[Christien]

Regulations to obtain a dealer's license vary province to province, but here in Ontario it's not something the average joe can do. You need a bricks and mortar building with parking in an area zoned for car dealerships, a permanently fixed sign, a mechanic on-site or arrangement with a shop certified to safety tests and they come and inspect it once in a while. It's not something you can really operate out of your house. Access to the dealer auctions is very strict - you have to be an employee of the dealership and registered with the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (yearly fee, open-book test to get registered, must be employed by a registered dealership). They used to allow a family member into the auction if they shared the same last name, but not anymore. So it's not easy to get access to the dealer auctions.

Curbsiders aren't picking up cars at wholesale auctions, that's for sure. I've never been convinced it's a real problem here in Ontario - in 13 years in the industry I've come across precisely one.

Typical dealer markup is 30-40%, though that varies widely depending on the vehicle, but that's a good starting point. So if a car listed for $10k, the dealer probably paid 6-7 at the auction.