Autoridad de Protección al Consumidor y Defensa de la Competencia (ACODECO) reported one recent case in which the secondhand car dealer Grupo Platinium Center refunded $2,700 to a customer. The dealer did not honor its own guarantee or make reasonable reparations willingly, however. It offered the refund only after the customer told ACODECO that hidden damages and mechanical defects prevented normal use of her car.