When the car dealers’ salespeople accompany prospective clients, they are covered by insurance.
Dealers can also lend the vehicles without a salesperson present for 24 to 48 hours. A dealer will ask the driver for their licence and take down credit-card information, in case the driver returns the vehicle with damage.
Multiple car dealers contacted by the Times Colonist said that a loan of nine days is way out of the norm and they could not think of an instance when it would be warranted.
Information presented at the trial indicated the dealership did not place a demonstration plate on the loaned vehicle.
Instead, it removed the licence plate from the prospective purchaser’s vehicle and affixed it to the new vehicle.
The same car dealers said that while such a plate switch is customary after a vehicle has been purchased, it’s not common practice before there is an approved bill of sale.
In the case in question, there was no purchase agreement, as a financial institution could not be found to approve the loan.
The dealers said that the only time they would transfer the plates would be at the time of delivery, with a transfer of ownership and insurance to the next vehicle.
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