Banned trader selling cars

A dealer banned from selling cars until 2021, according to the Motor Vehicle Traders’ Register, has allegedly been listing vehicles on Facebook.

Antony Solen Basturkmen, who has legally changed his name to Brent Smith but still goes by Basturkmen, was the owner of now-defunct Motor Me. The

Auckland dealership was taken to the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal (MVDT) on numerous occasions.  
Motor Me, which operated from Church Street in Onehunga, was issued a warning by the Commerce Commission in January 2018 for likely misleading consumers. It was subsequently banned by Trading Standards and Trade Me.

Smith’s former customers are furious he appears to be selling cheap vehicles on Facebook’s marketplace using his personal Facebook account under Antony Basturkmen.

The cars are a 1999 Toyota Vitz Tidy for $1,895, a 1996 Nissan Terrano priced at $2,950 and a 1992 Toyota Estima for $1,950.

Euna Go was sold a noisy, smoking car by Smith, reports Stuff. She and several other buyers tried to get their money back, but Smith failed to appear at the MVDT when applications were filed against Motor Me. She says she is now waiting for Smith to appear at Auckland District Court in May for a financial assessment hearing. 

Olivia Mills and Adam Fursdon, of Blenheim, claim Motor Me caused them to lose confidence in car dealers. Mills has asked Facebook groups to remove listings posted by Smith under Basturkmen.

Smith and his wife Alexis are listed as directors of No Reserve Cars, which traded as Motor Me. No Reserve Cars also had cases heard at by the MVDT from 2012-15, which the trader lost.

Click here for Stuff’s article and video.