APA Investigation of Existing and New Regulations Covering Used Vehicle Retailing in Three Canadian Markets

Organization

Automobile Protection Association (APA)

Published

2010

Summary

Posing as ordinary consumers, APA shopped 48 car dealers and eight curbsiders in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to look for a used vehicle. Visits in Toronto and Vancouver were recorded by W5’s hidden cameras.

Overall, two thirds of the used car dealers shopped in Vancouver and Montreal, and all but one dealer in Toronto received failing grades. Sellers were evaluated on the accuracy of their advertising and their verbal representations, as well as the condition of the vehicles offered for sale. The eight unlicensed dealers (called “curbsiders” in the industry), who were retailing vehicles from their homes and collision repair facilities also failed.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database