Teen rejected from getting job due to ‘old car’

Alanah Thompson French, 18, was stunned when she was told her 2014 Citroen C1 was the reason she was not put on a candidate shortlist.

She had applied for a trainee lettings negotiator role but came unstuck when filling out an online application form which asked her details about her car.

The hard-working teen spent more than a year working two cafe jobs to pay for the £2,800 motor which she hoped would make her more employable.

But when she applied for a $20,000 job at Haart Estate and Lettings Agents in Nottingham, she was told vehicles must “under 10 years old.”

After speaking out about her experience, the estate agent confirmed they have changed their policy on vehicle age.

The company has also invited Alanah for an interview which she intends to travel to in her beloved Citroen.

Alanah's mom Jenni said: "Alanah is delighted and excited to be asked to a meeting which we assume is an interview.

"We are very grateful to haart for changing their policy on the age of vehicles. They were very quick to come out and do so which I say fair play to them."

The teenager, from Burton Joyce, Notts., who dreams of having a career in the property industry, was shocked when her application was rejected.

In an email, she was told: “We regret to inform you that you have not been shortlisted for interview on this occasion as it is a requirement to have access to a vehicle under 10 years old.”

It meant Alanah’s car was two years too old despite having 33,000 miles on the clock as well as a full service history and MoT.

She said: “I worked really hard while doing my A-Levels to pay for the car myself and pay the £700 insurance.

“My reason for getting a car was because I wanted to be able to drive for work but it could have actually cost me a job.”

Alanah, who lives at home with her mom and dad, applied for the trainee job last December.

Despite acing the application form, she came unstuck when she was asked "is your car under 10 years old" and she ticked "no".

Alanah said: “It’s hardly an old banger and I keep it really clean inside and out.

“I’m only young so an older car was all I could afford. Obviously if I got the job I could save for a newer model but I need the job first.

"I finished my A-Levels and just didn’t want to go to university and saddle myself with tens of thousands of pounds of debt.

Employment lawyers threw their weight behind Alanah and warned haart their policy may “disproportionately exclude younger less affluent applicants.”

The estate agents have since apologised and invited Alanah to interview for the job.

A spokesperson for haart said: "We are extremely grateful to Alanah Thompson French for raising her concerns about our 10-year car age limit policy, which has now been dropped.

"Although it was introduced with good intentions, to ensure that colleagues use vehicles that are roadworthy and safe, it was never meant to prevent people from joining our organisation.

"We are so impressed by Alanah's tenacity in raising the issue.

"She is exactly the sort of person we would like to work for haart estate agents and we are contacting her to invite her for an interview."