UCDA GROUP HEALTH PLAN

This month marks a major milestone for the UCDA Health & Dental Plan: its 20th anniversary.

Two decades ago, our founder, Bob Beattie, recognized that Ontario’s independent dealers needed a stable, affordable way to support the health and wellbeing of their employees.

The program he commissioned has since grown into one of the most reliable benefit plans in the industry, and its mission today is the same as it was on day one: help dealers attract talent, keep great employees, and offer meaningful support without being crushed by unpredictable insurance costs.

Anyone who has ever employed staff understands how difficult it is to find and keep good people. Some employees become long-term pillars of a dealership, helping it grow year after year. Others view their job as temporary and are always on the lookout for the next opportunity.

A strong benefits plan is more than a perk – it’s one of the most effective ways to retain the people you want to keep. Offering health and dental coverage signals stability, professionalism, and care for your team. In a competitive labour market, it can make the difference between losing a valued employee and keeping them for the long haul.

The challenge, however, is that traditional benefit plans come with a major drawback: you never know what they’re going to cost in the future. Insurance companies provide attractive introductory rates that last for 12 to 15 months. After that initial period, everything depends on your renewal report. If your employees had high claims – or if inflation pushed medical and dental costs upward – the new monthly premium can jump sharply. It’s not unusual to see substantial increases year after year.

This puts many dealerships in a tough position. Employees begin to rely on their benefits, and removing or reducing coverage is deeply unpopular. Yet switching insurance providers every year is disruptive, and it often results in changes to coverage levels, new rules, and administrative headaches. Many small dealers found themselves trapped in this cycle, facing annual increases of 20% or even 30% and losing access to certain types of coverage that larger employers could offer.

This is exactly why Bob Beattie pushed for a UCDA-sponsored plan. He understood that individual dealerships – especially smaller, family-run operations – did not have the bargaining power to secure predictable rates. By pooling hundreds of dealers together, the UCDA could stabilize premiums, broaden available coverage and shield members from the volatility of the standard insurance market.

Twenty years later, the results speak for themselves. The UCDA Health & Dental Plan has earned a reputation for stability and fairness. Unlike the wider Ontario insurance market, where double-digit increases are the norm, our plan has never once issued a double-digit rate increase. The highest increase we have ever had was 8%. This December saw only a 1% increase and the year before that, there was no increase at all. For many members, this consistency has been the single most valuable feature of the program – allowing them to plan, budget, and maintain steady support for their employees without unpleasant surprises.

Another achievement we are particularly proud of is our expanded mental-health coverage. The need for accessible counselling services has grown dramatically in recent years, and we listened. Previously, our plan offered $500 per year for psychological counselling. This year, we increased that amount to $2,500 – one of the highest levels of mental-health insurance available in Ontario. We are not aware of any comparable plan in the province that matches this benefit, especially at our pricing level.

The UCDA has also modernized the way members access and manage their benefits. Claims can be submitted directly at the pharmacy or dentist using electronic systems, and members can use our NexMobile smartphone app for quick claim submission, digital ID cards, and plan details. Technology continues to evolve, and so do we. Further improvements are coming with plans for a new member app, presently in development.

As we enter the 20th anniversary of the UCDA Health & Dental Plan, we are proud of how far the program has come – and even more excited about what’s ahead. The goal has always been simple: protect our members, support their employees, and bring stability to an area where uncertainty used to be the norm. We look forward to continuing that mission for many years to come.

The UCDA is here to support your health and benefits needs.

For more information on the UCDA Health & Dental Plan, visit our website at https://www.ucdaemployeebenefits.com/ or call us anytime at 1-866-476-8722.

Mixed Messages From OMVIC On Extended Warranties

You will have seen some confusing messaging from OMVIC lately on Extended Warranties.

https://tinyurl.com/mu6m3xxn and https://tinyurl.com/mw6h2cfk This is caused by a problem of their own creation in 2022 when

OMVIC decided to stop listing, for the benefit of dealers and consumers,

warranty companies that had satisfied OMVIC as to their insured status. We have been trying to get them to reverse this decision ever since, without success, as usual.

They seem to expect dealers to do this themselves, while at the same time warning dealers they can be prosecuted if they sell an uninsured or unsecured warranty to a consumer. We have told OMVIC dealers do not have the time, resources or expertise to do this effectively, and put themselves and their customers at risk without support from the regulator.

OMVIC is more concerned with their own liability than they are about protecting consumers or, goodness forbid, helping dealers.

For our members, the UCDA maintains such a list, which we try to update every couple of years, but the last one OMVIC had that we have been able to locate is from May 28, 2022 and is reproduced below.

Secured – Insured Third Party Warranty Companies

The UCDA’s list can be found here, we last updated it in April of 2025, and plan to do it again next year:

https://www.ucda.org/dealer-faqs/extended-warranties/

OMVIC’s List

As of May 28, 2022.

Note: Be aware this list is now 3 years old and it’s possible companies listed here may no longer be insured so, as OMVIC says, “OMVIC does not represent that this list remains accurate.”

Assurant Services Canada, Inc. AutoShield Canada Inc.

Avanta Dealer Services Corp. Canada General Warranty Inc.

Central Administrative Service Corporation, Inc. CornerStone United Ltd. (XtraRide, AutoXtra, Xtended) CoverageOne

DISCC Enterprises Ltd

First Canadian Protection Plans/Millennium Insurance Corporation Global Warranty

GVC Premium Warranty Company / Guarantee VC INDS CANADA Corp.

Integrated Warranty Systems Inc. LGM Financial Services Inc Lubrico Warranty

Nationwide Auto Warranty Corporation People’s Choice Warranty

Premier Dealer Services, Inc./uSelect Specialty Administrative Services, LLC Sym-Tech i-Select Plus Coverage

Tricare/Tricor Automotive Trinity Automotive Group Inc.

Veritas Global Protection Services, Inc

Note: Changes may occur to this list so dealers should confirm the status of their extended warranty providers directly and regularly.

Letter of Credit Secured Warranty Companies

While we recommend dealers use insured warranty products, warranty companies secured by letters of credit are also legal to sell in Ontario. OMVIC’s list of warranty companies secured by a letter of credit is more up to date and can be found here:

https://tinyurl.com/24zz9sd8

For more information on any of this, please contact OMVIC.

Export Check

A Tool to Protect Against Fake Buyers

EXPORT CHECK is available to help power dealers through their misgivings

  • Is the vehicle a stolen car with a cloned (previously exported) VIN?
  • Is the buyer truly buying a vehicle for their personal use, or instead, planning to flip it or export it?

EXPORT CHECK powered by VINShield.ca

Dealers can use EXPORT CHECK to perform due diligence:

  • Search VINs from your Garage Register to see where vehicles you sold ended up
  • Help prevent auto theft, stolen clones often use exported VINs, check before you buy

A resulting report will be displayed showing the export status, country of import, and date of export.

Offered for $13.95 on the UCDA Search Portal under the heading EXPORT CHECK.

 

OMVIC CPD Timing

To prepare for the launch of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program in April 2026, OMVIC has made changes to the OMVIC Portal, adding an Education Section to detail your upcoming CPD requirements.

What You Need to Do

If You Have an OMVIC Portal Account

  • Sign in to the OMVIC Portal with your personal account. This account is assigned to you as an individual (dealer, salesperson, or affiliated person).
  • Review and update your profile information to avoid renewal

If You Do Not Have an OMVIC Portal Account

  • You can create a personal account by going to the OMVIC
  • Enter your profile information accurately during account Providing incorrect information may delay your renewal process.

Confirm Your CPD Requirements

Under the Education tab in your account’s dropdown menu, you will see one of the following CPD requirements. These apply only to renewals on or after July 1, 2026:

1.        In-House Courses (OMVIC)

OMVIC Continuing Professional Development (CPD) For Dealers and Salespeople

Launching April 1, 2026, all dealers and salespeople renewing on or after July 1, 2026, must complete OMVIC’s CPD program prior to renewal. Dealers will have to do this every year and salespeople every two years, within 90 days of your renewal date.

CPD will be accessible online on desktop, mobile, and tablet through your OMVIC “portal”.

The set pass rate is 80%, but you can rewrite the sections you fail, so you will be able to pass. OMVIC says the course will take 4 to 6 hours to complete.

The proposed cost for CPD is $99.

Dealers

At least one person representing a dealer must complete the CPD requirements (in some situations, more):

Corporations

  • If one of the directors or officers is person in charge (PIC), that director or officer.
  • If none of the directors or officers is PIC, at least one of the directors or officers and the PIC.
Partnerships
  • If one of the partners is PIC, that partner
  • If none of the partners is PIC, at least one of the partners and the PIC

2.        MVDA Key Elements Course (Georgian College) for Grandfathered Registrants

If your profile indicates the Key Elements course as your CPD requirement, you should register with Georgian College at least 5 months prior to your renewal date to allow time for completion, testing, grading, and processing. For example, if your renewal date is July 1, 2026, you should register by February 1, 2026.

Dealer and Salespeople Registrants who were registered with OMVIC before January 1, 2010, with renewal dates on or after July 1, 2026, that have not yet completed the updated OMVIC Certification Course or the MVDA Key Elements Course offered through Georgian College must complete the Key Elements course as their CPD requirement prior to renewal.

The cost is $202.86 and the passing grade is 75%. Without warning or consultation, OMVIC announced this increases to 80% on January 1, 2026. Re-writes, for those who fail, will be $202.86 with no discount. The increased pass requirement should ensure even more money flows to OMVIC and Georgian College as a result.

The Key Elements Course must be completed prior to renewal date.

This is the only requirement for CPD for grandfathered registrants in the first registration cycle. In subsequent cycles, they will take CPD like all other registrants.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/uv7btka8 for more information or email education@omvic.on.ca

UCDA In-Class Education

All of the OMVIC options are online, self-study only.

The UCDA will offer in-class or virtual training to all registrants to help them pass CPD.

For grandfathered registrants, we will offer in-class or virtual training for the Key Elements course. For grandfathered registrant dealers who take our course and who are UCDA members, WE WILL PAY FOR THE COST OF A RE-WRITE, IF REQUIRED.

These options will be in place by January 1, 2026.

 

UCDA Sponsorship Of The Ontario Association Of Crime Stoppers Continues

https://tinyurl.com/58bx7v3t

The UCDA is proud to continue its partnership with the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers, an association of 37 local Crime Stoppers programs across the province of Ontario.

The UCDA works with Crime Stoppers to spread the message ‘if you see it, report it’ via Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tipster program.

The UCDA particularly supports the fight against auto theft and fraud, offering rewards up to $300, for tips that directly lead to the successful recovery of vehicles stolen from dealerships in Ontario.

Famously, Crime Stoppers provides a venue for concerned citizens to anonymously provide information to law enforcement agencies through Crime Stoppers’ 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) line or through a web- based application https://tinyurl.com/js6s8d3a.

Each local board relies on sponsorship, donations and fundraising to garner the funds to pay rewards and operate their programs.

Crime Stoppers are continuously looking for both financial support and volunteers eager to make a difference in their communities.

These partnerships allow us to contribute to the important work being done toward safety in our communities.

      

Newly Designed UCDA Forms

This is a reminder to all UCDA Members to ensure you are using the most current and compliant forms for your sales and leasing business.

The UCDA recently went through a major redraft of all its forms, including new and used sales forms, appraisal forms, wholesale contracts, leases, and other form products, to reflect changing Ontario laws and to make further improvements.

This was the first major revision to UCDA forms since 2010.

We released the newly designed forms officially on January 1, 2025. The new forms are compliant, older ones may not be.

Please ensure you check and confirm you are using proper UCDA forms with the UCDA copyright mark and 2025 on the form.

If you have any questions about your forms, or the new forms generally, please contact Margi Muru at m.muru@ucda.org or 416- 231-2600 or 1-800-268-2598.

Less Fraud … More TRUSTii

Fighting finance fraud is as important to dealers as it is to lenders.

Certification

Lenders want assurance consumer ID verification is being handled correctly, in a standard and certified way.

Lenders like CIBC and TD have been clear they are looking for digital ID verification in their dealer-funded files.

Since 2012 the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) has been fighting for stronger digital security. They bring together businesses and governments to build trust in digital services, helping to protect privacy and security.

Lenders expect digital ID verifiers to be members of DIACC and TRUSTii is:

https://diacc.ca/auto-dealers/

The TRUSTii Solution

The solution TRUSTii offers you means, in minutes, any government issued photo ID, drivers licence, Indian Status Card, passport, etc., can be run on the system to check if the photo and ID are real and can be trusted.

All UCDA members can access this affordable tool at: www.ucdasearches.com

By verifying both the individual and their ID, the risk of fraud is significantly reduced and it can also streamline your process by quickly and efficiently verifying customers’ identities.

Take advantage of this program, strengthen your security measures, protect your bottom line AND GET FUNDED with legitimate buyers.

UCDA members pay only $3 per completed search ($3.99 to everyone else) for basic ID verification. For an enhanced ID verification search, to search two IDs at one time for example, with more details and prior scan results, the cost is $8 ($10 for non-members).

Webinar

On August 13, 2025 TRUSTii hosted a webinar called “Put the Brakes on Identity Fraud!” with MNP and the UCDA.

We had almost 400 dealers register and 160 attended this seminar! They joined industry experts for a free session on protecting their business.

Attendees learned about the new FINTRAC regulations, requirements and Bank-mandated ID verifications that are raising the stakes for dealerships.

To learn about FINTRAC’s new requirements, how they impact your operations and how to protect your dealership from fraud with industry experts MNP, UCDA and TRUSTii please feel free to access this webinar, which was recorded on August 13th:

https://www.ucda.org/fintrac/

VEHICLE LIEN REGISTRATION

… CHECK THAT VIN

If you are a mechanic or storer that uses the Repair and Storage Liens Act (RSLA) or a dealer that is directly involved in in-house financing, and secure your interest using the Personal Property Security Act (PPSA), then you will know the basics about liens. However, you should know that recording the information correctly on the lien is just as important as registering the lien itself. In fact, if you get enough information incorrect, then your lien may not be valid to begin with.

This is because half of the purpose of registering a lien is to give those interested in purchasing, performing work on, or lending money against the property that is subject to the lien, notice of your lien interest. Just as you can register a lien, these interested parties can do lien searches on property. You can do a lien search by VIN or by searching the names of previous owners. If the lien is not properly registered, they will have no way of being able to do their ‘homework’. Ontario case law shows the importance of this process through the “likely to be misled materially” test.

Not as Forgivable

Errors made with registrations for property, such as equipment, which may lack searchable identifiers, like vehicle identification numbers (“VINs”), are not as forgivable as those made with respect to traditional motor vehicles. In such cases, the only information that any interested party, performing due diligence, has to go by is the name of the owner/ debtor. In other words, in some cases, a simple typo or omission of the middle name or middle initial is enough for a lien to be invalid because someone performing a lien search using a full name may not see the lien.

Where there is a VIN, a simple typo with the name, is less likely to invalidate a lien because a lien search by VIN would reveal the lien. The Lambert (Re) (In Bankruptcy), 1994 Court of Appeal decision makes this clear.

Lambert involved a motor vehicle purchased by Mr. Lambert under a conditional sale contract (secured by a PPSA lien). The lien was eventually ‘assigned’ by the original lienholder to another party, but the issue was that the lien was against “Gilles J. Lambert” (as per the sales contract), but Mr. Lambert’s legal name was actually “Joseph Phillips Gilles Lambert”.

All other details on the lien, including his date of birth, the VIN and the type of goods “consumer goods” were accurate. Mr. Lambert

then went bankrupt. The lienholder filed a claim as a secured creditor. The trustee in bankruptcy did several different types of name searches, which failed to reveal the lien due to the discrepancy between the name used to register the lien and Mr. Lambert’s legal name. The trustee in bankruptcy failed to perform a lien search by VIN. The trustee in bankruptcy moved to have the lienholder’s interest declared as invalid. At the trial level, the trustee was successful.

Successful Appeal

The lienholder appealed and was successful at the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal ruled that the trustee in bankruptcy failed to do its due diligence. If the trustee did a lien search by VIN, the PPSA lien would have been clear. Therefore, the error with the name registration would not cause a reasonable person to “likely be misled materially”.

There are two key lessons from this case. The first is that the RSLA and PPSA can be more forgiving when it comes to typos with a name, as long as there is also a VIN present. The second key takeaway is that you should always double-check the information you are submitting for lien registration. Although the lienholder was successful in Lambert, it was after significant time, effort, and legal fees. A little due diligence would have saved them a lot of trouble.

As a final note, keep in mind that it is illegal to sell a vehicle without a VIN on the dash. You should not be in any hurry to buy such a vehicle either, because it could be a stolen vehicle or have liens on it that are not easily identifiable.

Good News

The good news is that there is a process to address that. Dealers looking have their vehicle inspected for legitimacy or to obtain a replacement VIN can do so by emailing notifications@equiteco.ca or calling 416- 252-3441.

To ensure your lien searches and registrations are done correctly, make sure to provide the UCDA’s Lien Search and Registration Department all the details either online or by contacting them at 1-800-268-2598.

Members interested in reading the full Lambert decision can do so by following this link: https://canlii.ca/t/6jw7

Test Pilot for Sale of Automobile Insurance through Dealerships Greenlighted

The Ministry of Finance (“MOF”) has approved a pilot project, through FSRA’s Test and Learn Environment (“TLE”) that will explore the sale of automobile insurance through dealerships. The TLE is a “controlled environment” to test new business models before they are introduced to the market. The goal is to promote choice, convenience, and competition.

The project is still in the works and it is unclear what the delivery model will look like for dealers if it is approved. The changes may involve sales by brokers, agents, or direct writers present at the dealership. Insurance could also be offered as part of a consolidated price for the vehicle. Whichever model the MOF ends up landing on, one thing is for certain—there are still many details that need to be ironed out.

For example, currently, any person at the dealership on the sales floor, and dealing with customers for the purchase of vehicles, extended warranties, GAP/loan insurance, rust proofing or other aftermarket add-ons must be registered with OMVIC as a salesperson.

Will brokers, agents, or direct writers present at the dealership need to be registered with OMVIC under this model? Will existing OMVIC registrants be able to offer insurance?

The change is a step in the right direction, but many questions remain unanswered.

The UCDA will continue to monitor the developments of the program and provide our members with updates as they become available. For more information see our website: https://frontline.ucda. org/dealers-selling-insurance/

OMVIC Education

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Grandfathered Registrants

OMVIC Education For Dealers and Salespeople

Launching April 1, 2026, all dealers and salespeople renewing on or after July 1, 2026, must complete OMVIC’s CPD program prior to renewal. Dealers will have to do this every year and salespeople every two years, within 90 days of your renewal date.

CPD will be accessible online on desktop, mobile, and tablet through your OMVIC “portal”.

The set pass rate is 80%, but you can rewrite the sections you fail, so you will be able to pass. OMVIC says the course will take 4 to 6 hours to complete.

The proposed cost for CPD is $99.

OMVIC invites questions at education@omvic.on.ca and you can find more information here: https://tinyurl.com/c5mhd6ke

Grandfathered Registrants

Dealer and Salespeople Registrants who were registered with OMVIC before January 1, 2010, with renewal dates on or after July 1, 2026, that have not yet completed the updated OMVIC Certification Course or the MVDA Key Elements Course offered through Georgian College must complete the Key Elements course as their CPD requirement prior to renewal.

The cost is $202.86 and the passing grade is 75% (without warning or consultation, OMVIC just announced by email this increases to 80% on January 1, 2026). Re-writes, for those who fail, will be $202.86 with no discount. The Key Elements Course must be completed prior to renewal date.

https://tinyurl.com/puanhrx7

This is the only requirement for CPD for grandfathered registrants in the first registration cycle. In subsequent cycles, they will take CPD like all other registrants.

UCDA IN-CLASS EDUCATION

All of the OMVIC options are online, self-study only.

The UCDA will offer in-class training to all registrants to help them pass their CPD.

For grandfathered registrants, we will offer in-class training for the Key Elements course. For grandfathered registrant dealers who take our course and who are UCDA members, WE WILL PAY FOR THE COST OF A RE-WRITE.

These options will be in place by January 1, 2026.