MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Manheim Canada issued a nationwide stamp of approval for the Ontario Motor Vehicle Dealers Act this week, saying that it will support its auctions throughout the country complying with the regulations regardless of whether they are in the province or not.

As such, Manheim Canada has amended its National Arbitration policy so that it fits with the OMVDA stipulations. Moreover, the company has developed a revised National Sellers Declaration policy.

Explaining the regulations in more detail, officials noted that the OMVDA was crafted by the province and enforced by the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council. Essentially, it mandates that sellers through ever level of the used-car supply chain provide specific history declarations regarding used vehicles.

It became effective Jan. 1 and is designed to protect consumers during the used-vehicle purchasing process.

"While the act currently applies to dealers doing business in Ontario, our company has decided to support compliance of this act throughout all of our locations, using this legislation as a baseline to conduct business in Canada," stated Patrick Brennan, vice president of Canadian operations.

"This means that whenever a customer sells a car at a Manheim location or online in Canada, the seller will need to comply with the new Seller Declarations in accordance with our new policies," he added.

Manheim Canada has taken a few steps to help the changes go smoothers for customers.

First, the company has built the template and technology required for vehicle history information to be digitally transferred between larger commercial sellers and its Canadian locations in a seamless fashion.

Additionally, Manheim Canada has crafted a universal manual document that can ensure accurate data collection for smaller consignors and dealers who aren't using electronic file transfer.

"Manheim's foundation is built on integrity, so while the OMVDA is not the law in other Canadian provinces, we know it's the right thing to do to protect all consumers wherever they buy used vehicles," said Brennan. "By taking this step, we also are able to provide a consistent experience to all of our customers."