More strife for 'Fair Go' car yard

Fair Go's Gordon Harcourt was allegedly assaulted while filming on the pavement outside a Mt Maunganui car yard. Photo / Jason Dorday

The Mt Maunganui car dealership where a Fair Go reporter was allegedly bashed during an investigation last week is being probed by the Commerce Commission over separate matters.

Commission spokeswoman Allanah Kalafatelis confirmed Mount Auto Court and MAC Warranties Limited is being investigated, but for matters separate from a Fair Go investigation in which reporter Gordon Harcourt was allegedly assaulted in a scuffle on Friday afternoon.

The National Business Review reported it had learned the commission raided the companies' offices on May 13 and that it understood a large number of files and computers were taken, however Ms Kalafatelis could not confirm this yesterday.

The commission has dealt with the business before, having sent MAC Warranties Limited a warning letter regarding alleged breaches of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act in 2009.

In an earlier story, Harcourt exposed the car yard for offering $800 for a repossessed car it later put back on the lot for $6995 and also revealed the arrested man's finance company used by the car yard which charges rates of 30 to 35 per cent and is aimed at beneficiaries and low-income earners.

When Harcourt returned last week, he was left with a black eye, bleeding nose and suspected concussion after being allegedly punched three times while filming on the pavement outside the car dealership.

TVNZ will broadcast an investigation into a Mt Maunganui car dealer tonight. Excerpts of the incident have been shown on adverts and posted on its website last night.

The excerpt shows Harcourt with blood running from his nose to his teeth telling the camera: "Well, just came to do some filming and as you can see, things got a bit nasty."

Harcourt is shown speaking to the camera when a man suddenly appears and a scuffle breaks out amid expletives, with Harcourt yelling: "Hey mate it's not your property, it is public property ... and that's not yours, pal."

A bloodied Harcourt is shown talking on his cellphone explaining his crew "just got our equipment out of the vehicle" as it wanted to film on public property outside the premises.

The programme has received criticism and support with one person posting: "If you go around doing this, without appropriate security measures in place, then you're asking for it and you'll get it eventually."

A 47-year-old company director has been charged with assault and intentional damage after a camera was damaged during the alleged scuffle and is due to appear in the Tauranga District Court tomorrow.