Customers may be duped into buying second hand Japanese passenger vehicles through an advertisement in It is illegal to import such cars to Bermuda.

Under the website japanesevehicles.com appearing in last Friday?s , customers are being solicited into buying ten-year-old cars for as little as $1,850 either from the website or by fax.

No local car dealer had any involvement in placing the advertisement which was placed by Trust Company Limited based in Japan.

Under the Motorcar Act ?no person can use a private motor car which at the time of its importation into Bermuda was a used motor car?.

Anthony Steede, Bermuda Motors executive vice president operations, said: ?Anyone buying a car through this unknown website would be purchasing the car at their own risk.

?Customers would not know the condition of the car or its mileage and there would be no implied warranty.?

Richard Davidge owner of Eurocar Limited said the advertisement misled the public through false advertising because none of the cars listed can be used in Bermuda and many of them are too big to use in Bermuda.

The cars too big to use include the Honda 52582 Accord, Honda 53008 and the Honda 53359 Integra and such an advertisement may lead to the perception that they can used on the Island.

Mr. Davidge also said Bermuda has high emission control standards which the advertised cars could not meet.

Customers could end up paying for the shipping and freight costs of importing a car and paying customs duty and the Transport Control Department would not register or license the car for use in Bermuda.

He said many countries in the Caribbean with low emission standards are being flooded with cheap second hand cars.

Mr. Davidge said unsuspecting customers should be protected from the blatant use of false advertising and the advertisement should be withdrawn.

Jeff Stirling, managing director of Continental Motors which sells Peugeot vehicles, said: ?The advertisement is misleading because it is not applicable to the Bermuda market.?

Marisa Sharpe, Inspector of Consumer Affairs, said misleading the public through false advertising was an unfair practice and could only be prevented by warning the public.

TCD Director Randy Brangman would like to see the advertisement withdrawn because its misleading nature could lure customers into buying second hand cars at their risk and result in conflicts with TCD, the department of Customs and the Department of Consumer of Affairs.

Daniel Greenslade owner of Rayclan Limited also said it was easy for customers to get duped into paying a lot of money to import cars which they then have to dispose of themselves.