What Is a Curbsider? Ontario's Illegal Car Dealers, Explained

Curbsider vs private seller: the business test

Selling your own personal vehicle occasionally is legal private selling. Curbsiding begins when vehicle selling becomes a business activity — buying vehicles to resell, selling repeatedly for profit, selling on behalf of others for compensation — without OMVIC registration.

Curbsiders typically masquerade as private sellers on classified sites: 'selling my aunt's car,' fresh safety, price slightly under market. Many curbsided vehicles hide salvage history, rolled-back odometers or out-of-province damage.

Why the exam (and the law) cares so much

• Consumer harm: curbsider buyers get none of the MVDA's protections — no mandatory disclosure, no all-in pricing, no Compensation Fund eligibility.
• Penalties: individuals face fines up to $50,000 and/or up to two years less a day; corporations up to $250,000.
• Enforcement: OMVIC actively investigates and prosecutes curbsiders; registrants are expected to understand and support this.
• Registrant risk: dealers who knowingly supply curbsiders (e.g., flowing auction cars to them) create their own liability.

How to spot a curbsider (red-flag checklist)

• The name on the ownership doesn't match the seller's ID
• They want to meet in parking lots, not at a home address
• Multiple vehicle ads trace back to the same phone number
• 'Selling for a friend/relative' with vague history answers
• Cash only, urgency, no interest in your questions
• Price notably under market for no explained reason