Trade Associations Help "Buyer Beware"

As consumers, we sometimes believe we have more rights than we actually do.

We have all heard the slogan, "Satisfaction guaranteed or your money refunded". Unfortunately some people believe this slogan used by some retailers is the letter of the law. It is not.

A slogan that comes closer to the truth is this: "Buyer Beware". In other words, be careful what you pay for, because there is no law guaranteeing you will get your money back if you are dissatisfied with your purchase.

So how should you, as a consumer, protect yourself when spending your hard-earned money?

One way, obviously, is by carefully examining potential purchases before you agree to buy. That is fairly easy when the purchase involves an actual product like a pair of pants, a car, or even a house. But when the purchase involves a service you are hiring someone to perform, it is not so easy.

So how do you protect yourself?

First of all, make sure you are dealing with a reputable company. How long have they been in business? Do they have the required licenses to operate in your area? Are they members of larger umbrella groups which ensure that they meet performance standards?

Associations such as the Motor Dealers' Association (MDA) and the Automotive Service & Repair Association (ASRA) have joined together to create the CCAR standards of service for automotive repair shops that must be met before they are allowed to become a CCAR member.

You should also ask what warranties the company or its trade association offers. Just as importantly, you should also ask what procedures they have in place to back up those warranties should you and the company be in disagreement over the quality of the work done.

ASRA and MDA, for example, require that its CCAR members provide customers with a minimum two-year written workmanship guarantee. This is just part of the Certified Collision Automotive Repair (CCAR) services which CCAR members offer. It also requires its members, in the event of warranty disputes, to be prepared to accept an independent arbitrator ruling. In other words, if you and the repair shop do not agree that there is a problem with the work that has been done, a third party will look at the facts and make the decision.

Precision Appraisals is the independent company which arbitrates any disputes between CCAR members and customers. Cal Hotchkiss is one of the company's arbitrators. He says a combination of experience (many arbitrators are themselves trained body repair technicians) and professional training give arbitrators the skills and knowledge to be able to make these decisions. He also says just having a recourse to arbitration in place prevents a lot of problems from occurring. "It makes the body ship stand at attention," he says. "There are very few problems with body shops that are members of CCAR."

If a consumer has had the foresight to take their body repair work to an CCAR member shop and is not satisfies, these are the steps that should be taken. First, the consumer should gibe the shop the opportunity to fix the problem. Most companies want to keep customers happy and are more than willing to make good on problems.

If, however, the repair shop does not believe there is a problem and the customer still thinks there is, the customer is asked to set the facts out in writing and send them to the attention of CCAR, P.O. Box 53122, Glenora PO, Edmonton, Alberta T5N 4A8. The consumer will be asked for a nominal $50 deposit as a show of good faith. (If the dispute is arbitrated in the consumer's favour, the deposit is refunded.)

At that point, Precision Appraisals is contacted and arrangements make for them to view the vehicle. One of many factors which come under consideration is the prior condition of the car, which can have an effect on the results of the repairs.

If the dispute does go to arbitration, CCAR members are prepared to accept the arbitrator's ruling as part of the CCAR 19-point repair standards.

So remember, when it comes to purchasing services just as in purchasing goods, the situation is "buyer beware". Before you make an agreement for any work to be performed, make sure you are dealing with a reputable company that is licensed, a member of any pertinent trade association, and offers a warranty on its work. For added peace of mind, discuss the arbitration procedure with the CCAR member of your choice. <

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