Camden
The car salesman is not shorting, how do you come to that. It is just what is known as a flip.
Re Mortgage sales, the person is not shorting either, they are going long. They see a bargain price and purchase, they are not selling something they do not own.
As per ethics of short selling, I do think the broker should have to ask the buyer if they are happy to lend their shares.
Interesting to see a Director of a company recently lent his shares to be shorted and the damage it did (this is from what I understand of this this thread
Manager of CQT lent shares for shorting?