Starting on Oct. 1, 2008, Maryland repair shops will be required to add a new consumer disclosure to invoices if customers request it.
Maryland House Bill 1057 was signed into law by the governor in May and added the new requirement to Commercial Law 14-1002.
The bill mandates that before beginning any repair work on a vehicle for which a customer is charged more than $50, an automotive repair facility shall give the customer, on the customer’s request, a written statement which contains:
- The estimated completion date.
- The estimated price for labor and parts.
- A statement that the repair facility may not be responsible for certain damages to the customer’s vehicle while on shop premises and that the customer should ask a representative of the repair facility about the extent of its responsibility, including insurance coverage.
- The estimated surcharge, if any. If the fee is disclosed to the customer before the estimate is made, the automotive repair facility may charge a reasonable fee for making the estimate.
