Data Sharing: Minister Calls For Repair Roundtable

“Consumers have the right to choose where they get their vehicle repaired or serviced so, in large measure, this issue is about consumer rights”.

The Federal Minister for Small Business Bruce Billson is to meet with the automotive industry to discuss vehicle service and repair information.  Our friends at the VACC agree with this move.

“Since 2011, when formal discussions concerning this issue commenced, VACC has maintained that the solution will be found through dialogue,” VACC Executive Director, David Purchase, said.

“This is a consumer rights issue with an industry solution. Stakeholders need to put self-promotion to one side, unite and strive for an industry-led code, otherwise the Government will have every right to step in and determine the outcome. Our message has not changed since we organised the national conference on this matter, in Melbourne, three years ago,” Mr Purchase said.

Publicity surrounding the issue, in the last few weeks, has centred on individual stakeholder positions however, VACC has consistently called for a consensus. Recently, VACC Executive Director, David Purchase, said ‘all stakeholders need to continue meaningful discussions, otherwise the Government might just step in and fix the problem which could have unintended consequences.’

VACC’s position is in line with its national body, the Australian Motor Industry Federation (AMIF). Also this week, AMIF CEO, Richard Dudley, said that while the issue was not without its complexity, he ‘firmly believes that discussions with all stakeholders should continue with a view to securing a satisfactory outcome for consumers, manufacturers, dealers and independent repairers’.

The VACC has offered all parties in the auto industry access to their own data library which is arguably the most extensive in the country.

Recently, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) developed a vehicle information industry code however, VACC considers this code to falls short of what is required to secure agreement between all the parties.

As AMIF CEO, Richard Dudley, said recently, “Consumers have the right to choose where they get their vehicle repaired or serviced so, in large measure, this issue is about consumer rights”.

In providing access to vehicle repair and service information, it is not unreasonable for manufacturers to seek payment for such information, nor is it unreasonable for them to insist that independent repairers have the equipment, training and skills to repair and service vehicles covered by the information in question, just as dealer networks are required to do, as Mr Dudley also recently said.

Stay tuned…