Wisconsin motor vehicle dealers should be sure to review the most recent issue of the Wisconsin DOT Plain Dealing bulletin for important policy and administrative information published by the Division of Motor Vehicles Dealer, Dealer & Agent Section. The January 2021 Plain Dealing issue includes guidance on the following subjects:
Service fee update (changes to allowed charges);
Who can sell "junk" RVs?;
Dealer license renewals require updated leases;
Advertising comparative savings;
New versus used vehicles (sometimes “new” under one regulatory definition must be disclosed as “used” on the Buyer’s Guide; sometimes a vehicle acquired by private sale is still considered “new” by DMV for purposes of non-franchised dealers offering a vehicle for sale; as DMV itself states, it’s “confusing”);
Disclosing imported vehicles (ie, Canadian vehicles) on the Buyers Guide*;
Courtesy versus rental vehicles;
Vehicle emissions testing in winter;
Quarterly Report and FIU Enforcement Tracker.
* If your dealership deals with Canadian used-vehicle imports, either via customer trade-ins or auction acquisitions, check out my recent article published in the National Association of Dealer Counsel, Defender: Importing U.S. Domestic Autos Sold in Canada into the U.S.: Yes, that’s a thing! for review of federal regulation on importing and reselling used import vehicles in the U.S.
Dealership staff interested in keeping up-to-date on DMV guidance can get on the Plain Dealing email list here. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.