Each year the Motor Trades Association of Australia Limited (MTAA) through its State and Territory Motor Trades Association and Automobile Chamber of Commerce Members and the Australian Motor Body Repairers Association, receives numerous concerns and cases from motor body repair business members about the behaviours of suppliers, insurers, other motor body repair businesses, and key stakeholders including State and Federal Government regulations and policy.
These concerns are many and varied and can include: contract disagreements, operations or behaviours of parties with whom the motor body repair business has a relationship, the impact of government policies and regulations, consumer choice and complaints, misuse of market power, contractual arrangements, accessing repair information, and Franchising Code of Conduct matters.
However when investigations into these concerns reveal a potential systemic or systematic problem on a national basis, member businesses are often unwilling to pursue the matter further because of genuine fear of retaliation or retribution from dominant market players.
This portal has been established to enable motor body repair business members to raise a concern for potential follow up action. The concerns lodged through this portal should have national implications. I.e. they are a matter that is either concerned with Federal policies, regulation or laws. If a concern is raised that can be better dealt with as a State or Territory jurisdiction then it will be referred to the State or Territory Association member.
By raising concerns, motor body repairers can be assured that the concern will be treated confidentially and that no external agency or authority will be notified unless the business owner / operator raising the concern has given written permission to do so.
Example of reporting an issue – Access to Repair Information
For example, if a motor body repair business member raises a concern through this Portal about access to repair information, then this is a matter that would be attended to under the National Agreement for Access to Repair Information.
The Motor Trades Association of Australia Limited (MTAA), formerly the Australian Motor Industry Federation (AMIF), its members, and their member constituencies, is a signatory to an agreement on the access to service and repair information for motor vehicles reached in December 2014.
The Agreement, between the MTAA, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA), the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) and the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA), was facilitated by the MTAA and overseen by the Federal Government and is an industry response to a 2012 Commonwealth Consumer and Competition Advisory Committee (CCCAC) inquiry.
The Agreement is representative of industry and consumer interests. It aims to provide a safeguard to consumers that service and repair information is available in a timely manner, to the repairer of their choice, at a fair and reasonable cost.
The Agreement recognises, as far as practicable, the many issues surrounding access to service and repair information and provides agreed industry principles reflecting a common understanding of how automotive industry participants will deal with these issues.
In this example this Portal is for Motor Trades Association and Automobile Chambers of Commerce members to share any information on difficulties or experiences in accessing repair information from vehicle manufacturers.
In collecting this information, the MTAA will be able to identify any systemic and or systematic problems that might be occurring, and then use the provisions of the agreement to bring such matters to the attention of appropriate organisations and identify and implement solutions. This is a practical means of providing evidence based material to support matters MTAA may take up with Agreement signatories and to monitor the behaviour and effectiveness of the Heads of Agreement.
MTAA can only take action if it can point to real problems associated with accessing repair and service information and back it up with case profiles. So feedback from MTAA Member businesses is essential in this process.
In the first instance your information will remain confidential and only for use by MTAA or MTAA members. You will be contacted for permission to use your example and business details if considered necessary to enhance a successful outcome.
***Please note that this portal is not a consumer complaint service and is for the use of MTAA member constituents. If you are a consumer who wishes to make a complaint about service please contact the ACCC and / or the Department of Consumer Affairs or Fair Trading in your State or Territory.****