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We too have met the majority of these guys/dealers and can confirm they have the right intentions at heart. However, being a voice for the motor industry comes with a responsibility to ensure you do not put the very same people you wish to help at risk. Equally if you hold yourself as a judge as to, whether or not, prospective dealers are ‘law abiding and genuine’ then you yourselves have to adhere to the highest standards of integrity. Both questions that have been asked by forum members are very reasonable and should be straight forward to answer. This the IMDA have failed to do. These forum members, as ourselves, want to support the IMDA but they need to know the risk this may carry for their business before making an informed decision. As the IMDA have a commercial relationship with another law firm, we can only act for our members and, where they are being ignored or misled, then to ask these questions on their behalf.

Its a real shame, I was intrigued on the "Magnificent 7" being the voice.. But when you sell yourselves as the epitome of being "independent Motor Traders" you should act in that vein...

The internet killed regional auction price variations

May we congratulate the IMDA on their 'relaunch' of the Association. Free membership is attractive and tempting for any motor trader, but the devil is always in the detail. We believe the * is referring to the terms and conditions. CAVEAT EMPTOR - let the buyer beware The Association has chosen to adopt terms and conditions containing some pernicious terms to prevent members leaving after they joined ‘free’, and can subsequently impose, at will, any level of fees for the next years future membership. The terms and conditions, which are often found in umbrageous commercial contracts (they are illegal in consumer contracts) and limit termination of the contract to only those who write to terminate some 90 days before the end of the contract. Of course, at this time, if the members relationship is unused or of little value, this clause is often overlooked. You put the contract aside thinking that ‘it cost you nothing and you won’t bother to renew’. At the renewal date you then find that you are tied into a contract for a further year, while IMDA are free to increase the renewal amount as they choose - £1, £100, £1,000 or any other amount! These contracts are legal for ordinary commercial organisations but where an association holds itself out to be “non-profit making” and is allegedly passionate about the motor trade, then one has to ask, “Who benefits from the 90-day Clause?”. If the answer is ‘anyone’ except ‘the Motor Trade’, then the original claim in the advertisement of “Free Membership” may be considered misleading and is likely to deceive traders and effect their economic behaviour. Such advertisements are prohibited and constitute a criminal offence. We urge the IMDA to consider deleting those terms and conditions as a matter of urgency. Dear IDMA, In a previous post we asked you who owned Motortrade.me and questioned if there was any personal pecuniary advantage that would influence a prospective members decision to join. This question was not directly answered but we notice that the “benefit of the platform at a value of £420” has been downgraded from being a main benefit and is now referred to as “our very own IMDA platform in association with Motortrade.me”. From this development we can only assume that there is a personal pecuniary advantage to individuals within the association. If that is not the case, then now is the time to say so and answer the original question.