What is OMVIC?

Every auto dealership in Ontario is required to register with the Ontario Motor Vehicle Council (OMVIC), as well as all sales staff. Here is some information to inform you about this important organization and what they do.

What is OMVIC?

Businesses of all kinds have rules and regulations to follow, in some cases such as grocery stores there are voluntary councils that ensure fair competition and fair practices to protect the consumer, the council that oversees all auto dealerships in Ontario is the Ontario Motor Vehicle Council (OMVIC), this council ensures that all dealers located in the province are participating in practices that protect you (the consumer).

Why Should I Care?

Simply, it is important to know that the purchase you’re making is protected by unbiased entity, this way you can rest easy that you are treated fairly, and the auto dealerships that you visit are professional, ethical, and safe.

What exactly do they do?

OMVIC enforces the rules that dealerships must follow and handles regulations and complaints accordingly, as well as ensuring that every dealership and sales person has their respective/needed certifications. This ensures a safe, fair, and professional marketplace for when you are shopping for a vehicle.

So what do they do if something goes wrong?

Here is an example, imagine you were to go to a dealership to pay a deposit, and within the same week the dealer were to close its doors for good. You could simply file a complaint to OMVIC and be registered to enter a fund which would allow you to possibly be reimbursed for your deposit up to a select amount; giving some piece of mind that your investment will not go to waste. These are the types of protections that help make sure that you are safe no matter what issues may appear during the buying process.

I heard OMVIC enforces a rule called “All-In-Pricing”, what is that?

Imagine going to a restaurant for a dinner special that you found in the newspaper, other than taxes, the price on the advertisement must be the same as what you get charged; after all it would be absurd for a extra fee to cook and hand you your food.  This same concept applies to vehicles, the Ontario Motor Vehicle Council (OMVIC) makes it mandatory for all dealers to advertise the price including all administration fees and other fees a dealer may charge, the only fees a dealer can charge separately are taxes and licensing fees as these go to the government and not the dealer. Check out this great video we have on the topic: