Difference between revisions of "Problem with a Used Car"

#See if the car has been in an accident—that can reduce its value and safety. The Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC) may have this information. See its [http://www.icbc.com/ website] or call 604.661.2233 in Vancouver and 1.800.464.5050 elsewhere in BC. You'll need the vehicle identification number (VIN), the make, model, and year. Many vehicles are in the ICBC database, but not all of them. If a vehicle was ever insured and registered outside of BC, the ICBC report will not show the vehicle history outside of BC. Consider getting a comprehensive vehicle history report such as the Verified BC report from CarProof (see item 4 below).

#Avoid “[http://mvsabc.com/glossary/curber/ curbers]”—people who sell vehicles for profit, but without a motor dealer licence. By law, anyone selling motor vehicles as a business in BC must have a dealer licence from the Vehicle Sales Authority. Curbers operate illegally. They can cheat people by doing things such as turning back the odometer to make it look like a vehicle has lower mileage than it really has. Curbers get vehicles from BC and elsewhere in Canada and the US. They may hide prior damage and lie about a vehicle’s history, including its mileage and where it came from. And they may charge extremely high and illegal interest rates and ask you to lie about the price for tax purposes. There are many types of curbers. Some are mechanics who have repair facilities and also sell vehicles. Some curbers have several cars parked on their front lawn with “for sale” signs.  

:A common myth is that you can sell up to 5 vehicles a year privately without registering as a motor dealer. That’s not true. If you sell even one vehicle to try to earn income, then you must register as a motor dealer.

:To learn more, check “[http://mvsabc.com/consumers/how-to-spot-a-curber/ How To Spot A Curber]” and “[http://www.mvsabc.com/consumers/buying-privately Buying Privately]”. It’s risky to buy from a curber. You may lose your money and get an unsafe vehicle. You can sue, but that’s expensive and often futile. The VSA can investigate the curber, but it can’t help you get your money back.  

#Check if there are any liens (claims for money owed) on the car. Check the car's serial number with the [http://www.bcregistryservices.gov.bc.ca/ Personal Property Registry]. [http://www.carproof.com/ CarProof] can do a Canada-wide lien search for a fee.

#Buy a vehicle history report from [http://www.icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/buy-a-used-vehicle/Pages/Vehicle-history-reports.aspx ICBC] or [http://www.carproof.com/ CarProof]. Find out if the car has been in an accident.

#Get a written agreement whether you’re buying from a dealer or a private person—put in the terms that you want.

#Ask a dealership about their return policies before you buy. There’s no automatic right to return a motor vehicle. But many people think there is because they are used to generous return policies of some stores.