VSA works to end curbing

Good Morning Readers!

First - what is a curber? A curber is an unlicensed dealer. What's the big deal? Most of them are unlicensed for a reason . . . they can't get a license. Furthermore, as a consumer you have little to no recourse when you purchase from a curber.

Curbers tend to offer discounted prices but they are already outside of the law so the chances of them not disclosing liens, hiding mechanical issues and more are very high.

A common practice with curbers is to lower the price of sale on the contract so that you can save on taxes; however, this then puts you into a position of having no recourse, without admitting that broke the law by misrepresenting the sale price.

The Vehicle Sales Authority (VSA) just participated in a multi-agency conference that included ICBC, RCMP and Canada Revenue Agency to address curbing. It is estimated that as high as 50% of the cars being advertised privately in the Lower Mainland are being advertised by curbers.

If you want to avoid buying your next car from a curber - here are some tips:

1. The VSA requires that dealers include their dealer number in all advertisements - check the ad for a dealer number.
2. Look for multiple private sales listings with the same phone number
3. If the "private-seller" claims to have owned the vehicle for a substantial amount of time, they should have maintenance and repair bills - ask to see them.
4. If you suspect you are dealing with an unlicensed dealership call the VSA and ask

The VSA has a number of helpful tips if you are going to venture into the world of private purchasing. Remember that if buying privately, you may save money on taxes or even on price but when you buy privately you're buying as is. Paying for inspections and reports to ensure your privately purchased car is road worthy and lien free may eliminate a good portion of your savings. At Winston Auto Group each car is put through a BCAA inspection and has a Car Proof pulled as a minimum - these two activities alone would cost you $220 on every private car you're considering purchasing.

A vehicle is the second biggest purchase that most people make (next to their home). Part of protecting you purchase includes considering from whom you're purchasing your vehicle. Purchasing from a licensed dealer places you several steps ahead of the game when it comes to peace of mind and the ability to ensure an honest transaction.

So - until next time - Happy Driving!