What a curber is under BC law, the protections you lose buying from one, the warning signs the Vehicle Sales Authority lists, and a quick way to check any seller before you pay.
Scroll through any used-car listing site in Metro Vancouver and some of the "private sellers" aren't private at all. They're curbers: people selling cars for profit without a licence, posing as owners selling their own vehicle. Curbers in BC are a known problem, and the regulator has a whole set of tools and warning signs for them. This guide explains what a curber is, what you lose by buying from one, how to spot one before you meet, and how to check a seller in a couple of minutes.
What is a curber?
A curber is someone who pretends to be selling a vehicle privately but is actually in the business of selling vehicles to consumers without a dealer licence. The Vehicle Sales Authority of BC says that because they are unlicensed, a buyer gets none of the legal protections that come with buying from a licensed motor dealer.
The VSA's fact sheet adds a few consequences most buyers don't think about. A curber may not be reporting income or paying provincial taxes. They may be breaking local bylaws. And they may expose you to legal liability by underreporting the price paid on the transfer paperwork, which is your signature on a tax form, not just theirs.
The VSA also notes that commercial, fleet and business-to-business sales aren't regulated the same way and aren't considered curbing. Curbing is specifically about selling to consumers.
Who counts as a dealer in BC
Yes, if they are doing it as a business. The VSA says anyone in the business of selling, offering or advertising motor vehicles for sale is a motor dealer, and that buying even one vehicle for resale, or selling a vehicle for someone else, requires a licence. Selling your own personal vehicle that you have driven for a reasonable length of time is not being in business.
That definition is the useful test. A neighbour selling the minivan they've driven for six years is a private seller. Someone who bought a car at auction last month, never registered it in their name, and is now selling it on a marketplace is acting as a dealer, licensed or not.
What you lose by buying from curbers in BC
The VSA lists three protections that disappear:
- Safety. A curber doesn't have to certify that the vehicle meets the minimum safety requirements to be driven.
- Liens. A curber doesn't have to certify that the vehicle is free of liens. If a bank or a repair shop has a claim on the car, it can follow the car to you.
- History and condition. A curber doesn't have to tell you the vehicle's history. The VSA warns the car could have been rebuilt after a major accident or have an incorrect odometer, and its private-sales page adds that curbers may sell stolen, rebuilt or flood-damaged vehicles without disclosure.
Licensed dealers, by contrast, must put certain facts in writing on a used vehicle (out-of-province history, taxi/police/rental/lease use, odometer accuracy, damage over $2,000) and must sell free of liens. Our guide to buying a used car from a dealer in BC lists them in full.
And if something goes wrong afterwards: Usually not directly. The VSA says that unless the curber is affiliated with a licensed dealer in some way, it will not be able to help resolve your dispute, and you will have to go to court. It still asks buyers to file a Report a Curber form so it can investigate and protect future buyers.
Warning signs before you even meet
These come from the VSA's own list of how curbers in BC give themselves away, grouped by when you'd notice them.
In the ad and on the phone
- More than one vehicle listed with the same phone number, and no dealer licence number shown.
- The seller asks "Which one?" when you call about the ad.
- The seller insists on cash and says they're in a rush to sell.
When you look at the paperwork
- The seller doesn't have the original registration form.
- The name on the registration isn't theirs, so they say they're selling it for a friend or relative.
- The year, make, model, body style or colour doesn't match the registration.
- The vehicle doesn't match its description when the VIN is decoded.
Where and how they want to meet
- They insist on a parking lot or mall, or on bringing the car to you, never at their home.
One sign alone isn't proof. Plenty of honest sellers prefer a public meeting spot. But two or three together should change how you proceed.
A two-minute check on any seller
- Search the VSA public registry. Use the VSA's free public registry at publicregistry.mvsabc.com. It shows whether a person or business is licensed for consumer transactions as a dealer, salesperson or broker agent. If the seller isn't listed and is selling more than their own personal vehicle, treat that as a red flag.
- Ask for ID and the registration. ICBC and the VSA both suggest confirming the seller's photo ID, home address and contact details match the registration. A true private owner will have service records in their own name; the VSA says a curber won't.
- Check the VIN in three places. Dashboard, registration and the car itself. The VSA lists signs of VIN tampering: loose or mismatched rivets, scratched numbers, tape, glue or paint.
- Run the free checks. ICBC's free vehicle status lookup shows whether the car is normal, rebuilt, salvage, altered or non-repairable. The Canadian Police Information Centre has a free public search for vehicles reported stolen.
- Sanity-check the odometer. The VSA and ICBC both use 25,000 km a year as an average. A 10-year-old car showing 60,000 km isn't impossible, but it's a reason to ask for records.
- Do the transfer at an Autoplan broker together. The VSA's advice is to ask the seller to go with you to complete the transfer of ownership before you pay. A curber who can't, or won't, has told you something.
Our used car buying checklist covers the mechanical side, and the car lien search guide explains how to check for money owing on the car.
Don't let anyone talk you into a false price
A common curber move is asking you to write a lower price on the Transfer/Tax Form "to save you tax". The VSA's buying-privately page says purchase and transfer documents should be completed correctly and truthfully, and warns that a curber may want you to lie. ICBC's form is blunter: false information about the price, trade-in or tax payable may result in fines and penalties, and making false statements to evade tax is an offence under provincial law.
It doesn't even work. For private sales, ICBC charges PST on the greater of the price paid and the Canadian Black Book average wholesale value, so an artificially low price usually changes nothing except your exposure. Our PST guide explains the rule.
If you think you bought from a curber
- Check the registry first. If the seller turns out to be licensed as a dealer, salesperson or broker agent, the VSA says to use its Consumer Complaint Form to start formal dispute resolution.
- If they're unlicensed, file the Report a Curber form anyway. The VSA can issue compliance orders and administrative penalties to curbers and other unlicensed sellers. The maximum penalties are $100,000 for a business and $50,000 for an individual. The VSA's $10 transaction levy on dealer sales, introduced April 1, 2026, is partly earmarked for investigating unlicensed sales.
- Talk to a lawyer about a civil claim if you've lost money. Keep the ad, messages, payment records and transfer paperwork.
Buying in Richmond without the guesswork
At Luminai Auto Group, every vehicle is hand-picked and multi-point inspected before sale, and you get the paperwork to back it: a CARFAX report on domestic and import-eligible vehicles, and the auction sheet and import documents on genuine JDM imports. We're at a fixed address, 2153-21320 Westminster Hwy in Richmond, open seven days from 11 to 6, and you can ask to see any of a vehicle's documents before you commit. Browse the inventory or call (778) 829-6669.
Frequently asked questions
What is a curber in BC?
A curber is someone who pretends to be selling a vehicle privately but is actually in the business of selling vehicles to consumers without a dealer licence. The Vehicle Sales Authority of BC says that because they are unlicensed, a buyer gets none of the legal protections that come with buying from a licensed motor dealer.
How do I check if a car seller is licensed in BC?
Use the VSA's free public registry at publicregistry.mvsabc.com. It shows whether a person or business is licensed for consumer transactions as a dealer, salesperson or broker agent. If the seller isn't listed and is selling more than their own personal vehicle, treat that as a red flag.
Can the VSA help me if I bought from a curber?
Usually not directly. The VSA says that unless the curber is affiliated with a licensed dealer in some way, it will not be able to help resolve your dispute, and you will have to go to court. It still asks buyers to file a Report a Curber form so it can investigate and protect future buyers.
Is it illegal to flip cars without a licence in BC?
Yes, if they are doing it as a business. The VSA says anyone in the business of selling, offering or advertising motor vehicles for sale is a motor dealer, and that buying even one vehicle for resale, or selling a vehicle for someone else, requires a licence. Selling your own personal vehicle that you have driven for a reasonable length of time is not being in business.
What are the penalties for curbing in BC?
The VSA can issue compliance orders and administrative penalties to curbers and other unlicensed sellers. The maximum penalties are $100,000 for a business and $50,000 for an individual.
Sources
- Vehicle Sales Authority of BC: Consumer Protection Facts, Curber facts
- Vehicle Sales Authority of BC: Curbers and Private Sales
- Vehicle Sales Authority of BC: Consumer Protection Facts, Buying Privately
- Vehicle Sales Authority of BC: Transaction Levy (consumers)
- VSA public registry of licensed dealers and salespeople
- ICBC: Inspecting a used vehicle for sale
- ICBC: Transfer/Tax Form APV9T (warning to purchaser and seller)