2025 Contract Law Question 2 — LawShortcut Independent Model Answer
A dealer's assurances about a €30,000 second-hand car turn out to be wrong, and the standard form Shannon signed without reading says no representations were relied on except those in writing. A 25-mark question on misrepresentation, the statutory implied terms, and whether that clause can do the work the dealer needs it to do.
Scenario summary
In April 2025 Shannon set out to buy a second-hand car for the commute to a new job in Manchester. She called into a used car dealership and dealt with John, who owns it.
John brought her to a 2020 Eagle Viper sports car. Everything on it worked, he said; it had 40,000 kilometres on the clock; he was “positive” it had never been in an accident; and it was in as good a condition as a car of that age and mileage would lead anyone to expect.
On the strength of that Shannon bought the car for €30,000. She signed the dealership’s standard form without reading it. One of its clauses said: “The buyer acknowledges that no representations have been relied upon other than those in writing.”
Two weeks later the car broke down. A mechanic found the dashboard faulty and not recording the mileage correctly, and the car incorrectly repaired after an accident, with further work needed to put that right.
Shannon rang John to complain. He admitted he had never seen the car before it arrived in his showroom and had gone on nothing more than his own visual inspection.
Candidates are asked to advise Shannon whether she has any cause of action in contract at common law.
This is a LawShortcut scenario summary written in our own words. For the exact examined wording, use the official King’s Inns paper linked above.
What this model answer covers
Issues and structure addressed in the full LawShortcut model answer:
- Reading the Question
- Issue 1 — Terms or mere representations?
- Issue 2 — Is there an actionable misrepresentation?
- Issue 3 — Which type, and what can Shannon recover?
- Issue 4 — Does the non-reliance clause defeat her?
- A note on the statutory overlay
- Overall advice to Shannon
- Where the 25 marks live
- Authorities relied on
- The reusable answer structure
- Common ways to lose marks
Read the complete LawShortcut model answer to this question — reading the question, issue spotting, the applicable law, application to the facts and conclusions — inside the King’s Inns Contract Law Model Answer Vault.
Part of the King’s Inns Contract Law Model Answer Vault — 30 independently authored model answers, 2020—2025.
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