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Community- THE HERALD Wednesday April 17 1M1 U Consumers at risk when buying privately Whats the riskiest major pur chase for many consumers Ex at Ontarios Consumer Ministry say people are most vulnerable when buying a used car from a private owner Buying a used car is a gamble at any time says Robert Pierce Registrar of Motor Vehicle Dealers at the Ministry of Con sumer and Commercial But right now times are hard and were seeing a problem thats been uncommon for years A lot of vehicles are being sold with liens against them That means money may be ing on a car If the proper tions arent taken the new owner can wake up one morning to find a tow truck removing the vehicle they just purchased A vehicle can have a lien for several reasons The problem can arise if the seller has borrow ed money to buy the car but not paid it all back There could also be a lien against a vehicle if it was used as collateral to obtain a loan or for unpaid repair or storage costs Sometimes even the vendor might be unaware a vehicle has a lien on it if money was owing when he or she purchased it To avoid losing their car con sumers who buy from private sellers are always advised to check for liens before any cash changes hands The consumer ministrys Per Property Registration Branch will tell you if money is owing on a vehicle To check the branch needs the name of the cur rent owner and the Vehicle In formation Number or serial number The number must be right Buyer should check the VIN on a cars ownership slip against the number on the vehicle The VIN is usually found on a small metal plate on the drivers side dashboard visible through the windshield If the numbers differ both should be checked with the registration branch Consumers buying used cars from an Ontarioregistered dealer have better protection against lien problems than those who purchase from private sellers By law dealers must dear any liens against vehicles before sales are final If they fail to do so they are responsible for settling outstanding debts But private vendora sell about three times as many used cars as dealers says Pierce Its portant that consumers learn the workings of the private market Some consumers prefer buying from a private individual becuase they think meeting the owner will help them judge how well the car has been maintained Also they think they might get a better deal through a private sale But many socalled private sellers are in fact people who sell cars for a living without a licence in an illegal scheme call curbsiding Consumer ex estimate as many as one third of all private car sales in the province involve curbsiders so named because the vehicles typically sit by the curb near tbe salespeoples homes When buying from a curbside dealer consumers have no way of knowing the truth about a cles accident history or maintenance Consumers who choose to buy privately but want to avoid curb can check the ownership history of a vehicle with the Ministry of Transportation If the car has been traded very recently they may be dealing with a curb- On a more positive note checking on previous owners can also confirm the sellers honesty As with a liens search the ministry office must have the correct VIN to find information on the right car For more infonnaUon on bay ing a car Including contracts and tradeins write for a copy of ministrys free brochure on baying a car and rut It Is available from the Consumer Information Centre St 1st Floor Toronto Ontario M7A2HU fed vii MM- iV1 Dont even blink an eye Its a tense moment for the Boyko family as Bryan tries to get a good shot on the croklnole board Bryan his sister Sarah and mom Donna had a good time playing games eating food and wat- acts during a Fun Fair held at McKende- Smith Public School in Acton Thursday night Herald photo by Lisa BoonBtoppel Pot NO INITIATION FEE INDOOROUTDOOR POOL FREE WEIGHTS UNIVERSAL EQUIPMENT LIFE CYCLELIFE ROWER SAUNAHOT TUBS AEROBICS TENNIS COURTS FITNESS TESTING AIR CONDITIONED CORPORATE GROUP RATES BEACH VOLLEY BALL INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS Hwy No WINSTON CHURCHILL ft v