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The Chief Executive of Right to Repair South Africa (R2RSA), Kate Elliot, has stated that in order for the Guidelines for Competition in the Automotive Aftermarket to be a success and create a truly competitive market where quality and price rule the market, the big Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) need to step up and embrace the spirit of the Guidelines and not just implement the bare minimum for compliance.
Elliott, says while compliance has been relatively slow up until now, it is fantastic to see some of the big players finally coming on board.
“In particular we have been very impressed with the work done by Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) on all aspects of the Guidelines. We are yet to be contacted by a member of the public with a complaint against VWSA relating to the Guidelines and they have been the most transparent and open about how to make full use of the opportunities presented,” says Elliott.
Elliott says R2RSA recently received the full details of how ISPs can access VW’s technical maintenance and repair information. The offering has been carefully thought out allowing for a range of access options from hourly to annual access. This flexibility makes usage viable for ISPs that will most commonly service a range of different brands and may only need access to the information for each brand sporadically.
“The Guidelines are in place to support consumer choice. For a consumer comparing models of vehicles in the same price and spec range, the fact that one brand is fully supporting the Guidelines and sharing critical technical information with Independent Service Providers (ISPs), should be a big plus. In effect it means that the consumer can choose their aftermarket ISP of choice with the confidence that the ISP has been provided with all of the technical information they require to do a good job maintaining and repairing their vehicle. We believe this may very well be the deciding factor in their decision on which vehicle to purchase.”
She says a car is normally a consumer’s second most valuable asset, after their home and costs a lot of money to maintain. Any opportunity to reduce maintenance and repair costs on a vehicle, whist not compromising the integrity of the vehicle or the warranty, will be hugely valuable.
The question now is : Who will follow VW’s example?
Consumers who need help or want to check their rights in more detail can visit the R2RSA website on www.right2repair.org.za or alternatively report non-compliance to The Competition Commission at https://www.compcom.co.za/lodge-a-complaint/
