The Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition is claiming that the New England Service Station and Automotive Repair Association (NESSARA) is conducting a “misinformation campaign” to defeat S.B. 2268, the Right to Repair bill. Right to Repair supporters are questioning data compiled by NESSARA to illustrate that the legislation is unnecessary.
Last week, a NESSARA statement claimed that the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) reported one complaint about OEM service and repair information availability for every 550 repair shops that the organization represents.
“I just can’t understand how this Right to Repair Coalition can claim that there is this major problem for independent repair businesses in getting repair information when AAIA’s own data doesn’t support their position,” said Roger Montbleau, NESSARA president.
The Right to Repair Coalition, however, questioned the relevance of this number, saying that AAIA’s membership consists almost exclusively of manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of auto parts – not repairers.
In its recent release, NESSARA also noted that the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) – which was established to identify and correct gaps in the availability and accessibility of automotive service information, service training, diagnostic tools and equipment, and communications – has received a total of 291 information requests on its Web site since December 2004, and 16 of those requests were from Massachusetts repairers.
“If the Massachusetts repair industry is only filing approximately three requests per year, how big can this supposed information and tooling problem be?” said Matthew LeLacheur, NESSARA executive director.
The Right to Repair Coalition says that the low number of complaints filed with NASTF is not tied to the severity of the problem of information availability, but the slow response of NASTF to information requests. NASTF leader Bill Hass, testifying before Congress in 2005, stated that the estimated time for NASTF to respond to complaints is eight to 15 days, and by 2007, it was still several days, the coalition claims.
“The truth is that repairers can’t wait several days for repair information, so they don’t bother using the NASTF system,” according to a Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition statement.
“It is time for NESSARA to stop this smoke and mirrors disinformation campaign against its own members and against the Bay State’s motoring consumers,” the coalition’s statement concluded. “With 84 percent of Massachusetts residents supporting Right to Repair and an overwhelming majority of service stations behind the legislation, it is time for the legislature to vote to pass this bill and not be distracted by these unfortunate attempts to misguide them.”
More information:
• Right to Repair Debate Heating Up Again in Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition
• NESSARA
