My Self-Help
Information you provided
- Yes, my dealer is listed in the VSA Online Search
- Yes, the licence status is Issued.
- Yes. The vehicle list says the VSA can help
- Yes. My vehicle is used most of the time for personal, family, or household use.
- Yes, it happened, or I became aware of it, less than 2 years ago.
- My issue is about a deposit.
- I put a deposit on a vehicle but did not buy it. The dealer will not give the deposit back.
- It was the dealer who did not go through with the sale.
- After giving the deposit, I found out there were issues with the vehicle. Examples include: the vehicle had damage/required repairs, or the price was higher than advertised.
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There are rules about getting your deposit back
In law, a deposit shows that you intend to go ahead with the vehicle purchase. If you decide not to buy the vehicle, you risk losing the deposit. There are different rules about deposit return for purchases, leases, and distance sales. For more information about deposits, see this Deposit Fact Sheet.
The law says the terms of taking a vehicle deposit must be clear. If a dealer fails to be clear about important information, that is dishonest and it is against the law. Dealers have a legal duty to ask questions about a vehicle. These questions are ones where the answers may influence your purchase decision. Dealers must also share what they know about a vehicle, to the best of their knowledge. The law requires a dealer to take reasonable steps to learn about the history of a vehicle and about its condition.