New legislation removes dealer's stranglehold on car repairs

Posted 29th May 2010

New EU legislation has opened up the car-service market with the prevention of manufacturers invalidating warranties if vehicles were maintained at independent garages. The EU Competition Commission hopes to open up the repair market to far better competition and prevent car makers from stipulating in warranties that the work need to be carried out in its dealer network.

With recent media reports suggesting that official car dealers are charging anywhere up to three times the amount of automotive centres, as Paul Chance, Managing Director of Abacus Auto Services explains, this new legislation is good news for independent garages and customers alike.

“This new legislation now empowers customers to choose where they want to have their care maintained. They can shop around and ultimately find the best price and service offering that suits their automotive needs and budget,” explains Paul.

“The additional competition also means prices are sure to come down at repair centres in the long-term which is great news for drivers in the UK.”

According to the EU, repair and maintenance accounts for 40% of the expense of running a vehicle so Paul now believes that a broader customer base can now benefit from the service and pricing from theirs and thousands of well established independent garages throughout the country.

“The difference a customer can pay in repair and maintenance over the life of a car can be huge. We believe that being independent means you get a more personal service and at a price to suit you. We also run as a close-knit family business and always aim to give a personal, local level of service to our customers,” explains Paul.

“For automotive centres like us up and down the country, this new legislation means we are now competing on a level playing field with dealerships and enables us to show a broader customer base our service experience and price offering.”