It comes after drivers, motorists and road users complained they had been “ghosted completely”.
It comes after drivers, motorists and road users complained they had been “ghosted completely”.(Image: )
A major UK car dealership has collapsed – with the director saying he is “filing for bankruptcy”. It comes after drivers, motorists and road users complained they had been “ghosted completely”.
Road users have suggested the dealership “disappeared”, with some alleging they were owed payments from the sale of their cars. Now, Targa Florio Cars, a luxury dealer based in Chichester, West Sussex, has addressed the controversy.
The car dealership closed at the end of December ahead of Christmas. The dealership took its phone lines and website offline, with customers unable to get in contact, as the Google listing for the car dealership was switched to say: “Permanently closed”.
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In an update, company director William Kirkham has announced the dealership is being placed into liquidation and is set to declare bankruptcy.
A statement from Kirkham’s solicitor to the BBC said: “This decision has been taken following very difficult trading conditions, including black book realignment, the increase in business rates, national insurance and other business expenses.
“These increases have meant that it is impossible for the business to continue to trade.”
Sussex Police said it was aware of a number of reports involving payment issues over vehicle sales and its enquiries were ongoing.
The dealership sold high performance, executive and classic cars for 16 years from its showroom at Walnut Farm Science Park in Sidlesham.
One couple, in their 80s, had an agreement with the dealership to sell their classic Morgan sports car. The retiree said he was “very annoyed”.
“It looked like a fairly substantial company and they’d been around for awhile, so we didn’t particularly worry until nothing was happening,” he told the BBC News team.
“And then they disappeared and we started to search for them.”
His wife added: “I mean we’re just not sleeping at night, you know, it’s always on your mind.”