AMVIC often sees automotive businesses trying to add extra fees to a vehicle sale. If you’re a consumer, this can happen when you’re ordering a vehicle or when you’re walking into an automotive business and picking from their current inventory.
All-in advertised pricing is the law.
In Alberta, all-in advertised pricing is the law. This means when an AMVIC-licensed seller advertises the price of a vehicle, the price must include ALL fees and charges the seller intends to charge. The only fee that can be added to the advertised price is GST and any costs or charges associated with financing. AMVIC recommends doing research on the vehicle you want and taking vehicle ads with you into the automotive business.
No consumer should ever be forced to agree to extra fees, additional equipment or services they do not want. If you, as a consumer, are unable to negotiate removing those fees, you always have the option to walk away from the deal. Remember, advertising can include print, direct mail, social media, online, radio, mobile and television ads.
A bill of sale is a formal purchase agreement.
Consumers should ensure they have a fully completed bill of sale that includes all the mandatory information to best protect themselves from price increases. Remember that other documents used as sales tools or that are created during the negotiation process such as worksheets, in-house deposit agreements and deposit receipts are NOT bills of sale. Consumers should print or screen capture AMVIC’s free, easy to use consumer checklists to ensure their bills of sale are complete. For free advice, including consumer guides, visit amvic.org.