Page 20, Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, JuIy 20 1994 UVIP takes guesswork out Ot used car deal Buying a used car from a private owner 15 flow safer, say smart-shopping experts at Ontario's consu~mer nunistry. It's been mnade mandator for anyone wishing to ssii a motor vehicle privately to purchase a .Used Vehicle Inormation Paekage (UVIP)'and show it to potential buyers. "For years the ministiy has rated buying a used car from a private owner as one of the highest risk purchases you could make", says Bo *Pee, registrar of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. "But the UVIP takes a lot of the guesswork out of the deal, protecting consumers- against sellers who may be curbsiders or who may have liens outstanding on their vehicles." Curbaiders, people who nake a living from selling cars illegally, have long been a problem in the province. Many consumners prefer to buy from private individuals because they think meeting the owner will help them judge how well the car has been maintained, or because they expect a low price. But curbeiders -- se named because the vehicles typically sit by the curb near the vendor's homes -- buy and reseli autos as quiclcly as possible, giving consumers no way of knowing the truth about the vehicle history. "The ministry ha put a lot of effort into pursuing curbsiders, and in fact 51 pepe were convicted and fined a total of more than $100,000 for operating without licences, in a month. But curbsiders change locations and jumnp in and eut' of business se, quickly ît's difficult te track them ail," says Pierce. The UVIP, at a cost of $20, provides a complets list of current and previous registered owners in Ontario. If the vehicle ha been traded ver recently, the consumer may %e dealing with a curbsider. The buyer should aIse check to make sure the vehicle is actually registered in the name of the person selling it. The informnation sheet ini the package provides a description of the vehicle, listing any liens that S SPECIAL $95 mi 235X75Rl5- O.W.L. Laredo - LAREDO ALL SEASONS f generaedread for GC aI-weather hlghway performance 1 TOURING ,/A The peformancd tirewith excelleont fouring comfort. 317 HopkinsS t. - We now aCCept ThO Dealer for NEI UNYLRU eBay & Zellers Cards T<4 Tires may be registered against it in Ontario and the names of the people holding them. If there is a lien against a car, there may be money owing on it. It could have been used as collateral for a loan, or an unpaïd bill for repair or storage midght be outstanding on it. lIn these cases, the buyers of a persenal car, truck motorhome, van or motorcycle might wake up oe morning te find a tow trck taking away their recently purchase used vehicle. Once the conditions of a lien have been met -- the loan's been paid off, for exwmple -- the holder Ã"f the lien is obliged te discharge it within 30 days. However, that sometimes doesn't happen. If a lien is listsd in-the UVIP the potential buyer should cali the lien holder te make sure the debt ha been paid and require that the lien be discharged before purchasing.the vehicle. The UVIP aise gives the average wholesale and retail values of the vehicle. This helps the buyer determine the amount of retail sales tax that will be payable when the regfistration is transferred. The used car buyer ha six days from the date of purchase te register as the new ewner. At the licensing office this information will be nesded: -- used vehicle information package. -- application for transfer (vehicle portion ofpermit), -- safeýty standard certificats, (if you wish te drive the vehicle at oe), -- insurancè information Ontario driver's licence or other identification' ,-plats portion of permit (if using existing licence plates) and -- payment for retail sales tax, vehicîs registration fees and nsw licence plates, as required. To purchase used vehicle information packages by telephone 24 hours a day, by using a credit card ortc re the free brochure Buying and Selling a Used Vehicle in Ontario call 325-UVIP in the Toronto area or 1-800-267-UVIP ftrm other parts of the province. When*oue Sn I E r À