If you decide to buy a vehicle privately, make sure you understand the difference between a private seller and an unlicensed seller, which is commonly called a curber.
Purchasing a used vehicle from a curber can mean serious issues down the road, should anything go wrong after the sale is complete.
What is a curber?
Curbers:
- are illegal, unlicensed vehicle sellers,
- often pose as private sellers, when in fact they sell vehicles for profit, like a business, and
- frequently sell vehicles that have hidden damage, tampered odometers or mechanical issues.
How do you spot a curber?
Curbers will often pressure you into buying the vehicle quickly, without much questioning. Sometimes they use tactics such as saying they need the money from the sale for a sick relative or other empathic- sounding stories. They may also claim they are selling the vehicle for a family member or friend in an attempt to explain why their name is not on the vehicle registration.
As a purchaser, you are in control of the transaction. You should always ask for the seller to show their identification and previous registration so you can match the two. A curber will seldom have the vehicle registration in their name and they will not be the actual previous owner.
Curbers may have multiple listings on marketplace websites when real private sellers normally only have one listing. Having the same phone number on multiple vehicle advertisements is a red flag. Check their name and/or business name on AMVIC Online to see if they are a registered salesperson selling from a licensed business; legitimate businesses will be licensed with AMVIC.
What if you think you’re dealing with a curber?
Trust yourself: if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you suspect you’re dealing with a curber, walk away from the vehicle sale and contact AMVIC by filing a complaint on AMVIC Online or contact Crime Stoppers. Visit amvic.org for more information on filing a consumer complaint.