Off With the Parts!
Shuffling new parts from metal department to paint department and back again is beginning to show its age. Though industry critics insist painting parts off the car isn’t a practical alternative, some production shops disagree – and have the reduced cycle times and increased profits to prove it.
How Feds Dodged the Consent Decree in ’93
A group of shop owners – armed with reams of documentation and the 1963 Consent Decree – visited the Department of Justice in ’93 to provide what they considered proof of insurance industry wrongdoing. For whatever reasons, the DOJ dismissed their allegations, sweeping the Decree back under the rug. But how long can the dirt remain hidden?
Consent Decree: Enforceable or Forgetable?
In 1963, 265 insurers signed a Consent Decree drafted by the U.S. Justice Department and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. By signing, they agreed to abide by the Decree’s terms: no more demanding discounts, setting hourly rates, boycotting repair shops and using specific appraisers. It’s still a binding agreement today … but will it ever be enforced?