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OMVIC'S Anti Curbsiding Campaign
Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council [Website]
Anti-curbsiding enforcement has been largely over looked throughout the history of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. Recognizing that this is an issue that has gone unaddressed for many years now, OMVIC has been trying to play catch-up. OMVIC's anti-curbsiding campaign has pursued a few methods of attack including:
- Vigorous enforcement and prosecution
- Consumer awareness
VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT:
Over the course of 1997 and 1998, OMVICs investigators have laid an unprecedented number of charges against curbsiders - some 500 charges.
Given the historical lack of enforcement however, enforcement alone will not be sufficient to significantly reduce curbsiding. Trying to stamp out curbsiding by means of prosecution alone would be like trying to stamp out an ant colony one at a time!
OMVIC intends to continue to prosecute offenders while exploring other means of protecting consumers and dealers from curbsiding.
CONSUMER AWARENESS:
Curbsiders are able to flourish because too many consumers believe that they are safer dealing privately. Or else they think that they are much more likely to get a better deal through the classifieds.
The risks of buying are not well understood. The crime is considered "victimless" and the term "curbsider" is still not widely known. Increased consumer awareness of the risks of dealing privately and the need to help consumers to recognize curbsiders for the villains they really are will continue.
There is a hotline where people can provide curbisider information,
1-888-NO-CURBS. |
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