So you think you’ve found a great deal on a car. The price is right … and mileage isn’t too high. But it’s for sale by a private owner. You know there are some risks involved with a private sale, but do you know how to protect yourself? What happens if you end up with a real lemon … or worse? 

Buying A Used Car Privately Can Be Risky

Keep in mind that there are no "lemon laws" in Ontario and no consumer protection legislation that covers private transactions. According to Terry O’Keefe, OMVIC Director of Communications and Education, “Should a person purchase privately and something goes wrong, that consumer would unfortunately be on their own.”

DID YOU KNOW ALL-IN PRICE ADVERTISING IS THE LAW FOR ONTARIO CAR DEALERS?

An educated consumer is a protected consumer. And as part of its commitment to improving consumer education and awareness OMVIC has launched a targeted four-week awareness campaign to inform Ontario car-buyers about the all-in price advertising requirements. With the launch of the campaign also comes OMVIC’s newest consumer resource: this blog!