A Fulham Gardens man who wound back the odometer on four cars he bought at
auction to reap tens of thousands of dollars in profits has been handed a suspended
sentence and fined just over $10,000.

In action taken by Consumer and Business Services, 39-year-old Andrew Nanku
Prasad of Fulham Gardens pleaded guilty to one count of deception, as well as
offences under the Second Hand Vehicle Dealers Act and the Australian Consumer
Law.

The Port Adelaide Magistrates Court was told that Prasad – who was selling used
cars without a licence - bought cars at auction and wound the odometers back – in
some instances wiping hundreds of thousands of kilometres off their usage - before
selling the cars for a significant profit.

In one instance, he bought a Holden Caprice with an odometer reading of 280,335
kilometres for just under $12,500, winding back the odometer to around 65,000
kilometres and offering it for sale at $35,500.

In another, he wound back the odometer on a Holden Calais he bought for $11,646
from nearly 306,000 kilometres to 29,000 kilometres, selling it for $30,000.

Prasad was fined $10,450 - including $4,200 for odometer tampering, $4,200 for
making false and misleading statements, and $2450 for unlicensed dealing – and
ordered to pay compensation of $8,781.09 to cover the costs of repairs to one
vehicle.

He was sentenced to five months and 19 days in prison, suspended on condition that
he enter into a 12-month good behaviour bond.

Acting Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Fraser Stroud said,

"Odometer tampering is highly difficult to detect, and poses a real risk to consumers.

He added, "In this case, the business that bought the Holden Calais only discovered it needed
significant repairs after taking receipt of the vehicle, as both the tyres and the
windscreen were not roadworthy.

"Nearly $9,000 in repairs were needed for the car to be useable."