Choice of Automotive Repairer Bill

Leading into the last 6 months of the previous Australian government term Senator Steven Fielding, Family First, tabled the Choice of Repairer Bill 2010.  The proposed new laws give independent repairers and aftermarket franchise chains an ability to pay a reasonable price to obtain technical data from the automotive manufacturers.

The aftermarket repair and service industry in Australia have long campaigned to protect this sector and while the manufacturer ‘giants’ have always been prepared to lobby up to grow their captured segment of the market there is a political chord playing here.

The question is whether to protect the big international auto bosses or the consumers who will adore the politicians who protect their wallets from those same cold mega-corporations.

The aim of the Choice of Repairer Campaign is to protect choice and competition in vehicle repair, servicing, replacement parts and accessories sector by eliminating any technical or legal barriers that impact on the Australian consumers right to have their vehicle serviced, maintained and repaired at competitive prices in the workshop of their choice.

These are the same issues facing automotive manufacturers, dealers and the aftermarket throughout much of the world.  There are similar campaigns in North America, Europe and Asia.

This legislation will make sure car repair prices are kept low by ensuring the car giants can't build on their ever-increasing monopoly.  …

Family businesses are being killed off around the country, because the big vehicle manufacturers are forcing ordinary Australians to go to their own dealerships and pay over-inflated prices. SenatorFielding

In Australia the push to protect new car owners and the aftermarket industry is snowballing where this Bill follows on from Australia’s Consumer Affairs Advisory Committee’s review of Statutory Implied Conditions and Warranties.

Why does everything have to be at least a little complicated? There is a conflict here where the big multi-national, mega-rich media prefer not to antagonise the car manufacturer’s advertising dollar.

With few exceptions the media attempts to sell consumers and the aftermarket automotive industry down the drain and ignore the push.  However; industry associations and consumer advocacy groups have one hell of a fire burning and the elected representatives of the people are warming their hands as they should be.

Automotive technology evolves so quickly today and the manufacturers have cottoned on to directing that development to get around current consumer protections. They say it’s their bat and their ball and people are going to buy new cars and they then own them.  And once they own them they can do with them what they want.

The consumer prices for original equipment [OE] product not even produced by car manufacturers are rude today but if the manufacturers were to keep getting away with manipulating automotive development to sidestep legislation their strategies would corner outrageous consumer prices and potentially strangle competition into the future.

I have sympathy for the new car franchise dealers as their world changes but change it will. Now they need to find out why they struggle to keep customers and not just guess from atop some detached tower. The manufacturers and the dealers cannot just ignore the concept of Competition that governments profess to be the fundamental basis for economic strength.

I have no sympathy for the manufacturers. Throughout the GFC the big US boys threw people into unemployment and threw dealers out of their franchises while coming into land in their private jets with a bottle of Champaign in one hand and a huge cigar compensating for something else. They were showing the love while Toyota was removing its foot from its mouth.

As new car sales plummeted all of a sudden service departments became critical and their profit line became the focus. But they only knew one way.

Speculation is only a word covering the making of money out of the manipulation ofprices, instead of supplying goods and services.   Henry Ford

The manufacturers and the franchise dealers need to restructure their thinking and get back in the competition;

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.  Maya Angelou (1928-)

I don’t know who designed the OE prison culture and the systems that spewed forth but whoever it was didn’t have any idea of what really upsets voters. Alas, Senator Fielding lost his seat in the recent election but that campaign won't deny consumers.

Related Reading:

Trade practices amendment (Australian Consumer Law) bill (No.2) 2010

Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation 2011

Right to Repair Canada

Right to Repair Act back in Congress

H.R. 2057: Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act of 2009