Home Page › Forums › Discussions › General independent garage chat › Consultation launched into future of Block Exemption › Reply To: Consultation launched into future of Block Exemption
It’s a bit rich blaming the government. When did you read about it in the national press and if you did, did you understand what they were saying and did they follow it up. . NO. . . EU rules are complex at the best of times and the public should always be made aware of these things in readable and understandable terms, that’s what a free press is for. Unfortunately I still have incidents (last one 10 days ago) where main dealers tell customers they must have the vehicle serviced at the main dealer for the period of warranty to maintain that warranty, The manufacturers are complicit in this as they do not forbid their dealer networks to say such blatant lies. Our industry has sleep walked into this situation in this country and will continue to sleep walk in this way because of the lack value placed on workshops and their output. It’s all about sales, the workshop is seen as an obstacle by the sales team and treated as a black hole of undesirables. The Independent sector can and must continue to play a vital roll in vehicle repair and maintenance sector but we have to be professional. We must have our say, we must maintain the block exemption rules and get them developed so that information parts and training is made available and is always available. The industry should have been licensed 40 years ago but our trade bodies have gone against this for most of that 40 years. If we loose block exemption in 2023 our independent sector will be dead and buried by 2030 and if that happens vehicle ownership will disappear with it, all new technology will be licensed by the manufacturer, vehicles will be leased to the public and dealers will have the monopoly. A scary prospect considering the vast majority of dealers in this country are part of big multinational operations that really want to see things develop in this way as it will guarantee market share and profits. If you think that’s unlikely or unrealistic do nothing and see what happens, if you agree with me in part if not all then rock the boat and make sure we keep block exemption rules and get them strengthened so that Manufacturers cannot dictate the terms. Remember this, government is run by money and manufacturers have plenty of it. The buying publics heart is quickened by good professional service. GET THEM ONSIDE because they elect governments and they are our soldiers and it is still the foot soldiers that make the difference in our world.