Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii, Alaska and Wyoming
Unbeknownst to the majority of consumers, auto insurance companies are unlawfully steering them away from the repair shop of their choice and dictating where they can go and what parts can be used in the repair process. Many shops are cognizant of this anti-competitive business practice, but are reticent to act for fear of Insurer retribution. Unfortunately, the law has also made it difficult for auto body repair shops to do anything about unlawful steering. The solution lies in the missing link—consumers.
I-CAR, the Inter-industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair welcomed a celebrity visitor to its classroom recently. Celebrity car builder Rich Evans took the new training program Waterborne Products, Systems, and Application (REF07) on Tuesday, March 3 in Huntington Beach, California.
The CRA applauded its members and California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner for slapping GEICO with a show cause order on steering and underpayment issues on March 10.
Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod has introduced SB 427 a bill “designed to reduce unfair and illegal practices by some in the auto collision repair industry.”
Existing California law prohibits insurers from requiring that an automobile be repaired at a specific automotive repair dealer. Under existing law, an insurer may suggest or recommend a specific automotive repair dealer under certain specified circumstances.
More than 100 collision shop owners, insurance company representatives, lobbyists and policy makers met in Sacramento on Feb. 25th for a public hearing to offer comments on proposed regulation 2698.93, implementing and interpreting California Insurance Code 758.5, also know as the “anti-steering statute”.
The Oregon Speaker of the House has introduced legislation (H.B. 2186) to prohibit the sale and distribution of aftermarket motor vehicle parts if alternatives are available that “decrease greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.” The bill is primarily focused on aftermarket tires and would authorize the Environmental Quality Commission to implement enforcement regulations, likely based on a rolling resistance calculation.
Bruce Bennett congratulates Benny (Bilko) Bialkowicz for the second straight year of record sales
in the Inland Empire and San Bernardino area. While saving body shops material costs, Benny
helped answered and troubleshooting the new waterborne fears in the paint department.
Welcome Aboard!!
David McClune, Executive Director of the California Autobody Association (CAA) announced an agreement with GRC-Pirk Management for members to acquire Certified Green Investment (CGI) qualifications on Jan. 19.