May 12, 1999

SGI Offers a New Used Vehicle Information Initiative

Deputy Premier and Crown Investments Corporation Minister Dwain Lingenfelter today announced a new SGI customer service initiative that will provide information on the history of used vehicles to the public.

Effective May 17, SGI will make information available on the history of used vehicles. Upon request, SGI will conduct a vehicle serial number search of databases in jurisdictions across Canada and pass along the results to the customer. The request for information can be made at any SGI motor licence issuer.

"This service is available thanks to jurisdictions sharing more vehicle registration information with each other," Lingenfelter said. "Most jurisdictions have started collecting this information over the past few years. SGI customers will now be able to check on the status of any used vehicle they are considering for purchase."

"The Saskatchewan Automobile Dealers' Association is happy to see SGI make this service available," said Ben Holden, president of the Saskatchewan Automobile Dealers' Association. "Auto dealers around the province will now have a quick and convenient way to check on the status of used vehicles they are considering for purchase or for trade-in."

The new initiative will provide information on whether a vehicle is eligible for registration in Saskatchewan and any recorded information available from other Canadian jurisdictions, including:

Whether a vehicle has a total loss, rebuilt, non-repairable or stolen status in any Canadian jurisdiction;

Whether a vehicle is eligible for registration in Saskatchewan;

Whether there is a record of the vehicle being registered in another jurisdiction;

Whether the vehicle must be inspected before being registered in Saskatchewan;

Whether E & H tax is payable.

To protect individuals' privacy, no names or other information on current or past vehicle owners will be passed along as part of the service. A $10 fee will be charged for the service.

"The entire history of a used vehicle may not always be available, as some jurisdictions do not have as comprehensive a database as others," Lingenfelter said. "SGI is committed to providing all the information that is available. This new service will bring SGI customers the assurance they need that a vehicle they are considering for purchase, is eligible for registration in Saskatchewan.

"While the service will provide information on the status of a vehicle, the principle of buyer beware' still applies. SGI encourages people considering purchasing a used vehicle to have it evaluated for mechanical fitness, safety and body integrity."

For media inquiries only, contact:
Julianne Jack
SGI Communications
Regina
(306) 775-6907

For all other inquiries, call 1-800-667-8015.

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