The Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council is actively hunting down curbers selling vehicles to car buyers.
A team of investigators tracked down curbers, or unlicensed, illegal automotive retailers, recently in Lethbridge and Taber, Alta. and in surrounding areas.
The investigators identified 17 curbers, including AMVIC wholesale licensees who were selling to consumers without an AMVIC retail license. Five additional individuals are being further investigated for possible curbing, reported AMVIC.
“Extremely low prices used to be a warning sign that you could be dealing with a curber but as consumers have become more savvy so have curbers,” said Ralph Stotschek, investigations manager of southern Alberta.
“The ones we caught used market-value prices to keep up the ruse and minimize suspicions,” said Stotschek, and added many curbers who were caught came from varied backgrounds.
“Many of them attempted to disguise their identities and locations so unsuspecting buyers would have trouble finding them after the sale.”
This is only the beginning of the province-wide blitz, said Stotschek. “We are committed to shutting down curbers and we want consumers, industry members and even curious neighbours to warn us about suspected curbers.”
AMVIC-licensed sellers must declare a vehicle’s history, pass an AMVIC salesperson’s course and follow Alberta’s consumer protection laws.
