A Markham area man and woman are facing dozens of charges related to the alleged illegal sale of vehicles (curbsiding), many with rolled back odometers.
Investigators for OMVIC, Ontario’s vehicle sales regulator, found the accused bought 26 vehicles in 2018, many with very high mileage. Then, posing as private sellers, they offered the vehicles for sale on Kijiji. The odometers of many of the vehicles had been rolled back by significant amounts — in some cases, 200,000 to 300,000 kms. Euro Premium Auto Ltd., a corporation directed by one of the accused, was used to acquire many of the vehicles.
In one instance, a 2006 Honda was allegedly sold by the male accused with an odometer reading of 165,000 kms. OMVIC determined the vehicle had been purchased by, and registered to, Euro Premium Auto Ltd., a few months earlier. The odometer reading at that time was 421,000 kms.
In another case, a 2007 Toyota Camry was advertised and sold with 166,000 kms. The vehicle had been purchased four days earlier with an odometer reading of 295,807 kms.
According to OMVIC, the alleged curbsiders arranged for potential buyers to meet them at a rented Unionville home or nearby plazas. “The purchasers thought they were buying relatively low mileage vehicles from genuine private sellers,” explains John Carmichael, OMVIC CEO and Registrar. “Instead, many ended up with vehicles that may be near end-of-life or require unexpected and expensive repairs due to the actual mileage.”
Charges
Charged with 22 counts of curbsiding(acting as a dealer without registration) in violation of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act (MVDA), and 12 counts of committing an unfair business practice (making a false misleading or deceptive representation), in contravention of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), is Arif Adnan Syed, 36, of Markham.
Charged with eight counts of curbsiding in violation of the MVDA, and seven counts of committing an unfair business practice (making a false misleading or deceptive representation), in contravention of the CPA, is Hafsa Naseer, 23, of Markham.
Charged with 13 counts of curbsiding in violation of the MVDA, and six counts of committing an unfair business practice (making a false misleading or deceptive representation), in contravention to the CPA, is>Euro Premium Auto Ltd. Syed is the director of Euro Premium Auto Ltd. Note: Euro Premium Auto Ltd. is not a registered dealer.
All charges are currently before the court – they are only allegations until proven. The accused are schedule to appear in Ontario Divisional Court (Toronto) on March 25 at 9AM.
What should Consumers Do?
Consumers who bought a vehicle from Syed, Nasser or Euro Premium Auto Ltd. are encouraged to purchase a UVIP or CARFAX Canada report to verify mileage, and to contact OMVIC’s Complaints and Inquiries team at 1-800-943-6002 x3942.
Previous Convictions
Arif Syed was previously charged and prosecuted by OMVIC for >curbsiding— in 2015 he was convicted and fined $5,000. Desi Auto Body and Used Parts Ltd. and 1715130 Ontario Inc. operating as Desi Auto Body, two companies directed by Syed, were also convicted at that time of curbsiding and of committing unfair business practices in contravention of the Consumer Protection Act and were fined $12,500 each.
About OMVIC
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