- We Buy Cars will refund R3 419 971.83 to 31 affected consumers and pay an administrative fine of R2.5 million.
- The company will revise sale agreements to align with the Consumer Protection Act and implement a Consumer Awareness Programme.
- We Buy Cars will create 300 job opportunities over five years to strengthen customer service and protect consumers.
We Buy Cars (Pty) Ltd has been slammed for failing to honour warranties and provide remedies promised in sale agreements. Over the past three years, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) received complaints from consumers who were denied remedies under signed agreements.
The NCC formed a reasonable suspicion that We Buy Cars’ terms and conditions, particularly relating to warranties and terms of sale, contravened several provisions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). Investigations confirmed that the terms and conditions of the sale agreements indeed contravened the CPA.
Following constructive engagement, the NCC and We Buy Cars reached a settlement agreement, which the NCC referred to the National Consumer Tribunal on 3 December 2025.
After due consideration, the Tribunal confirmed the settlement on 19 December 2025, making it a consent order in terms of Section 74(1) of the CPA.
Redress, fines, and compliance measures
Under the settlement, We Buy Cars will pay an administrative fine of R2 500 000 and refund R3 419 971,83 to 31 affected consumers.
The company will also revise its terms and conditions to align fully with the CPA. We Buy Cars has committed to a Consumer Awareness Programme to educate buyers about purchasing pre-owned motor vehicles, consumers’ rights and obligations, and suppliers’ rights and obligations under the CPA.
In addition, We Buy Cars will create 300 job opportunities at various levels across the company over a period of five years, above the current planned employment, to enhance customer service capacity and overall consumer experience.
NCC response
Acting NCC Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu welcomed the Tribunal’s consent order, stating, “This settlement concludes investigations against We Buy Cars on contraventions of the CPA.
“We Buy Cars, among other commitments, has agreed to review and amend terms and conditions to ensure full compliance with the CPA, a measure that will ensure consumer rights are fully protected. Consumers that were affected by the conduct will, as part of this settlement, receive redress.”
The Tribunal’s confirmation ensures that affected consumers will now receive remedies they were previously denied and that We Buy Cars’ terms and conditions will comply with the law, providing stronger protection for future buyers.
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