Oklahoma Bill Would Require Non-OEM Part Disclosure in Writing from Insurers
Legislation being considered by the Oklahoma Senate Business and Commerce Committee (S.B. 1458) would require insurance companies to advise consumers in writing if a non-OEM crash, emission or safety part is to be used in a repair. Further, the bill would require a consumer to sign a consent form.
Vehicle Safety Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate with Provisions Important to Collision Repairers
U.S. Sen. John D. Rockefeller, D-W.V., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., recently introduced a bill in the Senate titled the Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2011. The bill touches on several issues relevant to the collision industry, according to the Automotive Service Association (ASA). The bill
Auto Recyclers and Collision Repairers Confess to Lack of Communication at URG Annual Conference
URG, the United Recyclers Group, hosted a Body Shop Panel Discussion at its 2011 annual conference in Englewood, Colo., on April 15. The two-day event was attended by more than 800 recyclers. Facilitator Don Porter of State Farm opened up the discussion by asking panelists to introduce themselves and talk a little about their
Bill Calling for Greater Vehicle Damage Disclosure Introduced in Congress
U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, has introduced H.R. 164 directing the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require greater disclosure of information relating to the market value and safety of damaged motor vehicles. The bill has been
AMI Announces 2010-2011 Board of Trustees Officers
The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) has announced the recently elected board of trustees officers for 2010-2011: Tony Passwater, Chair Tony Passwater, president of AEII, has worked in the collision industry since 1972. He comes from a third generation family in the collision repair business. During his involvement, he has worked and managed his family
Legislative Lowdown
Federal – The U.S. Department of Justice recently released the final rules for the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), created by a 1992 law to prevent title washing. The rules, which were effective April 1, require insurers to report vehicles that have been declared total losses under state law and by their own
Go High Tech
Are you still doing business the old-fashioned way? Making multiple phone calls and faxes to complete an estimate, wasting time handling paper documents and using shop management and estimating systems with limited parts ordering functionality? Are you frustrated with delays in getting parts, and also getting the wrong parts? This frustration is unnecessary as there
DRPs: Don’t Go Away Mad, Just Go Away
Since so many changes are taking place on the repairer-insurer-consumer horizon, all anyone can do is speculate about the future. Not being a betting man (I’ve never even bought a lotto ticket), I’d venture that the answers to Bill O’Keefe’s questions might be “yes” and “no”–but not necessarily in that order. At a recent NACE,
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If Customers Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy
While progressive collision repairers are relying more and more on computerized equipment, paperless processing and electronic transactions, old fashioned customer care – friendly, timely, convenient and cost-effective service – is still the key to repeat and referral business.