Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) is cracking down hard on illegal, unlicensed auto dealers known as curbsiders, to prevent unfair business practices. That’s information franchised dealers can use to educate their prospects.
Most recently, Zhijun Wang of Toronto, an illegal and non-franchised auto dealer, was slapped with a $11,000 fine after pleading guilty to charges of curbsiding, contrary to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act and Consumer Protection Act.
Terry O’Keefe, Director of Communications for OMVIC, said its investigators went undercover by posing as consumers, and responded to advertisements that Wang had placed online.
In two cases, Wang had rolled back odometers on the vehicles. Each undercover OMVIC officer had also been invited to view the vehicle at a plaza on Sheppard Avenue East in Toronto, and were given false names and on one occasion, a false ID.
Neither cars were registered in Wang’s name, said O’Keefe.
So far in 2015, 29 individuals and businesses have been convicted for curbsiding, and there are an additional 70 cases before the courts.
OMVIC is warning the public that consumers who purchase vehicles privately from unregistered dealers have little protection if they encounter problems.
