By Rebel News | Created at 2024-11-17 19:56:09 | Updated at 2024-11-23 11:41:03
5 days ago
David Menzies hears from Greg Carasco, vice-president of operations for Oakville Nissan and Oakville Infiniti, who breaks down the value of a used car, estimating it has a value of around $1,500 — a stark contrast to the $15,000 appraisal given to the vehicle by Service Ontario.
Typically, cars make for a terrible investment. Indeed, the moment you drive a vehicle off the lot, the depreciation factor kicks in.
Until a government agency gets involved…
Astute viewers of Rebel News may recall the curious case of Brian Presement of Richmond Hill, Ont.
Presement was planning on selling his 2011 Scion tC. But he pondered sending it to the scrapyard instead because Service Ontario has somehow deemed that the value of this high-mileage chariot has more than DOUBLED in the past six years!
That means the tax threshold would make this car a very tough sell indeed. (Service Ontario is responsible for issuing driver's licences, vehicle permits, and licence plates.)
Here’s the backstory: Presement purchased the 2011 tC in 2018. It was seven years old, and had 130,000 km on the odometer. Service Ontario appraised it in 2018 at $7,000.
Presement recently decided to part ways with the Scion. He was planning to sell it, some six years after he purchased the vehicle – for $3,500. Of note: the mileage doubled during the ensuing six years. The Scion now shows 260,000 km on the odometer.
Yet, some how, some way, Service Ontario appraised the car’s value at… $15,000!?
How is this even possible?
Alas, Service Ontario wouldn’t budge — nor would it explain how it came to this evaluation. Rebel News reached out repeatedly to the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement (which oversees Service Ontario.) No response was ever received.
Clearly, this is either utter incompetence or a screw job by bureaucrats who do not give a rodent’s rectum about fairness nor logic.
We felt bad for Brian Presement, so we reached out to Greg Carasco, the vice-president of operations for Oakville Nissan and Oakville Infiniti (and the host of The Greg Carasco Show on Sauga960). He arranged for a professional appraisal of the car. And the verdict is… $1,500!
In other words, the car is worth 10% of the value that Service Ontario deemed to be correct!
And get this: the car needs four new tires (approximately $1,200) plus about $3,400 in mechanical work. Its condition was rated as “poor.” But Service Ontario thinks this clunker is a $15,000 cream puff? Insane.
As well, Carasco researched how many other 2011 Scion tCs are for sale in Canada. Including Presement’s vehicle, the precise total is seven. The cheapest car is listed at $3,000 (219,000 km) while the priciest is $12,900 (likely because it's in good condition and only showing 71,000 km on the odometer.)
Bottom line: the marketplace reality certainly does not mirror the fantasyland Service Canada resides in.
Armed with an official appraisal, by someone who actually knows a thing or two about cars, Presement plans to return to Service Ontario to make the case that his Scion did NOT appreciate over time; that the tC is only worth $1,500 as opposed to $15,000.
Will Presement succeed in swaying Service Ontario? Stay tuned…
David Menzies
Mission Specialist
David “The Menzoid” Menzies is the Rebel News "Mission Specialist." The Menzoid is equal parts outrageous and irreverent as he dares to ask the type of questions those in the Media Party would rather not ponder.
