By OMVIC Communications on
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
If checking out all those cars, trucks and SUVs at the Ottawa Gatineau International Auto Show has you thinking about buying or leasing, make sure you also stop by OMVIC’s booth (Level 2) and bring your car-buying questions!
And, if meeting the friendly OMVIC team isn’t enough of an incentive, we will also be handing out branded keychains, to remind you that OMVIC is here to help with your car-buying experience. Not only is this keychain attractive and stylish, it’s also multi-purpose, serving as a handy tire tread depth gauge. Don’t miss out on your chance to get one! The show runs from March 22 to March 25, at the Shaw Centre.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Friday, March 16, 2018
With today’s modern, tech savvy vehicles - are rolled-back odometers a thing of the past? Or, are roll-backs making a comeback?
Rolled-back odometers are rarely an issue with vehicles sold by OMVIC-Registered Dealers, partially because the consequences can be severe. They could be charged/prosecuted, disciplined and/or lose their licence. And, of course, they have to take back the vehicle and return all monies to the consumer (note: there are time limits for contract rescission). While roll-backs are not a major problem with vehicles sold by dealers, rolled-back odometers are a significant and growing problem amongst vehicles sold by curbsiders and dishonest private sellers.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Professional scammers love to troll popular websites like Kijiji, AutoTRADER and Craigslist, preying on unsuspecting consumers with their phony car ads. It’s how they make their money. And they’re really good at it!
Most of these phony online car ads closely resemble a typical car ad placed by a legitimate private seller, it’s not until the consumer calls that it all starts to go sideways. They’re told fake, made-up stories, i.e. the seller has divorced or relocated and the car is in storage (or someplace similar but inaccessible), or that the seller is actually a dealership located in the U.S.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Everyone loves a good deal, especially when it comes to a new set of wheels. So how do you find one… or rather, ‘when’ do you find one? The week before Christmas? The last week of any month? St. Patrick’s Day perhaps??
While the ‘Luck of the Irish’ has been legend since the North American gold and silver rushes of the 19th century, capturing a leprechaun or perilously hanging nearly inverted to press lips against a non-descript stone atop Blarney Castle, is not a prerequisite to getting the ‘best deal’.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
It’s your last chance to see the latest in automotive innovation and style all under one roof! With over 600,000 square feet of dazzling displays and engaging exhibits, the Canadian International AutoShow wraps up 6pm, Sunday, February 26 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
The 2018 Canadian International AutoShow kicks off at noon this Friday, February 16 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Planning to attend the show? Be sure to stop by OMVIC’s booth (800 level, South building next to the escalators and food court) - our team will be onsite and ready to answer all your car buying questions! The AutoShow runs until 6 pm Sunday, Friday 25.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Friday, February 9, 2018
Forrest Gump’s mama was right – “life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.”
Who doesn’t love the taste of a delicately handcrafted, square shaped, chocolate covered caramel - with a little sprinkle of sea salt on top? It’s divine! But when you bite into a similarly square shaped chocolate and are met with a pungent, medicinal orange flavour or a thick, white mystery filling… you can’t help but feel deceived.
Buying a car privately can sometimes leave you with a similar feeling of disappointment. Albeit, on a far greater scale, not to mention you can’t get the bad taste out of your mouth by simply disposing of the disappointment discreetly into a tissue.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Thursday, February 1, 2018
“My friends say I don’t look a kilometre over 85,000.” Meanwhile, what the unsuspecting, hopeful single who swiped right doesn’t know is that deceitful old Buick’s odometer has been rolled back 100,000 km.
“I keep my body in great shape!!” Yeah right, that Venza was a complete write-off with structural damage that cost over $14,000 to get into “great shape”.
Both are classic cases of “carfishing”, quite similar to what online daters refer to as “catfishing”… simply, false advertising.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Friday, January 26, 2018
Shopping for a new car? Before starting the hunt, you should ask yourself: “How much car can I afford?”
Costs that come with buying a car
Let’s break this down a little bit further. You need to think ‘big picture’ when considering making a significant purchase, like a car. Unlike real estate, most vehicles are a depreciating asset that begins losing value the very second you turn the key in the ignition to drive it home. So what are some of the costs that you need to consider?
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By OMVIC Communications on
Friday, January 19, 2018
Buying a new car can, and should be, a very exciting experience. When buying a used vehicle, consumers really only have two options: buy from a dealer/salesperson or buy privately. But remember, car-buyers are only protected by Ontario’s consumer protection laws when they purchase a vehicle from an OMVIC-Registered Dealer
and therefore must take extra care when buying privately.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Thursday, January 11, 2018
You've signed on the dotted line and taken possession of your new vehicle—congratulations! It was everything you dreamed of and more.
Suddenly you discover that 2018 Nissan 370Z Coupe has 3,000 more kilometres on it than what’s noted on your bill of sale.
Can you cancel the contract and take it back?
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By OMVIC Communications on
Friday, January 5, 2018
Lose weight. Exercise more. Eat healthier. Spend more time with family. Spend less time with family. Get organized. Be kinder to yourself. Be more determined. Ah yes, New Year’s resolutions. Surveys suggest 30 to 40 percent of us make them – a desire for self-improvement…an inspiration. Unfortunately, those same surveys demonstrate the vast majority of those who make one, fail to see it through.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Thinking about decking the driveway with a new set of wheels this holiday season? Or resolving to improve your ride in the New Year? OMVIC would like to gift you with some great holiday car buying tips.
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By OMVIC Communications on
Friday, December 15, 2017
Thinking about decking the driveway with a new set of wheels this holiday season? Before you go dashing all the way to the dealership or checking out the nice and naughty list in the online car classifieds, find out if you’re a Dasher, or Blitzen? Take OMVIC’s ‘smart’ car buyer quiz to find out:
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By OMVIC Communications on
Tuesday, December 12, 2017

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall…the “458 Italia Speciale?”
Rumours swirling around the North Pole claim Santa Claus is considering trading in his trusty team of reindeer for a 597 horsepower “black prancing stallion”. According to the elvish grapevine, the Ferrari’s front and rear movable flaps cut drag and its side slip angle control are better able to tackle unpredictable equatorial cross-winds. An elf at S.L.E.D. (Santa’s Lead Engineering Department), who wants to remain anonymous, described the current sleigh as having the aerodynamics of a “flat-sided igloo”.
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