South Carolinians can now file complaints about vehicle dealers faster with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV). Customers now have the option to visit SCDMVOnline.com (File a Dealer Complaint) to submit a complaint about licensed dealers in South Carolina.
“Customers take a lot of time to research vehicles, visit dealerships, and test drive cars,” said SCDMV Executive Director Kevin Shwedo. “When it comes time to decide what vehicle to purchase, people are using their hard-earned money and it can be a stressful process. If an error is made in a customer’s transaction, the SCDMV wants to know about it so it can be properly investigated and corrected.”
Only certain types of complaints are investigated by the SCDMV. They include:
• Undelivered title within 45 days of the sale
• Undelivered paperwork needed to register a customer’s vehicle
• Dealer did not pay off lienholder
• Dealer went out of business before providing a customer with paperwork
To obtain contact information for all other types of complaints, visit the “File A Dealer Complaint” webpage.
When filing a complaint at SCDMVOnline.com, the customer will receive confirmation of the complaint and be prompted to send supporting documents so the Dealer License and Audit Unit can review and process the complaint.
Customers must have a South Carolina driver’s license or customer number to file a complaint online. Any anonymous or out-of-state resident filing a complaint against a South Carolina dealer must file a complaint via email, fax, or mail.
If a customer would rather file a complaint by email or fax, the customer should complete and send the Dealer License and Audit Unit Customer Complaint Form (SCDMV Form DE-002C) along with all supporting documents to [email protected] or 803-896-8172. The SCDMV will also accept complaints through the mail at:
SCDMV
Attention: Dealer License and Audit Unit
P.O. Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016-0023
Also now available on SCDMVOnline.com (View Dealer License Information), is the ability of customers and potential customers to view the license status of a dealership and the history of any sanctions attributed to the dealer. This new transaction provides even more transparency to the car buying process and adds an additional layer of consumer protection statewide.
This allows customers to view the following:
• View if a dealership is active, suspended, cancelled, or revoked
• View a dealership’s location
• View the sanction history of an active, suspended, or cancelled dealership dating back to June 2018 to the present.
These functions will help consumers better understand if the dealership is in violation of any dealer-related South Carolina law that could result in a dealer’s license suspension. The amount of points associated with a sanction determines the length of the suspension, or in some cases revocation.
A dealer does have the opportunity to appeal any sanction (points, suspension, or revocation) assessed against the dealership license by the Dealer License and Audit Unit. Upon review of a dealer’s appeal, the SCDMV Appeals Review Committee (ARC) will either sustain, adjust, or dismiss the points. If the dealer wishes to appeal a suspension or revocation further, the dealer can request a hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings. Any appeal that is sustained or adjusted will be reflected on the SCDMV’s website, View Dealer License Information, for public viewing.
Anyone with additional questions for the Dealer License and Audit Unit can contact that department at 803-896-2611 or email [email protected]. The fax number is 803-896-8172.
