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Individually, We Struggle To Be Heard.
Collectively, We Cannot Be Ignored!
The geographical distribution of members throughout the province is very evenly balanced and averages 40% to 66% of all registered dealers in the various towns and cities. For example, 38% of all the dealers in Ottawa are UCDA members, 51% in Sudbury, 49% in Toronto and 53% in Pembroke. There are UCDA members in more than 503 Ontario communities.
Representation
It maintains a close working relationship with the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial
Relations and with OMVIC , the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, which manages
the industry. In fact, the UCDA had underwritten the cost of a number of Canadian
Automotive Institute students who worked in the Registrar's office on curbsiding
investigations.
Liaison and coalitions with other automotive industry groups is an important activity
in helping to ensure that the interests of the industry are advanced.
The UCDA participated with CADA,
AARO, CVMA, AIAMC,
AIA
* and others, in joint approaches to both the Federal and the Ontario governments.
Issues have included GST, Dealer Regulations, Import Regulations, Vehicle Permit
Branding, Vehicle Safety Standards, Vehicle Emission Testing, Curbsider studies
and many others.
Internationally, the UCDA is associated with the NIADA **
which provides for the free exchange of information and ideas on issues that impact
all used vehicle dealers in North America.
The media have acknowledged the Association's role as the spokesgroup for the industry
and the UCDA is regularly contacted for the industry's perspective on issues.
The UCDA compiles and disseminates various industry statistics to the media, Government
and other interested groups. Its data on used vehicle sales and curbsider statistics
is frequently requested.
The UCDA's Practical Guide to the GST became an industry standard, especially in the weeks and months following the GSTs implementation in 1991. More than 6000 copies were published and even some Revenue Canada auditors used it as a guide.
The UCDA made a commitment to author a series of publications, known as "Key Features",
that wade through the legal jargon of the Legislation that affects dealers and presents
it in plain language with explanations and examples.
"Key Features of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act", the first publication, met with
tremendous enthusiasm from members as well as a special commendation from the Consumer
Minister for taking the initiative to improve dealer education.
A more ambitious publication has been "Key Features of the Sale of Goods Act".
This almost 100 page book helps to clarify many issues that get dealers into difficulty.
It particularly deals with the implied warranties, guaranteed in every consumer
sale, and reviews the responsibilities of dealers and consumers when a vehicle is
sold.
A workshop seminar, entitled Know the Law and Protect Yourself was developed using
"Key Features of the Sale of Goods Act" as the text. So far this year, fourteen
wokshops have been held for members throughout the province and more than 300 of
their staff have participated. Workshops continue to be held on a monthly basis.
The UCDA began an easy to access Lien Search service for its members as one of its earliest benefits. Dealers now go on-line, phone or fax their enquiry searches to the UCDA and get an instant response. The service meets our members' needs in that it's fast, it's easy and its user cost is lower than any other method.
The UCDA's Lien Search facility has grown to be the largest such
search group in the province and accounts for over 20% of all Ministry searches.
When the Ministry provided access to electronic registration of liens, the search service was expanded to include this new service. Through the UCDA, members are now able to register PPSA or RSLA liens without leaving their offices.
Most dealer problems of a legal nature tend to revolve around contractual disputes with consumers and other dealers, such as mechanical defects, odometer discrepancies, accident damaged or written-off vehicles, etc. Other common concerns include PPSA and RSLA lien registrations on vehicles, and regulatory issues involving dealer registrations under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act.
Because the Legal Services Department deals with these types of matters every day, they can often help settle them, or at least point the member in the right direction, quickly.
Their key role is to help members stay out of trouble. In this respect, they serve as educators, in attempting to keep members, both individually and as a group, aware of their rights and responsibilities in a variety of areas.
As always, preventing a problem from occurring is preferable to trying to deal with the consequences of one later.
The Department also plays the lead role in mediation efforts, outlined earlier, between dealers and consumers and between dealers. Again, the goal, in conjunction with the UCDA's mission, is to help solve disputes amicably, without the need for the parties to resort to litigation.
In 1986, the UCDA began a computer study of private car ads, modeled on one that was done by the Washington State Independent Auto Dealers Association the year before. It showed the multiple number of cars being offered for sale by supposedly private individuals and the startling results gave some sense of just how big a menace curbsiding had become.
Confronted with a doubting media and many people in government, who couldn't see the problem, the UCDA set about making the term "curbsider" a word that everyone could identify.
A lot of time, effort and money was invested in proving to all, that curbsiders
were injurious to the consumer, the Government and to the industry.
One of the most tangible results has been Ontario's introduction of the UVIP programme
that requires private sellers to purchase a special consumer protection package.
The Used Vehicle Information Package concept was established by the Ministry of
Consumer and Commercial Relations and its implementation was led by the Registrar
of Motor Vehicle Dealers.
While the UVIP initiative won't stop curbsiding, it has already had an impact on
curbsiders and, as it matures and refinements are made to the process, it has the
potential to reduce curbsiding to a minimum.
UCDA members can be pleased that, through the efforts of their Association, together
with journalists and Government, the public now know what a curbsider is and they
can better protect themselves.
Services that are offered to members, directly by the Association, are financed
on a break-even basis. Surpluses that develop from a service are returned to the
users of the service through discounts for volume usage.
Other UCDA parternship programmes pass along all incentives to the subscribing member.
Programmes such as Baird MacGregor Garage Insurance and Visa/MasterCard are good examples.
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Code of Ethics |
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The Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario |
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A trade association of registered used car sales organizations is organized to promote the continued growth and perpetuation of its members through the strengthening of their sales, marketing and management skills; to dramatize to the automotive industry, to customers and suppliers, the advantages to them of doing business through registered used car sales organizations.
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Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario
| * | |
| AARO | Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario |
| AIA | Automobile Industries Association of Canada |
| AIAMC | Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada |
| CADA | Canadian Automobile Dealers Association |
| CVMA | Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association |
| ** | |
| NIADA | National Independent Automobile Dealers Association |
Steve Peck - President
Jillran Holdings. Ltd., Thornhill
Doug Callowhill - Chairman of the Board
Hollis Auto Sales, Hamilton
Brian Calvin - 1st Vice-President
Nomis Corporation, Dundas
Verne Cole - 2nd Vice-President
Collectible Auto Sales, Burlington
Mark Campbell - Director
Campbell's Autoshoppe, BarrieGordon Grosz - Director
Harriston Motors Ltd., Harriston
Greg Hannah - Director
Greg Hannah Holdings Ltd., Cobourg
Bart Hartwick - Director
Courtesy Auto Sales, St. Catharines
Larry Wright - Director
Wright Auto Sales Inc., Waterloo
Robert G. Beattie - Executive Director
230 Norseman St.
Toronto, Ontario M8Z 6A2
Telephone: (416) 231-2600 or 1-800-268-2598
Fax: (416) 232-0775
email: web@ucda.org
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are the three pillars on which the association has been built.
