Last month, Sharon and Christine (not their real names), went car-shopping. The pair visited dealerships in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie that had vehicles advertised online. 

But Sharon and Christine were not your average car-buying consumers: they were mystery shoppers and employees of Ontario’s vehicle sales regulator — (Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council). Their mission was simple: to ensure dealers and salespeople were in compliance with the all-in-price advertising provisions of Ontario’s Motor Vehicle Dealers Act (MVDA).

As a result of charges laid by OMVIC, Ontario’s Vehicle Sales Regulator, a Windsor auto repair business and its owner, received significant fines for illegal vehicle sales.

A Markham area man has been charged after allegedly trying to sell a car with a rolled-back odometer to an undercover shopper from OMVIC, Ontario’s vehicle sales regulator. The charges came just weeks after 34 charges were laid against the man for the same alleged activity.

Arif Adnan Syed, 36, of Markham, is charged with curbsiding (acting as a dealer without registration) in violation of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act (MVDA) and with committing an unfair business practice (making a false, misleading or deceptive representation), in contravention of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). Note: All charges are currently before the court; they are only allegations until proven.

OMVIC, Ontario’s vehicle sales regulator, has ordered the immediate suspension of 1828780 Ontario Inc. o/a D L Auto Brokers, operated by Darrel Legare at 581 Lakeshore Drive, North Bay. As a result, Legare and D L Auto Brokers may not legally sell, lease, buy or consign vehicles.