Tips & Tricks | emotorscanada.com

eBay Motors Canada: Selling and Seller Fees

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 28, 2010 at 12:41 am {no comments}

eBay Motors Canada needs to make money to pay them bills, so like every auction whether live or online, there will be fees. To persuade you to sign up, eBay Motors will waive the basic fees for your first four listings. What eBay doesn’t tell you is that the “Free” first four transactions actually seem to cost you more money according to their Fees Page.

Category	*Insertion Fee(C$)**	*Insertion Fee(US$)**	*Transaction Services Fee(C$)*	Transaction Services Fee(US$)
Cars & Trucks,Other Vehicles	Free	Free	C$125.00	US$125.00
Motorcycles	Free	Free	C$100.00	US$100.00
Cars & Trucks, etc. (AFTER 4 Trans)	20	20	C$100.00	US$100.00
Motorcycles (AFTER 4 Trans)	15	15	C$80.00	US$80.00

It’s definitely one of those situations where you question the ethics of eBay. The only benefit of this system is if you vehicle doesn’t sell. The transaction and services fee is only charged if your vehicle receives a bid higher than the reserve price, but you’ll always be charged the insertion fee after your first four listings.

If you sell your vehicle on the first attempt, you actually end up paying five dollars more than you would’ve without their “Free Insertion” promotion. So if you want to take advantage of eBay’s system, your first listing should be a ridiculously high Buy-It-Now auction to test the market.

OPTIONAL FEES

A reserve fee for cars cost 7 dollars and in the grand-scheme of things, you’re better off using it than losing two-grand on your car.

Category	Reserve Fee in C$ or US$
Cars & Trucks,Other Vehicles	$7.00
Motorcycles	$7.00

After the reserve fee, there are a few other optional fees worth paying for.

Feature	Fee (C$)	Fee (US$)
Motors Pro Pack	C$29.95	US$29.95
Featured Plus!	C$19.95	US$19.95
Gallery	Free	Free
Gallery Plus	C$2.00	US$2.00
Gallery Featured (Auction Format, Fixed Price 3, 5, 7, 10 Days)	C$24.95	US$24.95
Gallery Featured (Fixed Price 30 Days/Good ‘Til Cancelled)	C$74.95	US$74.95
Border	C$4.00	US$4.00
Highlight	C$5.00	US$5.00
Bold	C$4.00	US$4.00
Item Subtitle	C$0.50	US$0.50
Scheduled Listings	C$1.00	US$1.00
Buy It Now	C$1.00	US$1.00
10-Day Duration	C$8.00	US$8.00
21-Day Duration(Fixed Price only)	C$25.00	US$25.00
Listing Designer*	C$5.00	US$5.00

It’ll come down to quite a few different factors and you can save some money by hosting the images yourself.

If you’d like FREE IMAGE HOSTING FOR YOUR EBAY MOTORS CANADA LISTINGS — Just go ahead and ask (in the comments), we’ll be glad to lend a helping hand. We’ll even promote your auction because we’re Canadian. We won’t approve the comment, so just shoot us over your email, and we’ll get in touch.

In the end, it’s probably a good idea to assume that a good listing will set you back at least a couple hundred bucks canadian.

eBay Motors Canada and Autocheck Scores

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 27, 2010 at 11:53 pm {no comments}

eBay Motors Canada provides the user with third-party VIN histories, along with various scoring and ranking systems. The prominent ranking system on eBay Motors Canada is AutoCheck. Where AutoCheck sets itself apart is it’s AutoCheck Buyback Protection. If an AutoCheck recommended car fails to list any major title flaws, they’ll buy your car back at up to 110% of it’s value as determined by NadaGuides.

It’s a great system, and it’ll save you a few bucks over a company like Car Fax, but I’d probably recommend whatever you’re most comfortable with. Car Fax seems to put together quite a few terrific promotional packages, so if you can get a steal — go for it.

When you view the AutoCheck Score on eBay Motors Canada, it’s fairly simple to understand:

The Vehicle is assigned a number based on:

Age – The age of the vehicle at the time the report was run.
Mileage – The number of miles reported for the vehicle at the time the report was run. Mileage is reported periodically to the various agencies from which we compile our data.
Vehicle Class – Examples of vehicle classes include “Sport utility — entry level” and “Mid-range cars – standard”. AutoCheck vehicle history reports utilize vehicle classes supplied by Automotive News. This list of vehicle makes and models is published annually and is recognized as an industry standard.
AutoCheck Assured Status – AutoCheck Assured vehicles are free of major title brands like salvage or water damage and other events like “Auction Announced as Frame Damage”. All AutoCheck Assured vehicles also qualify for AutoCheck Buyback Protection.
Calculated Number of Owners – The number of owners calculated by AutoCheck, based on information compiled by its sources.
Vehicle Use & Events – Some factors like taxi use, repossession, accidents and theft history negatively affect the AutoCheck Score. Positive events include lease history and emission testing.

The Score alone should give you quite a bit of insight and is, for the most part, run daily when you login to view the vehicle. The rest of the report is available and breaks breaks down the vehicle’s history into easy to read reports.

AutoCheck does something that’s absolutely priceless, they put the report into context by comparing your potential vehicle to all of the other vehicles in their database with the same make/model. Here’s an example from their website:

What does the AutoCheck Score mean?

The Score is based on a scale of 1 to 100, but it’s very important to read the Score in conjunction with the Score Range, since looking at the Score without knowing the range will only reveal half the story. Review the example below:

Car #1	Car #2
1999 Nissan Maxima	2005 Chevrolet Malibu
Score: 84	Score: 89
Score Range: 76-81	Score Range: 90-95

In this example, Car #1 has a lower Score than Car #2. However, take a look at the Score Ranges. For Car #1, other comparable 1999 Nissan Maximas should fall into a range from 76 to 81, but this car scored an 84. That means the car has a more favorable vehicle history (with regard to the Score factors listed above) compared to other similar cars of the same make and model.

Car #2 has a Score of 89. Because this is higher than Car #1′s Score, you might assume this car has a more favorable vehicle history, but that’s not entirely accurate. Comparable 2005 Chevy Malibus should score in a range from 90 to 95, and this car falls short. That means the car’s history is less favorable when compared to other similar cars of the same make and model.

A Woman: What Men Really Want From A eBay Motors Car

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 27, 2010 at 7:03 pm {no comments}

There are a handful of catchy phrases that’ll increase buyer interest through stereotypes and connotations alone. One of the biggest keyword phrases associated with higher sales on eBay Motors Canada is “One Owner,” which obviously translates to “Original Owner”.

Absolutely nobody wants to buy a car that’s been cast away by two, three, or sometimes even more owners. While the CarFax and AutoCheck may tell you that this car is in pristine condition, with no signs of the car ever appearing on their lemon report, there’s definitely something in the back of your head saying, “Why didn’t these people keep this car?”

Other keywords you’ll often run-across are “Garage Kept”, “Non-Smoker” and “Summer Driven Only” and they’re all terrific. Everyone wants a lovely smelling car that hasn’t been exposed to the road-salt and snow, but you know what men really want?

A Woman.

“Woman Driven” or “Lady Driven”

These two phrases, essentially meaning the same thing, say one thing about the car without actually saying it. I’m sure men have driven the car, but that’s hardly the point, the point is this:

STUPID SHIT HASN’T BEEN DONE TO THIS CAR

Maybe a woman gets a bit touchy with the breaks, but we’re just talking pads. Most of the cars listed today are automatic, so it’s not like she screwed up the transmission.

Ask yourself this: What’s the first thing you do after purchasing a new car?

You bring it home, show it off a bit, and then take it out to see what it can do.

Women aren’t blazing down prairie highways to see if they can bury the needle. Women aren’t racing off the line in the middle of town because the little-dicked prick thinks his BMW makes him more of a man than you.

Women don’t ruin cars and sell them, men do.

Even more importantly, for the most part, if something is wrong with the Vehicle, it gets brought to the shop. A woman isn’t going under the hood trying to remember how to change a fan-belt. She’s also not stuffing a round air-filter into a square hole.

You may not notice this when you’re shopping for cars, but it’s true. For the most part, the cars that women drive will hold up longer over-time because women don’t break cars.

It’s one of the catchiest keywords out there for eBay Motors Canada, and I’d suggest using it.

Comparison Shopping In Canada Before Bidding on eBay Motors

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 27, 2010 at 2:56 pm {no comments}

The Free Market is a beautiful thing, especially if you’re looking to save some cash on your first car or make a quick buck flipping a car for profit.

, like any auction format, is only an indicator of what any particular car is worth at that exact time to that exact group of people. Even with high reserve prices, you can save a few thousand dollars on a car for the simplest of reasons. Maybe the car was listed at a poor time or maybe a recall terrified customers: It could be anything.

More often than not though, the quantity-to-money ratio will affect prices. If the market is saturated, there are deals to be had. Dealers will always be on the look-out for cars that they can flip, but even they have a budget. If too many Fusion’s are listed in the same week, odds are at least a couple of them are going to sell for way under the going rate. You may not get your first or second choice, but most savvy customers will take the 10% savings over a cosmetic scratch any day of the week.

How To Determine What To Bid On Any Given eBay Motors Car

Your first step should always be a broad-search on not just motors.ebay.ca but also motors.ebay.com.

When you start your search, you’ll be greeted with a dialogue asking for the Model, Year, Mileage — anything you can dream up — and you’re postal code. On the American eBay Motors site, the same applies but they’ll ask for your ZIP Code.

TIP: Always use a ZIP CODE from the closest border state. It’ll provide you with accuracy and hell, if a car catches your eye, it’s only a few hours and a few thousand dollars in fees away.

Ontario:

Detroit (MI): 48201 to 48243 Port Huron (MI): 48060 Sault St. Marie (MI): 49783 International Falls (MN): 56649 Buffalo (NY): 14202 to 14228 Niagara Falls (NY): 14301 to 14305 Roosevelt (NY): 11575 Alexandria Bay (NY): 13607 Lewiston (NY): 14092

British Columbia:

Sumas (WA): 98295 Point Roberts (WA): 98281 Blaine (WA): 98230 Seattle (WA): 98101

New Brunswick:

Calais (ME): 04619 Houlton (ME): 04730 Portland (ME): 04101 to 04103

Quebec:

Derby Line (VT): 05829 Highgate Center (VT): 05459 Champlain (NY): 12919 Burlington (VT): 05401

Manitoba:

Pembina (ND): 58271 Fargo (ND): 58102 – 581004

Saskatchewan:

Portal (ND): 58772 Grand Forks (ND): 58201 – 58205

Alberta:

Sweet Grass (MT): 59484 Billings (MT): 59101 – 59106

Other Major Cities:

New York (NY): 10001 to 10100 Cleveland (OH): 44102 to 44120 Philadelphia (PA): 19102 to 19150

After you’ve inputted either your Postal Code or the Nearest Zip-Code, offers up a plethora of free information.

Completed Sales from the Last 90 Days: Terrific for estimating general interest, although you’ll have to pay attention to the condition and mileage on any given car.

Kelley Blue Book Estimated Price: This is great, you get a free Blue Book price. Even if you’re going to a dealership to buy a used car, you should jot down this number. The Blue Book price always assumes AVERAGE MILEAGE and EXCELLENT CONDITION. Very few cars, if any, on eBay Motors will meet or exceed this price.

Kelley Blue Book Price Estimator: This is why we showed up — Input all of the details about the car, along with the ZIP CODE from above. Not only do you get the Private Party Sale Value, but you also get the Suggested Retail Value for Dealerships. Obviously, you’ll never want to pay the SRV, but it’s definitely a good way to ballpark the highest end of the range.

Current Running Auctions: Finally, it’ll show you the current auction prices for the car you’re interested in. While auction prices fluctuate, it’s generally a good idea to pay attention to the Buy-It-Now and whether or not the Reserve has been met at the current bid.

Auto Trader and Autotrader.ca

Always check autotrader.ca before placing a bid on eBay Motors. While an auction format will get you a good price, it doesn’t always get you the BEST price. It has a great search function, and you can limit your search to cars within a fair driving distance, much like eBay Motors Canada. However, the listing price will always be on the higher end of the Kelley Blue Book Price. In private sales, or dealership listings, people obviously want to get the most money they can, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take less and in some cases, much less.

The more urgently they need to sell the car, for whatever reason, the more lenient they’ll be with the price. Remember, however, that you won’t get the added fraud prevention that eBay Motors Canada offers.

Even if you’re not buying from Auto Trader, it’s a great place to put any eBay auction into context. You’ll find that more often than not, you’ll end up saving at least a few hundred dollars and often much more, along with receiving added protection, when you purchase from eBay Motors Canada.

2009 Kelley Blue Book Back To School Cars

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 27, 2010 at 4:27 am {no comments}

The Kelley Blue Book puts together their annual list of the best cars to purchase for your pimple-faced teenager that’s ready to ship off to university. There are some terrific deals, and while Canadian’s can’t quote the prices; the list of cars is a good one.

NEW VEHICLES

The 2009 Ford Focus // MSRP: $17,095

The New Car Blue Book Value is $16,312 and with some sweet talkin’ you’ll be able to get quite a few perks. The car’s sleek, good on gas, and has a great safety record.

The 2009 Honda Fit // MSRP: $15,460

The New Car Blue Book Value is $15,305 which goes great with the low insurance rates. It’s roomier than it looks and a great choice.

The 2009 KIA Soul // MSRP: $13,999

The New Car Blue Book Value is $13,925 and this puppy is stacked with everything you need in terms of long-term guarantee and powertrain coverage. Space is a good thing.

The 2009 Mazda MAZDA3 // MSRP: $20,290

New Car Blue Book Value is $19,681 for this terrific looking car. It regularly appears in Kelley BB’s Top-10 Coolest Cars..

The 2009 Nissan Cube // MSRP: $14,710

New Car Book Value is $14,416 on this strange looking beast. Standard stability and traction controls, six airbags and a terrific 30mpg at under 15K is what sells this car, though

USED VEHICLES

The 2005 Chevrolet Silverado // SRV: $10,400

No one needs a pick-up truck at school, until they need a pick-up truck. Your kid will make more friends in the first week of school with this than any other vehicle. In university, everyone needs a hand moving, and no-one ever has anything bigger than a coupe.

The 2005 Ford Escape // SRV: $11,250

Room for five with cargo space to spare, works. If your kid needs a cross-over, this is one of your best bets.

The 2006 Honda Civic // SRV: $11,250

Terrific reputation is all you need to know. The Civic will always be one of the best used-car bets out there.

The 2005 Scion xB // SRV: $9,650

I’m not the biggest fan of these boxes on wheels, but they come with ample space and decent fuel economy

The 2007 Suzuki SX4 // SRV: $11,750

The SX4 is the cheapest all-wheel drive car sold in America. The car is pretty well suited for any student, even in wagon form.

The Least and Most Expensive 2010 Vehicles To Insure

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 27, 2010 at 3:18 am {no comments}

Over at MSN Money, a list of the least and most expensive cars to insure has been published from Insure’s data.

The Least Expensive 2010 Models to Insure

Rank	Make and model	Type	Style	Cylinders	Average annual premium
1	Mazda Tribute I	SUV	2-wheel drive, 4 doors	4	$1,070.25
2	Honda Odyssey LX	Minivan	2-wheel drive, 5 doors	6	$1,095.26
3	Mazda Tribute I	SUV	4-wheel drive, 4 doors	4	$1,103.29
4	Chrysler Town & Country LX	Minivan	2-wheel drive, 4 doors, 3.3L engine	6	$1,119.83
5	Jeep Wrangler X	SUV	4-wheel drive, 2 doors, 3.8L engine	6	$1,124.38
6	Mazda Tribute S	SUV	2-wheel drive, 4 doors	6	$1,128.29
7	Dodge Grand Caravan SE	Wagon	2-wheel drive, 4 doors, 3.3L engine	6	$1,131.06
8	Toyota Sienna CE	Minivan	4 doors	6	$1,133.97
9	Hyundai Tucson GLS	SUV	2-wheel drive, 4 doors	4	$1,134.08
10	Kia Sportage LX	SUV	2-wheel drive, 4 doors	4	$1,138.41
11	Honda Odyssey EX	Minivan	2-wheel drive, 5 doors	6	$1,139.80
12	Hyundai Santa Fe GLS	SUV	2-wheel drive, 4 doors	6	$1,141.07
13	Jeep Patriot Sport	SUV	2-wheel drive, 4 doors	4	$1,145.58
14	Honda CR-V LX	SUV	5 doors, 2.4L engine	4	$1,146.29
15	Dodge Grand Caravan C/V	Minivan	2-wheel drive, 4 doors	6	$1,146.53
16	Mazda Tribute S	SUV	4-wheel drive, 4 doors	6	$1,146.69
17	Toyota Sienna LE	Minivan	4 doors	6	$1,148.78
18	Dodge Journey SE	SUV	2-wheel drive, 4 doors, 2.4L engine	4	$1,149.59
19	Ford Escape XLS	SUV	4-wheel drive, 4 doors	4	$1,149.67
20	GMC Canyon WT	Truck	2-wheel drive, 2 doors, 2.9L engine	4	$1,152.39

The Most Expensive 2010 Models To Insure

Rank	Make and model	Type	Style	Cylinders	Average annual premium
1	Porsche 911 Carrera GT2	Coupe	2 doors	6	$2,943.78
2	Mercedes S65 AMG	Sedan	4 doors	12	$2,863.03
3	Dodge Viper SRT-10	Coupe	2 doors	10	$2,851.89
4	Porsche Panamera Turbo AWHEEL-DRIVE	Sedan	4 doors	8	$2,837.39
5	Dodge Viper SRT-10	Convertible	2 doors	10	$2,815.90
6	Mercedes CL600	Coupe	2 doors	12	$2,754.80
7	Audi R8	Coupe	All-wheel drive, 2 doors	8	$2,751.55
8	Porsche Panamera S	Sedan	4 doors	8	$2,744.78
9	Mercedes SL600	Convertible	2 doors	12	$2,715.86
10	Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo	Coupe	All-wheel drive, 2 doors	6	$2,706.04
11	Mercedes CL65 AMG	Coupe	2 doors	12	$2,699.74
12	BMW M6	Convertible	2 doors	10	$2,689.13
13	Mercedes S600	Sedan	4 doors	12	$2,667.48
14	Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series	Convertible	2 doors	12	$2,655.15
15	Mercedes SL65 AMG	Convertible	2 doors	12	$2,653.53
16	Mercedes CL63 AMG	Coupe	2 doors	8	$2,646.92
17	BMW M6	Coupe	2 doors	10	$2,627.27
18	BMW 760Li	Sedan	4 doors	12	$2,565.59
19	Jaguar XKR Portfolio SC	Coupe	2 doors	8	$2,537.79
20	Jaguar XKR Supercharged	Coupe	2 doors	8	$2,533.48

Average Premiums For The Top-Selling Vehicles

Rank (by 2009 sales)*	Make and model	Average annual premium**
1	Ford F-Series pickup	$1,492.71
2	Toyota Camry	$1,274.61
3	Chevrolet Silverado pickup	$1,383.10
4	Toyota Corolla	$1,302.68
5	Honda Accord	$1,301.20
6	Honda Civic	$1,362.97
7	Nissan Altima	$1,399.35
8	Honda CR-V	$1,161.52
9	Ford Fusion	$1,354.84
10	Dodge Ram pickup	$1,467.63

Private Sales Of A Used Vehicle In Ontario

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 27, 2010 at 2:28 am {one comment}

eBay Motors makes it easy, but there are still laws and regulations required for private transactions in Ontario.

The best place to start is the MTO’s or Ministry of Transporation’s website.

In Ontario, the seller must provide the buyer of the used Vehicle with a Used Vehicle Information Package.

NOTE: A Seller can get away without the UVIP and the government will make you, the buyer, pay the 25 dollar fee for the package when you go to register the vehicle.

The used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP) includes:

Description of the vehicle
- Vehicle Indentification Number (VIN)
- Plate Number
- Year, Make
- Model
- Colour
- Body Type
- Cylinders
- Power
- Status
- Brand
Ontario vehicle registration history
Odometer information
Outstanding debts (link to liens) on the vehicle
Wholesale and retail values for the vehicle’s model and year, if available
Retail sales tax requirements
Bill of sale
Tips on vehicle safety standards inspections

Toll free: 1-800-387-3445 (Canada-wide) is the number to reach the MTO regarding this package.

Why do buyers need a Used Vehicle Information Package?

To learn about the status of the vehicle, which may affect future use of the vehicle. Examples of a vehicle status that may be of concern to a buyer include:
- Suspended
  - If ministry records show that a vehicle status is “suspended”, no transactions involving the vehicle will be processed. A buyer could not obtain a new vehicle permit.
  - A vehicle permit may be suspended for things like a contravention of a statute, such as the Highway Traffic Act.
- Unfit
  - If ministry records show that the vehicle status is “unfit”, it may be mechanically unfit. Licence plates cannot be attached to such a vehicle unless a Safety Standards Certificate is provided to the ministry.
- Wrecked
  - If ministry records show that the vehicle status is “wrecked”, the vehicle has been completely dismantled or crushed. Licence plates cannot be attached to the vehicle and it cannot be used on any public road.

To be made aware if the vehicle has been branded and may affect future use of the vehicle
To make sure the name of the person selling the vehicle is the same as the name on the vehicle registration
To see if anything in the vehicle’s registration history might cause concern
To check the vehicle’s odometer reading last provided to the ministry.
To be aware of any outstanding lien (debts) registered against the vehicle

The Used Vehicle Information Package and What You’ll Need To Complete It

The Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP) provides an Ontario history of a specific vehicle. This package contains vehicle registration history in Ontario, vehicle lien information (i.e. if there are any liens registered on the vehicle in Ontario), the fair market value on which the minimum tax payable will apply and other information such as consumer tips, vehicle safety standards inspection, retail sales tax information and forms for bills of sale.

A UVIP is required for most transfers of motorcycles, passenger and light commercial vehicles between individuals.
The private seller of a used motor vehicle is required to purchase a UVIP. Unless the types of vehicle and transfer situations are exempt, the seller is required to give the purchaser this package at the time of sale.
Some types of vehicle and transfer situations are exempt from this requirement. One example of an exemption from providing this package is transfers between linear family members (excluding siblings). Linear family members have been defined as father, mother, stepmother, stepfather, spouse, grandfather, grandmother, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, step-grandson, step-granddaughter, grandson, granddaughter, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law. For further information on possible exemptions, please contact the ministry at 1-800-387-3445 or 416-235-2999 (GTA).
The purchaser must present the UVIP to the Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office when transferring the vehicle registration.
The UVIP you request will be mailed to you at the address we have on file or the delivery address you provide.

To complete your UVIP request you will need:

The vehicle identification number or the licence plate number of the used vehicle.
If possible, it is recommended you enter the vehicle identification number. If you enter a licence plate number, a UVIP will be created for the vehicle that plate is currently attached to according to MTO’s records.
Your Ontario driver’s licence number or registrant identification number, or your name and address.
A valid credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express).
A printer to print your receipt.

Finally, the MTO provides some fairly useful tips for buying…

What You Should Look For As A Buyer

Always inspect a vehicle in the daylight.
Carefully check for extreme wear of the upholstery, seats, brake and accelerator pedals. New pedals may signal the car has had a lot of use.
Look closely at the exterior. Waves on the body could mean bodywork or that the vehicle has been in an accident.
Take it for a road test that includes driving at different speeds and on different road conditions. The test helps evaluate the steering, brakes, shock absorbers and front-end alignment.
Ask about the vehicle’s accident history. If there have been accidents, get a written summary of the accident information.
Ask for the Used Vehicle Information Package.
Take the vehicle to your mechanic or to a diagnostic centre for a check-up before buying.

Problems	It may mean….
Steering that pulls the vehicle to one side	alignment problems in the future
Squealing brakes	too much wear or improper adjustment
Blue smoke coming from the tail pipe	costly engine repairs are needed
Lack of control when turning a corner at normal speeds or a very bouncy ride	steering linkage problems, worn-out shock absorbers, or both

Note: Odometer tampering is a criminal offence. An average vehicle gathers 16,000 to 20,000 kilometres per year. Look out for odometers showing low kilometres for the vehicle’s age and signs of wear. If you believe the odometer has been tampered with report it to the police.

A buyer’s checklist (printable checklist in PDF or MS Word

Make sure the Vehicle Identification Number on the vehicle matches the Vehicle Identification Number on the vehicle permit
- If it does not match, seller must call ServiceOntario’s Driver and Vehicle Contact Centre:
  Toronto area: 416-235-2999
  Toll free: 1-800-387-3445 (Canada-wide)
Get the vehicle permit with the completed Application for Transfer from the seller.
Get the “Bill of Sale” from the seller. Make sure the seller fills out their name and signature, date, and purchase price.
Bring the plate portion of the vehicle registration permit. (if you are attaching your plate to the vehicle)
Ask to see the Used Vehicle Information Package. If you buy the vehicle, make sure the seller gives you the package.

Bought a Used vehicle and Finalized the Purchase (printable checklist in PDF or MS Word

As the new owner, by law you must register your used vehicle within six days of the sale. Here is how:

Bring the Used Vehicle Information Package and the vehicle permit with the completed Application for Transfer to a Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office
Pay the retail sales tax. At the time of the transfer, the Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office collects the tax. The amount of tax is based on the purchase price or the wholesale value, whichever is greater
Pay the licensing / fees for plates and permit
- Trailer plate and permit = $35
- Passenger, Commercial, Motorcycle and Moped Licence Plates and permit = $20
- Attaching Plates you already own = $10
- To validate a plate, the plate holder must pay for the validation sticker, which is calculated from the date of the vehicle transfer to the expiry date of the licence plates.
- Transfer fee for a snowmobile is $6 and the annual validation is $15
Present proof of insurance (if you are going to put plates on the vehicle)
Get a Safety Standards Certificate if the vehicle will be plated and operated on the roads. This is not required for trailers or mopeds or off-road vehicles or snowmobiles.
If your vehicle is registered, plated and in the Drive Clean Program, show the vehicle emissions report. To find out if your vehicle needs to pass an emissions test, call the Ministry of the Environment’s Drive Clean Call Centre:
toll free: 1-888-758-2999 or
visit Drive Clean
If this is the first time you have registered a plate or vehicle with this ministry, present proof of identify (verifying legal name, date of birth and signature).
If you are registering plates that you already have, bring the plate portion of your vehicle registration permit with you to the Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Issuing Office

Questions? Call ServiceOntario’s Driver and Vehicle Contact Centre:
Toronto Area: 416-235-2999
Toll Free: 1-800-387-3445 (Canada-wide)

Liens (Debts) on a Vehicle

Nobody wants to watch a tow truck take away the car they just bought. But that is what can happen, if there is an outstanding debt, or lien, on a vehicle you have purchased. This is one reason why it is so important to get a Used Vehicle Information Package and check the lien information.

Buyers

Did you know?
If the lien is not paid, the secured party (debt holder) can repossess the vehicle from the person who owes the money or from the buyer of the vehicle.

If there are debts registered in Ontario on the vehicle, the lien information will tell you:

The name and municipality of the person who owes the money. If a business owes the money, the package will have the full street address
The name and address of the lender (the secured party)
The place where the debt is registered
The amount of the debt

Note: The lien information on a UVIP may not be current. The date shown on the package is usually two days behind

Sellers

It is important to check the lien information in the Used Vehicle Information Package because the lien can be registered against you.

Lien Information Package Check

If…	Then…
You want to transfer the lien to the buyer	Contact the Ministry of Government Services: Toll Free: 1-800-268-1142 Toronto: 416-326-8555 TTY: 416-326-8566 (for the speech/hearing impaired)
You have already paid off the debt	Contact the lender and ask them to clear the debt
The package lists previous owners as debtors	Contact each lender to get an update on the debt If the debt was paid, ask the lender to clear the debt If the debt is not paid, it continues against the vehicle until it is paid. The lender can also take back the vehicle at any time
The debt is paid and the lender has not cleared it	The lender must register a clearance within 30 days If the lender has not registered a clearance, you can write a notice to the lender requiring them to pay you – $500 and any damages resulting from not clearing the debt The Ministry of Government Services, Personal Property Security Branch removes a clearance registration within 60 days

Learn more
For more information on liens, call the Ministry of Government Services, Personal Property Security Branch:
Toronto area: 416-325-8847
Toll free: 1-800-267-8847
Telephone Device for the Deaf: 416-326-8866

For information about commercial vehicles, contact the Ministry of Government Services.

Anatomy of a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Filed under Tips & Tricks by staff on March 26, 2010 at 11:49 pm {no comments}

With eBay Motors, CarFax will run the Vehicle identification number for you in order to provide a plethora of useful information. With the VIN, CarFax will return:

Has the car been in a severe accident
Is the car a lemon?
Has the car been flooded?
Has the car experienced odometer problems?
How many owners has the car had?
Is the car a high mileage car?
Has the car been used as a rental car?
Has the car been used as a fleet car (taxi, etc) ?
Has the car ever been declared a total loss?
Have the airbags been deployed?
Has the car experienced frame damage?
Has the car been regularly maintained?

All this from a single number, or what’s come to be known as a car’s DNA. The (V)ehicle (I)dentification (N)umber is located below the windshield, on the driver’s side, above the steering wheel. Many people also get their car’s VIN etched onto the various windows of the car, as well. Other common locations are the firewall, radiator support bracket, left hand iner wheel arch, steering column, guarantee & maintenance booklet, machined pad on the front of the engine, driver’s door or post on passenger’s side and component parts (engine, frame, etc)

Anatomy of a Vehicle Identification Number

FIRST CHARACTER: Country Code

Country Code: 1 for the USA and 2 and 3 for Canada and Mexico, respectively. All cars starting with 1, 2 or 3 are DUTY-FREE in accordance with NAFTA.

SECOND CHARACTER: Manufacturer

A: Audi, Mitsubishi, Range Rover, American Motors, Sterling, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Jaguar

B: Dodge

C: Chrysler, Checker, Delorian.

D: Daihatsu and Mercedes

E: Eagle

F: Ford, some Subaru’s (Forrester & Impreza), Fiat, Peugeot, Renault and Ferrari.

G: General Motors (Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Saturn)

H: Honda and Acura

J: Jeep

L: Lancia, Daewoo and Lincoln

M: Hyundai and Mini

N: Infinity, Nissan, Kia and Ford Aspires (possibly: Ford Festiva and some Toyotas)

P: Porshe and Plymouth

S: Isuzu, Saab, Subaru and Suzuki

T: Toyota and Lexus

U: Aro

V: Volkswagen, Volvo

X: Yugo

Y: Mazda

Z: Mercury

2: Avanti

3: American General (Hummer)

8: Chevrolet Luv and Geo Storm

9: Acura

CHARACTERS 3-8: Manufacturer to Reflect Body, Car-Line, etc.

The Third Character will represent the Vehicle Type or Manufacturing Division in Most Cases. The next 5 Characters will represent body type, engine type, etc. etc. All of these characters are used at the Manufacturers discretion.

The Eighth Digit, starting in about 1980, has often been used to describe the size of the engine displacement.

CHARACTER 9: Check Digit

A Check digit to ensure the validity of the VIN. The Department of Transportation came up with a dandy little Check-SUM relying on the 9th character.

FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR CAR’S VIN NUMBER AGAINST THE CHECK DIGIT, CHECK HERE.

Remember though, even if the car is stolen and the VIN forged or incorrect, there’s a 1 in a 11 shot that the VINs will match up anyways. The random odds are obviously limited by the number of possible Check Digits.

CHARACTER 10: MODEL YEAR

Code	Year	Code	Year	Code	Year	Code	Year
A =	1980	L =	1990	Y =	2000	A =	2010
B =	1981	M =	1991	1 =	2001	B =	2011
C =	1982	N =	1992	2 =	2002	C =	2012
D =	1983	P =	1993	3 =	2003	D =	2013
E =	1984	R =	1994	4 =	2004	E =	2014
F =	1985	S =	1995	5 =	2005	F =	2015
G =	1986	T=	1996	6 =	2006	G =	2016
H =	1987	V =	1997	7 =	2007	H =	2017
J =	1988	W =	1998	8 =	2008	J =	2018
K =	1989	X =	1999	9 =	2009	K =	2019

11th CHARACTER: Final Assembly Plant

Each manufacturer has it’s own series for the Final Assembly Plant Digit, but the digit will be standardized within each company.

12th to 17th CHARACTERS: Vehicle’s Actual Serial Number.

These final characters are your vehicle’s actual serial number, and no two vehicles of the same model, produced in the same plant, with the same engine block, should have the same serial number.

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