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The Citizen, 1988-05-18, Page 22PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1988. Horsepower ’88 There are strict rules on who can sell cars The Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, which regulates dealers and sales­ men, is designed to protect the consumer and requires the car retailers to abide by a number of laws that are specific to them. There are about 6,900 dealers in Ontario and each one must be registered under the act. Registra­ tion is not automatic. An applica­ tion may be turned down. The more common reasons for refusal are a shaky financial background and/or a criminal past. From April, 1987, to the beginning of December, 1987, 33 applicants or registrations were either refused or revoked. Advanced system revises manufacturing General Motors is revising its worldwide manufacturing opera­ tions through its newly instituted GM Production System. The pur­ pose of this system is to establish a common manufacturing program forGM’s numerous operations throughout the world, thus reduc­ ing costs and boosting productivi­ ty- The program is designed to alter activities in nearly all areas of vehicles production, including me­ thods of engineering, vehicle design, marketing, material con­ trol, plant arrangements, supplier agreements and labor relations. It also simplifies “bureaucratic’’ procedures among salaried per­ sonnel and streamlines the on-line workers’ tasks, accomplished in large part by listening to the workers who actually do the jobs. An end result to GM’s Produc­ tion System is increased produc­ tivity by effectively tapping the potential of both hourly and salaried GM employees. The system also aids in greater quality with significant cost reductions. What kind of provisions are included in the act to protect the consumer? False advertising is one. If the registrar of motor vehicles believes “on reasonable and pro­ bable grounds that a motor vehicle dealer is making false, misleading or deceptive statements in any advertisement, circular, pamphlet ..." he may order a stop to the advertisement. Odometer tampering is another matter dealt with by the act. The only time a repairer is entitled to adjust or alter an odometer is for a bona fide exchange or repair. If a repair or exchange is done on an odometer, the repairer is required to record in a recondition­ ing history the reading in miles or kilometres that was found on the vehicle prior to its repair. If someone is caught tampering with an odometer, they are prosecuted under the Criminal Code, obvious­ ly a serious charge. A key consumer protection component of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act is the compensation fund. Every motor vehicle dealer is required to contribute $300 to the plan at the time of registration. If the book value of the fund should fall below $1.5 million, the motor vehicle dealers will be required to top up the fund by the necessary amount. What can the compensation fund do for you? If can refund money to you if your predicament falls within one of the situations described in the legislation. One important point to keep in mind is thatitonly protects you for upto $10,000. Anotherkeyisthatthe claim against the fund must be a claim for monetary loss “arising out of a transaction involving a trade in a motor vehicle.” Let’s look at some examples of when you might be able to collect from the fund. If you have successfully sued your dealer and have not been able to collect, this would be one opportunity to take advantage of the fund. Another example would be where your dealer was convicted of an offence for fraud, theft or false pretences as a result of your transaction and you have a liqui­ dated amount (the legal term meaning that there is no issue on how much is owing). The only issue is liability. You could make an application, which would include evidence of the conviction and the liquidated amount. Some other permissible claims include: where the dealer has become bankrupt or the business is being wound up and the claim is for aliquidatedamount, where you have made a deposit or downpay- mentforanundelivered car and you have not received it and the dealer, without legal excuse, has refused to make the payment. The final situation would be where you have paid for an extended warranty or service plan and there is no insurer of it, “and the terms of the warranty or plan has not expired and the claim is for a non-earned premium or for a repair under the warranty or plan.’’ In order to make a claim against the fund, you are required to give written notice of your claim to the registrarwithin two years of the participant’s (i.e. dealer) refusal or failure to pay. If your claim arose before July 1, 1986, (the date when the fund was established), then you’re not entitled to make a claim against the fund. By December, 1987, there had been two successful claims against the fund. What should you do if you believe you have a claim? You might contact the compensation fund officer for the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. If you have a complaint about your motor vehicle dealer, you can contact the Consumer Services Bureau at the Ministry of Consum­ er and Commercial Relations. A consu mer services officer will try to resolve the dispute on your behalf. The compensation fund officer is at the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, 555 Yonge St., Toronto. Phone (416) 963- 0411. The Consumer Services Beureau is located in the same building. The phone number is 963-0321. Fun, Sun, Savings Ziebart'Sun-Roofs k~ls19900 vWV ■ From ■ W V INSTALLED Reg. From $259.00 • Adds a sporty new look • Lifetime no-leak warranty’ Ziebart Splash Guards Ziebart h® Running” Boards SET OF 4 INSTALLED ONLY $2495 SAVE <£Afl00 INSTALLED HOWWELL DOES YOUR CAR STAND UPTO HEAVYTRAFFIC? F7S4 BECARSMARTGOZIEBART ZIEBART 830 Main St. W. Listowel 291-3171 ’ See Dealer for details Offer expires May 31/88 What you see here is exactly what wu think you see here. A Volvo supporting the entire weight of a 6 Vi ton truck We sincerely hope you never find yourself in a predicament like this. But if wu do. A. fc also hope you're in a Volvo VOLVO A i?.ir sshj can beJievv in "CANADA’S OLDEST VOLVO DEALER" M-W MOTORS LTD. 184 EAST ST., GODERICH 524-2113 Sales, Service. Parts, Leasing . imos^I'vIi* . ...............................a.........jgii.i'i iUHHI.ai,„..JJ..i. A CAR IMPROVEMENT SPECIALISTS