Sean Buckley of Ultra Tune was recently interviewed by the AAAA (Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association) regarding the inquiry into the behaviour of vehicle manufacturers attempting to monopolize the after-sales car service market and drive up the cost of car servicing. 
Australia and New Zealand remain the only countries worldwide where manufacturers have been able to quarantine vehicle servicing data making it near impossible for independent service providers to properly service more recently manufactured vehicles.
After months of effort and preparation, Sean Buckley and Ultra Tune, with other independent operators, managed to address the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) regarding the anti-competitive nature of the manufacturerâs behaviour.
The ACCC werenât impressed and legislation will be enacted in 2018 creating a level playing field upon which independent service providers, such as Ultra Tune, will be able to favourably compete on price and workmanship with vehicle manufacturers in the after sales service market.
The ACCC found that many car manufacturers have not factored consumer guarantee rights into their complaints handling systems and new car buyers are losing out as a result. These rights provide remedies for consumers if their new car experiences a failure, including a right to a repair (without charge) for a minor failure, or a replacement of the car or a full refund for a major failure.
The ACCC has identified five key issues contributing to the difficulties consumers are having enforcing their consumer guarantee rights:
- car manufacturersâ focus on warranty obligations to the exclusion of their consumer guarantee obligations
- there is a dominant âculture of repairâ underpinning car manufacturersâ systems and policies for dealing with car defects and failures
- the widespread use of non-disclosure agreements by car manufacturers when resolving complaints
- the lack of effective independent dispute resolution options for consumers
- particular features of the commercial arrangements between car manufacturers and dealers.
Read in more detail at https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/new-car-industry-put-on-notice
