Curbsiders don't always use curbs. Often they advertise in newspapers. If you see the same phone number on car ads throughout the publication, it's probably a curbsider.
—Will Higgins, "State sets trap for car-sale scammers," The Indianapolis News, August 20, 1998

But many so-called private sellers are, in fact, people who sell cars for a living without a licence, in an illegal scheme called "curbsiding." Consumer experts estimate as many as one-third of all private car sales in Ontario involve curbsiders — so named because the vehicles typically sit by the curb near the salespeoples' homes.

When buying from a curbside dealer, consumers have no way of knowing the truth about a vehicle's history or maintenance. Consumers who choose to buy privately, but want to avoid curbsiders, can check the ownership history of a vehicle with the Ministry of Transportation. If the car has been traded recently they may be dealing with a curbsider. Checking on previous owners can confirm the vendor's honesty.
—Janice Middleton, "New wrinkles in the old gamble on used cars," The Globe and Mail, April 9, 1991