Bahraini Man Wins Lawsuit After Buying a "2010" Caravan That Turned Out to Be a 1996 Model

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini man has successfully won a lawsuit against a seller who misrepresented a caravan as a 2010 model when it was actually a 1996 model. The High Civil Court ruled in favour of the buyer, ordering the seller to reimburse the purchase price of 5,105 Bahraini dinars, including the cost of repairs, as well as court fees and legal expenses.

The buyer, represented by lawyer Riyadh Al Sindi, discovered the discrepancy after purchasing the caravan for 5,000 dinars from a seller who advertised it on Instagram. The seller had initially refused to allow the buyer to have the caravan inspected by a dealership.

After the purchase, the buyer took the caravan to a garage, where he was informed that it was actually a 1996 model with damaged parts and no available spare parts from the manufacturer. He had already paid 1,000 dinars through Benefit and the remaining amount the following day. He had also incurred 88 dinars in repair costs.

The buyer filed a lawsuit against both the original owner of the caravan and the seller who advertised it on Instagram, seeking reimbursement for the purchase price and repair costs. He presented evidence including the transfer of funds, the vehicle registration certificate, which falsely indicated a 2010 model, and a copy of the vehicle's chassis number, which had been altered.

The court appointed an expert who confirmed that the caravan was manufactured in 1996 and that its market value was no more than 1,800 Dinars. The expert's report also revealed that the caravan's ownership had been transferred several times within a short period.

The court ruled that the buyer had entered into the contract based on the seller's representation and that the seller had failed to disclose the true condition and model year of the caravan. The court found that the seller had sold a product that did not meet the agreed-upon specifications, and that the buyer had not been aware of the discrepancies at the time of purchase.