VSA Operations

The VSA focuses on four areas of service and operations: consumer relations and education, consumer inquiries and complaints, licensing and compliance.

Consumer Relations and Education

Efforts to develop good consumer relations and provide public education are part of the process of addressing consumer inquiries. Consumers need to know their legal responsibilities and rights when it comes to retail vehicle transactions. This increased consumer knowledge can help prevent a variety of problems and complaints.

Consumer Inquiries and Complaints

The VSA provides information to assist consumers and dealers to find timely resolutions to issues associated with retail vehicle sales transactions that are not infractions of the legislation or regulatory guidelines but require some form of resolution.

The Motor Dealer Customer Compensation Fund operates under the VSA, providing compensation to consumers who warrant assistance as designated through the relevant legislation. A separate and independent Board oversees the application and adjudication of claims to this fund.

LICENSING

Motor Dealers

A licence is mandatory for any individual or organization to operate as a retail motor vehicle dealer in BC. Through continuous review and improvement, the VSA makes dealer licensing and renewal straightforward.

Salespeople

Every person working in retail vehicle sales is required to successfully complete a VSA certification course and to be licensed. Province-wide licensing is designed to ensure consumers that all sales personnel have undergone a comprehensive training and screening process.

Compliance

Through a province-wide program of inspections and investigations, the VSA administers and enforces the Motor Dealer Act and its regulations. Inspectors take a pro-active approach to conducting inspections of dealerships in the interest of ensuring compliance and increasing consumer protection. Infractions of legislation or regulations are investigated and dealt with through a formal means of enforcement administered by the Registrar.