Guidelines for competition results in fairer practices
July 1 celebrates a year since the introduction of the guidelines, and it has certainly brought about some positive changes within the industry.
While there is still a lot of progress to be made, Kate Elliott, CEO of Right to Repair SA, said significant progress has been made over the last 12 months, making the automotive aftermarket a fairer place to do business.
“We have seen some great strides in compliance from the OEMs. Special mention goes to Volkswagen SA, who have really led the way in embracing the guidelines, in both offering the consumer more choice and supporting independent service providers with technical information so that they are able to properly service the VW vehicles brought to them,” she said.
Other brands that have made positive strides are Ford, Toyota, Volvo, Isuzu, Suzuki and Mercedes.
Elliott said dealers have also embraced the guidelines, recognising the value of opening up their workshops to cater for a variety of brands. A Honda dealer, for example, is now no longer limited to only servicing Hondas. The dealer can service a Toyota or BMW – there is no limit.
“What’s most important is service excellence. Qualified mechanics with good workshops and access to technical information can service any vehicle. It is not necessary to specialise. This applies to dealers as much as it does to independent workshops,” she said.
Elliott said the remainder of the market is slowly catching on and excellent progress has been made wherever complaints have been laid against OEMs who have not put their implementation practices in place quickly enough. She confirmed there has been absolutely no backlash against any of the complainants who have laid a complaint against an OEM or dealer, and all complaints that have been resolved so far have been settled on an amicable basis. Complaints are being settled anywhere between a few days and a few months, confirmed Elliott.
“What we would like to see going forward is consumers feeling empowered to stand up for their rights. We would like to remind consumers that they have the power and the backing of the Competition Commission and organisations such as ourselves.”
Giving consumers more choice is after all that the guidelines have been set out to do. Elliott reminded consumers that non-compliance with any section of the guidelines can be reported directly to the Competition Commission. “Consumers are also welcome to contact Right to Repair for assistance. The complaints procedure is clearly outlined on the Right to Repair’s website. The process is quick, straightforward and free,” she concluded.
Source: Cathy Findley PR
