BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — AutoTec has new ally in its battle against unlicensed and illegal vehicle sales, as the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association said recently that it is lending its support to help the company fight curbstoning.

AutoTec founded Stop Curbstoning to educate used-vehicle shoppers about the dangers of curbstoning, unite dealers and urge municipalities to crack down, as well.

"Curbstoning is as bad for the consumer as it is for licensed auto dealers," stated Mike Linn, chief executive officer of NIADA.

"Consumers need to be aware that with a used vehicle — as with any used product — things can go wrong," Linn shared. "With licensed dealers, the consumer has recourse should anything be wrong with the car, or the title, or the registration.

"With curbstoners, good luck finding them again — once they have the money, they're gone," he added. "At NIADA, we're very involved in promoting dealer education and protecting used-car buyers. I was very pleased to see AutoTec come out with this effort to stop curbstoning."

AutoTec president Chuck Redden welcomed NIADA's support.

"For over 10 years, we've been helping licensed dealers do business in the wholesale marketplace," Redden stated. "We spend a lot of time and effort to keep the wholesale marketplace safe and secure. This effort is a spin-off of that."