The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) announced it will host a virtual Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. to supply its members with the information and resources needed to help them battle the various daily challenges shops face.

“The purpose of this meeting is to show AASP/NJ members how to level the scales by knowing the rules,” said Charles Bryant, executive director of AASP/NJ. “There are rules that insurers must follow during the settlement of auto property damage claims that are often ignored by certain insurers. Unfortunately, there are also many collision shop owners who are not aware that these rules exist, where they can be found or how they can be applied to assist in the settlement of disputes between collision shop owners and insurers.”

AASP/NJ plans to address the following issues:

• Customers cannot be forced to file suit to collect for property damage
• Customers’ right to assign a designated representative
• Storage on repairable vehicles
• Customers have the right to timely inspections
• Paint and materials costs
• Abuse of the customer’s right to choose the repair facility
• Requirement of good faith negotiations for agreed price to repair
• Insurers owe for hidden damage
• Addressing improper betterment/depreciation deductions
• Aftermarket parts
• Improper stopping payment of storage fees
• Customers’ right to rental reimbursement and loss of use payments
• Diagnostic fees before and after repair
• Test drive car after repair
• Improper deductions

Members will also be given the opportunity to raise additional topics for discussion.

“This meeting will provide answers to questions on issues like a consumer’s right to choose the shop of their own choice, the right to be paid for hidden damage, the right to timely inspection of damaged vehicles, the improper denial of payment of storage charges and so much more,” said Bryant. “This will put the collision shop owner in the driver’s seat when an unreasonable insurer attempts to have their way on issues that are in direct conflict with the rules that are designed to make sure consumers are treated fairly during the claim settlement process. This is a meeting that you won’t want to miss.”

This virtual event is free and open to the first 100 AASP/NJ members in good standing who pre-register to attend. Email [email protected] to pre-register. Zoom information will be sent prior to the event.

For more information on AASP/NJ, visit aaspnj.org.