The Authority for Consumer Protection and Competition Defense (Acodeco) in Panama reported that last year it handled a total of 162 complaints related to irregularities in the purchase of used motor vehicles, amounting to a total of B/.1,257,485.20. Among the economic agents with the most complaints were Autos Popular, S.A. (8), Autos Platinium (7), Level Up 360, S.A. (7), Sandi Autos, S.A. (6), and Autos Prity 507 (5). The list of companies with recurrent incidents is completed by Autos Gold, Car Point, S.A., Distribuidora de Motores, S.A., Mega Cars, Panama Car Rental, S.A., Plaza Car Center, and Santy Cars 507, each with 4 complaints. Acodeco reminded that, according to Law 45 of October 31, 2007, the entity's jurisdiction is limited to transactions with economic agents formally engaged in this activity and does not cover sales between individuals. The most common reason for complaints was the breach of warranty, with 99 cases totaling B/.795,072.57. Other relevant reasons included a lack of information (33 cases, B/.173,155.90), abusive clauses (13 files, B/.111,519.06), and hidden defects in 5 instances (B/.41,500.00). Acodeco administrator Ramón Abadi Balid stated that the purchase of used vehicles remains one of the commercial activities with the most conflicts, mainly due to the lack of clear information and the disregard for warranties. The regulations stipulate that the minimum warranty for a used vehicle must be six months or 15,000 kilometers (whichever comes first) and must be delivered in writing. To avoid issues, the authority advises buyers to seek advice from qualified mechanics, conduct test drives, verify the seller's physical address, and document all payments. It is also urged to meticulously review contracts and not to sign or make payments if there are doubts about the terms of the transaction.
