A DISABLED man is angry and out of pocket after a Canvey car dealer refused to honour a warranty, ignored a court order, then ceased trading.

The Big Blue Car Company refused to fix his car, less than two months after he bought it from the firm’s Canvey showroom.

In July, a court ordered the company to pay John Oates a £2,821 in damages and compensation, but it failed to pay up. Another company is now trading from its former site on Charfleets Industrial Estate and says it has no idea what happened to Big Blue.

Mr Oates, 66, said he originally asked the company to sort out problems with the Land Rover Freelander’s head gasket and air conditioning, but the firm turned him down.

He ended up paying £321 for repairs, asked Big Blue to reimburse him and when it refused, contacted a solicitor.

His lawyer wrote to the company on June 25, threatening court action, but got no answer.

The case came before Romford County Court on July 22 and the court found in Mr Oates’s favour.

Nobody from the company showed up to contest the claim and the court ordered Big Blue to pay for the repair, plus £2,500 compensation.

However, Mr Oates has still not seen a penny and and has discovered the company is no longer trading on Charfleets. He said: “You don’t expect a vehicle to go wrong after 54 days. I had a three-month warranty, but the firm said it would not do the work.

“I feel disgusted the law means businesses can just shut down once they’ve made a handsome profit from you.

”I know the original bill was only £321, but it’s the principle of the thing.”

The Big Blue Car Company ceased trading in July and its premises were taken over by another firm. A salesman at the showroom said the two firms were not connected in any way.

Neither company is registered with Companies House, where all limited companies are required by law to lodge their details.

Mr Oates lives in Romford and bought the Freelander, after spotting it while visiting the nearby Camping and General store.

He said: “When you see the word ‘company’ you automatically think it’s registered. People need to be aware it’s not the case.

“I remember the Big Blue Car Company being there as far back as 1992, so I thought I was buying from a reputable company.”

* Have you been left out of pocket by the Big Blue Car Company, or do you know what became of it? Call Sarah Calkin on 01268 469435.