Monday, November 26, 2007

Cars Without Borders: Making Sense Of Transport Canada's Stance

Dear Readers:

In recent weeks we have witnessed an unprecedented volleying of responsibility between Transport Canada, RIV and the auto manufacturers. The issue in question has been the anti-theft device (the immobilizer) standard that was planned for introduction on 2008 vehicle models.

With five years to prepare for the introduction of the new policy, to say that this situation has been mismanaged is an understatement. More that 3,000 people, have been caught in the "net".

The net spans from September 1, 2007 to November 1, 2007, a full 60 days where Transport Canada overlooked its responsibility to roll out the policy and market it accurately and proactively to potential importers. Now, instead of heading the pleas of these same folks to honour its website information and its employees' well meaning but downright misguided assurances, Transport Canada has chosen to not only uphold this policy, but to enforce it retroactively!

A new website has emerged to support those caught in the borderless confines of the importing process. Appropriately named Cars Without Borders, the website has been built and is being supported by volunteers and advocates who are seeking justice from a government who has turned a blind eye to these 3000 importers.

We as Canadians who are exercising our right to import vehicles under the NAFTA agreement, have a choice. Sit back and let the bureaucrats who aren't forced to hold their newly acquired vehicles in limbo run amok with our dollars and their double-speak OR speak up for those who are in the unfairly caught in the midst of this debacle and have tens of thousands of dollars to lose.

There is a democratic process in this Country and we urge you to exercise your rights. Visit Cars Without Borders and let them know how you can help.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Demonstrating is always a great way of getting your point across.

Another way, might be to use the internet move effectively, to get the message out to the average Canadian, that is too busy to spend the time investigating the pricing injustices...

Here is a simple message... create an email like the one below and e-mail it to everyone in you address book, relatives, freinds ..etc..etrc.

The folks at www.carswithoutborders.com will be adding more functionality to their site today. They plan to add an option for visitors to register their protest, thay have an option to also leave their e-mail address, in order to receive notices of the latest news.

see e-mail sample below...

Tired of Paying too much for your car? ( subject line)

Canadians pay on average $6,000 more per car than Americans

Canada USA Savings
Honda Civic EXL $29,954 $24,333 $5,621

Honda Odyssey EXL $47,469 $37,443 $10,026


Prices include MRSP 2008 + delivery + taxes -as of Nov 24. Can $ at par with US $

Fair for Canadians? Who's blocking the border?

For the full story - go to Cars Without Borders

http://www.carswithoutborders.com/about/

Standing up for consumers.

Please pass on this message to everyone you know.

Very simple message, but effective!

And for you really savy surfers and bloggers out there www.carswithoutborders.com also has a Facebook group carswithoutborders. This will grow significantly as the average Canadian sees the simple question Why Can't we have fair pricing?

This is a copy of our 2nd letter to Mr. Harper.

Mr. Harper, I am writing you again! I have been working non-stop on this file since Oct 15th. 15-20 hours per day. I am tired, my family is tired and all of the members of www.carswithoutborders.com are tired and fed up as well. We are now well over one hundred strong, each and every one of us has a horror story to tell concerning our dealings with Transport Canada and the RIV. Mr. Charrette, a representative has gone on record indicating that close to a thousand people are in this predicament. Some RIV personnel have been quoted over the phone indicating that the number is close to 3,000. We have done nothing wrong! We followed the rules!

I worry about the other many families in Canada that have not been able to find support within our group. We are all being treated very poorly.

On Nov 20 after Question period, Mr. Cannon stated that he would help us, he reassured us that our cases would be resolved.

Please refer to the script on our web site.. http://www.carswithoutborders.com/of...on-transcript/ We all waited a few days for the announcement on the TC/RIV web site.

But Instead of a compassionate, common sense solution for the 1000 or 3000 Canadians trapped and in limbo, Mr. Cannon’s staff has started issuing “Expulsion” notices to Canadians. His compassionate message has not been relayed to his employees. This must be a major mistake! Again, I feel very sorry for those families handling all of this alone.

This is starting to get out of hand and very unreasonable, as I requested in the letter I wrote to you last week, please get involved and resolve the issues.

I first decided to really step up and go to the media, right after one of Mr. Cannon’s Quebec assistant’s told me that he was not going to help me is if I made my case public! He did not like to be threatened! This was after 4 e-mails and several conversations with him. I didn’t feel that was really the way to talk to a Canadian that had followed all the rules! Prior to that I had spoken and e-mailed several people.

I am being driven by a picture of my daughter driving her new car that is now parked in my garage. I am being driven by the arrogant and ruthless way that TC and the RIV is treating Canadian Citizens.

I have attached for your reference on this file a debriefing package that we have been sending out to the press for the last week. Hopefully those on your staff can quickly grasp the severity of the problem and provide you with a quick and compassionate solution.

I also attached a brief audio file, of one of our supporters, Mr. Roy Green, who was kind enough to host our team on his nationally broadcast show last Saturday. I am told that the caller response was very heavy and sympathetic to our cause.

It would be wise of you and your staff to put an end to this madness today. Please instruct Mr. Cannon to process all and every car that is in limbo today over this preposterous anti-theft hoax. Please then ensure that the safety standard is modified to accept the American Standard. There is little difference between the two.

I have many other great suggestions to improve the process, improve productivity, and make the department of Transport more service oriented.

Please end this silliness.

Please do not take this as a threat, but we will be launching our awareness and knowledge plans shortly and we expect to have over 500,000 registered supporters by the end of February! We want our cars on the road and we want fair pricing for Canadians.

Please “Tear down the WALL Mr. Harper”

The members of www.carswithoutborders


" I followed all the Rules"

November 26, 2007 3:43 AM

Anonymous said...

Thank-you for your continued updates. I have been trying to import a new 2008 Acura MDX into Canada, and am having a problem due to the electronic mobilizer issue that is the problem with all 2008 vehicles. However, the problem with Honda/Acura is that Honda is deliberately delaying writing a letter to Transport Canada / RIV advising them that the MDX is ADMISSABLE to Canada. The MDX is built in Canada for gods sake, and is exactly the same as the 2007 model with the same electronic immobilizer. HOW CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS?

Honda's Corp's continued and concerted screwing of the Canadian consumer in Canada by charging outrageous prices ($15000 difference on the MDX), followed by throwing up roadblocks to Canadians attempting to find a fair, honest, and legal (NAFTA) deal south of the border is contemptible. I'm changing Manufacturers.