A woman has said she felt “kicked in the teeth” after her job application to an estate agency was withdrawn because her car was deemed “too old”.
Alanah Thompson French, 18, from Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire, submitted an application for a trainee lettings negotiator position at haart’s Nottingham branch in December 2025.
The young woman, who currently works full-time at a coffee shop, was informed she would not be shortlisted for an interview.
She was told her 2014 Citroen C1 did not meet the company’s requirement for staff to have access to a car under 10 years old.
The online application form, seen by the BBC, requires candidates to confirm whether their vehicle meets this criterion.
Ms Thompson French described the rejection as “a bit of a kick in the teeth”, given the volume of applications young job seekers must submit.
“It doesn’t seem fair because how am I meant to afford a bigger and better car? And how am I meant to get insured on a bigger and better car?” she said.
The 18-year-old had saved £2,800 to purchase the Citroën, which had just one previous owner and fewer than 40,000 miles on the odometer.
A young woman has been rejected from a job after being told her ‘car was too old’
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Ms Thompson French maintains the vehicle has never given her any mechanical trouble during her ownership, making the blanket policy particularly difficult to accept.
The estate agency defended its policy in a statement, citing employee welfare as the primary concern.
“It’s extremely important that people who work for us use reliable vehicles for their own personal safety, particularly where they travel many miles each day and often work alone,” haart said.
The company pointed to evidence from motoring organisations suggesting mechanical problems become more likely as vehicles age.
She was told her 2014 Citroen C1 did not meet the company’s requirement for staff to have access to a car under 10 years old
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GETTY
Ms Thompson French’s mother, Jenni, argued such policies create additional barriers for young people entering an already challenging job market.
“I think the more that they’re disadvantaged in terms of policies that start limiting their ability to show that they’ve got skills and knowledge and can do things.
“I think it makes it harder and harder,” she told the BBC.
Danielle Parsons, employment partner at Irwin Mitchell, raised concerns about the potential impact of haart’s recruitment criteria.
“I’m concerned that this policy may disproportionately exclude younger, less affluent applicants from applying for this job.
“Particularly as this is an entry-level position and job vacancies are currently few and far between,” she said.
The employment lawyer noted haart’s response failed to offer any alternatives to what she characterised as a blanket ban.
Despite the setback, Ms Thompson French remains determined to pursue a career in property, saying she continues to search and apply for positions daily.