A young woman who was initially rejected from a position at an estate agency due to the age of her car has been granted an interview opportunity following a change in the firm’s stance. Alanah Thompson French, 18, was shocked to learn that her 2014 Citroen C1 was the reason for her exclusion from the candidate pool. Despite working two café jobs for over a year to save up £2,800 for the vehicle, she was informed during the application process for a trainee lettings negotiator role at haart Estate and Lettings Agents in Nottingham that vehicles must be less than ten years old.

After sharing her story publicly, the estate agent revisited its policy on vehicle age and extended an interview invitation to Alanah, who intends to attend the interview in her cherished Citroen. Alanah’s mother, Jenni, expressed joy at the opportunity and appreciated haart’s swift policy adjustment. Alanah, who aims to pursue a career in the property sector, was disheartened by the initial rejection, which cited her car’s age as the reason for not being shortlisted. Despite her car being just two years over the limit but well-maintained, with low mileage and a complete service history, she felt that her hard work to purchase the car herself could have cost her a job opportunity.

Having applied for the position in December, Alanah faced a setback when asked about her car’s age on the application form. She maintained that her car, though not brand new, was well-kept and affordable for her as a young individual focusing on her career rather than pursuing higher education. Employment lawyers echoed Alanah’s concerns, cautioning haart about the potential exclusion of younger, less affluent candidates due to their car age policy.

Following the backlash, haart apologized and retracted the car age limit policy, inviting Alanah for an interview. A haart representative expressed gratitude to Alanah for raising the issue and emphasized that the policy was intended to ensure safety and roadworthiness, not to hinder recruitment. Alanah’s persistence in addressing the matter impressed the estate agency, prompting them to extend the interview offer as they believed she embodies the qualities they value in their employees.