Amid the screech and grind of mangling metal and the popping staccato of shattering glass that echoed from the crushing of two stolen SUVs recently, the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC), warned that such actions should be a clarion for consumers when shopping for their next car or truck.
The recovered stolen vehicles were destroyed by Economical Insurance to prevent them from being sold whole or in parts to an unsuspecting public. “We cannot be assured of the safety of the vehicles”, said Javier Ibanez, Vice-President of National Sales and Distribution for Economical. Ibanez said that parts from other vehicles — salvage or otherwise — were put on these vehicles by individuals who had been convicted of criminal activities.
Economical believes the persons found in possession of the stolen SUVs were preparing to sell them to the public when the vehicles were recovered by police. “Should a consumer unknowingly purchase such a vehicle, not only does he or she risk significant financial harm, the alterations to the vehicle could endanger his or her life” stated Terry O’Keefe, OMVIC Director of Communications. “This is why it’s vital car buyers know when they’re protected, and when they’re not.”
OMVIC stresses that only when a consumer purchases from an OMVIC-Registered Dealer are they protected by Ontario’s consumer protection laws and the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund. “Consumers who purchase privately, or from a curbsider (an illegal, unlicensed dealer),” said O’Keefe, “have little protection and cannot file a claim with the Fund.”
