Banned motor vehicle trader sold 8 vehicles — fined $3,500
Former motor vehicle trader, Warwick Keith Nelson Taylor from Auckland, was convicted after the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) charged Mr Taylor with trading motor vehicles while he was banned from doing so.
MBIE’s investigation found that in the 8 months to 26 February 2021, Mr Taylor sold motor vehicles to unsuspecting buyers despite knowing he was banned. Mr Taylor pleaded guilty to the charge at Auckland District Court on 11 March 2025 and was ordered to pay a fine of $3,500.
In 2019, Mr Taylor was convicted on 4 charges of selling motor vehicles while being unregistered, which is an offence under the law.
The Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003 (MVSA) has certain provisions to protect the public when they purchase a motor vehicle. Consumers have better protection when they purchase a car from a registered motor trader, says Duncan Connor, the Registrar of Motor Vehicle Traders. Mr Connor says:
“MBIE will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those that deliberately breach the MVSA and I strongly encourage anyone considering purchasing a car to check whether the person or company they are purchasing from is a registered motor vehicle trader on the online register.
Buyers are at a greater risk purchasing from unregistered traders. If issues with their new vehicle become apparent, they may struggle to resolve their issue or secure a refund given they did not buy from a reputable source. Buying from an unregistered motor vehicle trader also means buyers are not able to settle any issues via the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal.”
If consumers or registered motor vehicle traders know of individuals acting unlawfully in the Motor Vehicle Traders industry by trading while unregistered or banned, they can make a difference by reporting their behaviour with our website complaint form at the link below.