A civil court in Al Ain has ordered the cancellation of a vehicle sale contract and directed the seller to refund the buyer the full purchase price of Dh500,000, along with repair costs, after finding that the seller had deceived the buyer by altering the vehicle's chassis number and model year. The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial and Administrative Claims ruled that the seller had committed fraud by tampering with key vehicle details, creating a hidden defect that the buyer could not have detected at the time of purchase. Case records show that the buyer, a young man, filed a lawsuit seeking to annul the sale, recover the Dh500,000 he paid for the vehicle, and reclaim Dh20,500 spent on repairs. He also requested Dh100,000 in compensation for material and moral damages, as well as legal fees. The buyer told the court he purchased the car believing it was a 2016 model with no restrictions. After completing the transaction, he discovered the vehicle was actually manufactured in 2013, had a manipulated chassis number, and was flagged under a security alert. When he asked the seller for a refund, his request was refused. A technical expert appointed by the court confirmed that the seller had concealed the vehicle's true model year and altered the chassis number, actions that undermine the validity of the sale contract. The court accepted the expert's findings and ruled that the concealed defects constituted a breach of the seller's obligations. It ordered the contract to be rescinded, requiring the seller to take back the vehicle and return all payments, including repair costs. However, the court rejected the buyer's claim for Dh100,000 in compensation, noting that he failed to prove actual damages and had used the car for eight months, including involvement in an accident. The judgment nullifies the sale contract, mandates reimbursement of the purchase and repair amounts, and requires the seller to pay the appropriate share of legal costs. All other claims were dismissed.
