An employee at a car dealership in Blackburn has received a police caution for selling vehicles belonging to his company.
David Buck sold two Mercedes and a Volkswagen owned by Mercedes Group without the knowledge of his employer. A stock check uncovered that the three vehicles, worth £21,000 collectively, had gone missing - it was later discovered that Mr Buck had sold them through local dealerships and by advertising them online.
For any car dealership or garage, protecting the stock of vehicles that they are selling or repairing is of paramount importance. A motor trade insurance policy is designed to do just that; it will provide financial cover for the value of the vehicles stored at a premises in case they are stolen or damaged. However, it might not cover an employee going rogue and selling off cars without the business owner's permission.
Mr Buck sold three of the cars, complete with all their paperwork, to Andrew Long. Mr Long told police that he was given the impression that Mercedes Group were aware of what the seller was doing.
According to the Lancashire Telegraph, Gareth Price said in defending his client that Mr Buck had only worked for Mercedes Group for few months and his duties had included moving cars to a compound prior to them being sold on.
Mr Price added: “The offence was very unsophisticated. He simply didn’t deliver them and then sold them on himself. This was motivated by my client’s own financial difficulties which are significant.”
The money that Mr Buck earned for the cars has since been returned to its rightful owner while the defendant was given a police caution.