At its March 8, 2004 meeting, the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board (MVDB) emphasized the importance of cracking down on temporary tag violations. MVDB noted that a recent analysis showed that 77 dealers purchased more temporary tags than they had retail sales. During the meeting, MVDB considered two cases of misuse of temporary tags, and it imposed civil penalties. MVDB also announced a new policy designed to ensure greater security in the sale of temporary tags. The following steps will be implemented:
1. Tags will only be sold to dealers who provide a dealership check or a dealership credit card.
2. The person picking up temp tags must show I.D., and the identity of the person will be noted in the file.
3. The form for the purchase of temp tags has been revised and, as of April 8, only the revised forms will be accepted.
In addition, MVDB and its committees took the following notable actions:
à The Internet Committeeagreed to recommend that eBayês method of charging fees for its services is consistent with MVDBês three-year- old Internet policy.The committee determined that the system does not involve illegal bird-dog fees because eBay charges a two-part flat fee and is not compensated for sales or leads.
à Dealer Licensing. MVDB determined that it would not change the dealer application to require disclosure of civil verdicts for fraud or misrepresentation because the application provides sufficient information to determine the qualifications of dealers.
à Administrative. MVDB decided to change its computer administrator from VIPnet to DMV.With the new administrator, dealers will not be charged a fee to register.MVDB hopes to encourage dealers to utilize online access for renewal and other matters.
During the course of the meeting, MVDB considered two cases in which a hearing officer had recommended suspension of dealersê licenses for violations, but MVDB itself failed to follow that recommendation after personal presentations by the dealers involved. This dramatically demonstrates the importance of appearing at MVDB to present the dealershipês position on an issue being considered.
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