A hidden camera investigation has revealed that an auto dealer who had his licence revoked and was ordered to stop selling cars was still trying to sell on Craigslist.

Arthur Tong, 69, was stripped of his dealer’s licence in May for admitting to rolling back odometers on 39 vehicles and then selling them on the classifieds site Craigslist.

Two months after the hearing, he tried to sell a vehicle in Richmond to an undercover crew from CTV News.

Tong posted an ad on Craigslist for a used Honda CRV. He told the CTV crew he’d owned the car for the last four years and was selling the vehicle because he bought a minivan. However, after searching the Honda’s VIN number, a Carfax Report showed the vehicle had two new registered owners in the last year.

“We confirmed that he only obtained the vehicle on May 2nd of this year,” said Doug Longhurst with the B.C. Vehicle Sales Authority.

When confronted by CTV News about advertising the vehicle online and trying to sell it after his licence was stripped, Tong said it was challenging for him to stop selling.

“You cannot change my hobby or habit overnight. It takes time for me to digest,” he said.

But Tong says he learned his lesson and that rolling back the odometers on vehicles did not pay off. Tong admitted to rolling back odometers and eventually bought back four vehicles and compensated 26 other customers out of pocket.

“I did apologize to each one of the clients, the customers who bought the car from me,” he said.

He also says he is now permanently out of the business of selling cars and plans to take the Honda CRV back to a public auction.

“Unfortunately they don’t want me to be in the car business anymore,” he said. “I am done with this.”

The province has limited authority to go after Tong and can only issue a $288 fine for curbing, which is the practice of selling cars to make a profit. Curbers are unlicensed people or businesses who sometimes pose as private sellers. If you sell five or more vehicles in a year, you are considered to be in the car selling business and should be licensed. However, changes are expected next year to allow the B.C. Vehicle Sales Authority to levy harsher penalties against curbers.

Tomorrow on CTV News at 6: How to spot a curber, and how to protect yourself if you’re buying a used car online.