Hi Zack:
I saw your update on car importation on Driving Television. I am one of those Canadians who bought a vehicle in the US but have had to park it in the driveway as I?ve been caught up in the Vehicle Immobilization System (VIS) fiasco. I agree with several of your points: manufacturers are gouging Canadians, the dealers? hands are pretty-well tied, we (Canadians) are not going to take it anymore, and the only reason we are seeing incentives in Canada is because of pressure brought to bear by importers. I should also mention that I am involved with Cars Without Borders (carswithoutborders.com), a group that we have organized to help the ?avergae-Joe? importer.
Another key message in your article was that importers must do their homework, and they must check with RIV. Well I, and thousands of others, did exactly that and we still got caught up in a bureaucratic boondoggle. Why? Because the RIV process is now, potentially, a trap. Why? Because it is being abused by the manufacturers declare cars as inadmissible, without any technical justification. The VIS issue has become the ?goose that laid the golden egg? for manufacturers.
In my case, I bought a 2008 Nissan Maxima that was listed as Admissible (Nov. 5 list) , and then it became Inadmissible (Nov. 7 list) while I was driving through Iowa, on my way to the border.
Gary Moriarty of the RIV, in your inaugural Motor Mouth radio show, stated, and I quote, that as far as the admissibility list goes , ?we?re at the mercy of the manufacturters?.
Now, I ask you, and I would ask you to ask Mr . Moriarty (since you appear to be the only person he?s ever spoken to), how much ?mercy? can an importer expect from a manufacturer??
What?s the upshot of all this: if manufacturers succeed in restricting imports, then there is no pressure on them to reduce prices here.
Please feel free to contact me for any follow-up. Please check out carswithoutborders.com. It is only through concerned consumer advocates such as yourself that we can get things put right for Canadians.
Thank you.
Zack's Response: Great points. I'm trying to book a person from Transport Canada to get their answer on these topics. The manufacturers SHOULD NOT BE TELLING the government what should be allowed. It is the fox in charge of the henhouse.
Motor Mouth - Car Reviews, Radio Show, Zack Spencer, Car Review Video, Zack Spencer, car review car review videos, car review articles,
Article, Host, Test Driving Motor Mouth is a perfect description for Zack Spencer. He loves to talk about cars on TV and on the radio. As host of Driving Television Zack gets a chance to produce great quality car reviews that have been seen on the Global Television Network for the past five seasons. Zack also host a weekly national radio show called Driving which is heard on Canada's top talk radio stations. Not only does Zack host Driving Television he is also the writer. He puts his writing skills to work each week with his column 'Two Boys one Toy' seen each week in Canada's leading daily newspapers. Zack is also the on-camera host of ICBC's current television campaign. Motor Mouth is where all of Zack Spencer's work is found on one easy to use web page. Enjoy! car reviews, radio show, host, driving television, corus, driving.ca, information, video, article, new automobile, vehicle, SUV, crossover, sedan, used, safety, quality, truck, van, manufacturers, automotive, engine, hybrid, horsepower, fast, styling design, test drive, test driving, vehicle review
Hi Zack:
I saw your update on car importation on Driving Television. I am one of those Canadians who bought a vehicle in the US but have had to park it in the driveway as I?ve been caught up in the Vehicle Immobilization System (VIS) fiasco. I agree with several of your points: manufacturers are gouging Canadians, the dealers? hands are pretty-well tied, we (Canadians) are not going to take it anymore, and the only reason we are seeing incentives in Canada is because of pressure brought to bear by importers. I should also mention that I am involved with Cars Without Borders (carswithoutborders.com), a group that we have organized to help the ?avergae-Joe? importer.
Another key message in your article was that importers must do their homework, and they must check with RIV. Well I, and thousands of others, did exactly that and we still got caught up in a bureaucratic boondoggle. Why? Because the RIV process is now, potentially, a trap. Why? Because it is being abused by the manufacturers declare cars as inadmissible, without any technical justification. The VIS issue has become the ?goose that laid the golden egg? for manufacturers.
In my case, I bought a 2008 Nissan Maxima that was listed as Admissible (Nov. 5 list) , and then it became Inadmissible (Nov. 7 list) while I was driving through Iowa, on my way to the border.
Gary Moriarty of the RIV, in your inaugural Motor Mouth radio show, stated, and I quote, that as far as the admissibility list goes , ?we?re at the mercy of the manufacturters?.
Now, I ask you, and I would ask you to ask Mr . Moriarty (since you appear to be the only person he?s ever spoken to), how much ?mercy? can an importer expect from a manufacturer??
What?s the upshot of all this: if manufacturers succeed in restricting imports, then there is no pressure on them to reduce prices here.
Please feel free to contact me for any follow-up. Please check out carswithoutborders.com. It is only through concerned consumer advocates such as yourself that we can get things put right for Canadians.
Thank you. 
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