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Results of OMVIC’s 2025 mystery shop program

February 13, 2026
Selling

Each year, OMVIC conducts its mystery shop program across Ontario, an enforcement initiative where trained staff pose as consumers to assess whether dealers are meeting their obligations in terms of compliance. The program helps to reveal trends of non-compliance and highlights where there is room for improvement in the industry.
 

318

Total mystery shops

268

New mystery shops

50

Mystery re-shops

 
In 2025, OMVIC staff conducted 318 total mystery shops, of which 50 dealers were re-shops from the previous year. The mystery shops took place across 33 municipalities in Eastern Ontario, Central Ontario, Northern Ontario, Southern Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, Northwest Ontario, Southeastern Ontario, and Southwestern Ontario. Smaller areas were included as well to ensure fair representation and inclusion.

New mystery shops conducted in 2025

The overall pass rate for new mystery shops conducted in 2025 was 64%, an 8% decrease compared to 2024. This decrease is partly due to the number of complaints and problem files triaged from other OMVIC departments, particularly those involving dealers with past or high‑risk non‑compliance.
 

Of the dealers
who failed the shop

  • 69% received a warning letter
  • 3% were issued an education order
  • 24% were recommended for disciplinary action
  • 4% were summoned for Provincial Offences Court

 

Mystery re-shops conducted in 2025

50 dealers who did not pass the mystery shop in 2024 were re-shopped in 2025. The overall pass rate for re-shops was slightly higher than dealers that had not previously been shopped at 68%. Dealers who were found to be non-compliant for a second time experienced heightened enforcement measures. 50% were recommended for disciplinary action, 19% were issued an education order, and 6% were summoned to Provincial Offences Court.
 

Of the dealers
who failed the re-shop

  • 25% received a warning letter
  • 19% were issued an education order
  • 50% were recommended for disciplinary action
  • 6% were summoned for Provincial Offences Court

Trends of non-compliance

Among non-compliant dealers, common violations included:

  • All-in price violations and hidden fees at the time of sale
  • Failure to disclose previous daily rentals in advertisements
  • Unregistered dealers engaging in trade
  • Unregistered salespeople engaging in trade
  • Dealers retaining unregistered salespersons
  • Dealers and salespeople selling off-premise
  • Cash vs finance pricing not presented in a clear, comprehensible and prominent manner
  • ‘Unfit’ or ‘As-is’ statements not included in advertisements

 

“There is more work ahead in terms of education and awareness to improve these figures. I am optimistic that the implementation of continuing professional development (CPD) in April will aid in this effort and yield better results in 2026.”

— Sam Cosentino, Director of Enforcement at OMVIC, who led the 2025 mystery shop program.

 

Key takeaway: Mystery shop program reflects real customer experience

Results from the 2025 mystery shop program highlight common breakdowns and issues that are occurring in our industry. These experiences often lead to complaints, dissatisfied customers, and enforcement action taken against non-compliant dealers and salespeople. Dealers who treat compliance as part of their customer experience, rather than a separate obligation, will be positioned for long-term success and will help to avoid formal enforcement outcomes in the future.