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New York Governor Signs Consumer Disclosure Bill
The New York Auto Collision Techni- the appraisal—that it is up to the concians Association (NYSACTA) has sumer to decide which shop repairs announced that Governor Andrew their vehicle. In response, executive director Cuomo has signed A7738 into law. The bill supports and reinforces NYS Ed Kizenberger said, “The passage of this bill is the culmination Ins Regulation 2610. of 4 years of conversations Insurance company inand meetings with the NYS fluence of network or proAssembly and Senate memgram-preferred shops has some consumers confused as bers to garner support and to their rights following an understanding of the issues facing consumers when filaccident, especially when ing and processing a claim they find themselves diAndrew Cuomo with their insurance comrected to take a vehicle to a drive-in facility that is housed in a re- pany for property damage to their vepair shop. This bill requires insurers hicle.” to notify consumers—in writing on See NY Gov Signs Bill, Page 3
CIC Presentation Highlights Issues that Pre- and Post-Repair Scans Raise for the Industry
mittee chairman Jack Rozint said at the CIC in Anaheim, Calif., in August. A Collision Industry Conference “It’s definitely somewhere in between (CIC) committee charged with lookthere.” ing at emerging technology “It’s not that this body is in the industry argues that going to set those guidemore guidelines and consenlines,” committee member sus is needed within the inFred Iantorno said. “It’s just dustry on when pre- and that there’s a need in the marpost-repair scans are necesketplace for that.” sary, and over fair compenWith that in mind, the sation for that work. committee’s presentation foJack Rozint “I don’t think it’s necescused on the questions resarily correct to say every repair needs lated to scanning that it hopes to bring to be scanned before or after, and it’s automakers, insurers, tool-makers and certainly not correct to say that only 1collision repairers together to address. in-10 cars needs to be scanned,” comSee CIC Focus on Scans, Page 30 by John Yoswick
VOL. 7 ISSUE 6 SEPTEMBER 2016
What is the Role of Post-Repair Inspections in Your Shop? by Autobody News Staff and Contributing Writers
Leaders in the collision repair industry met to discuss the merits of post-repair inspections (PRI) in a June Verifacts Guild 21 Webinar that exposed troubling evidence for the industry. Kristen Felder, founder and CEO of Collision Hub, shared the findings of a year-long study involving 30 reinspections that took a closer look at quality control practices. Although she acknowledged the study was far from “scientific,” she stated that she found numerous flaws in repairs within this small sample of vehicles. “I didn’t see what I was expecting to see,” Felder said. The former technician stated she assumed minor damage or relatively inconsequential faults would be found during the post-
repair inspections, but was unprepared for the seriousness of the results. These ranged from poor welding to completely neglected repairs, she said. “The problems we found were significant and severe,” she said. “They were things that needed to be addressed immediately and the customers removed from the vehicles.” Speaking from a position of favoring the inspections, Felder explained her decision to investigate developed from an ongoing debate. Utlizing her marketing company, Engage Target Media, which conducts market research for the industry, Felder took a “360 degree” look at post repair inspections, she said. “Was PRI good or bad for the collision industry? Was it making a difference? What are the findings during the inspections?” Felder spoke with a sampling of See Post-Repair Inspections, Page 19
CDI Commissioner Dave Jones Addresses Shops and Insurers at NACE by Ed Attanasio
If you own a body shop in California, you would likely agree that current Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has been proactively helping the collision industry since day one. Jones was first elected in 2010 and re-
Dave Jones gave a 30-minute presentation that was packed with information, followed by a brief Q&A session
elected in 2014 to lead the California Department of Insurance and regulate the California insurance market. Insurers collect $259 billion a year in premiums in California, making it the largest insurance market in the nation. On August 12 at the NACE | CARS Conference and Exposition in Anaheim, CA, Jones gave a 30-minute presentation and industry update, including a report on proposed labor rate survey regulations and how they will affect shops and insurers. He also talked about anti-steering regulations and how they will protect consumers and shops. He also discussed crash parts and other issues that might affect consumers in the auto body industry now and in the future. In many ways, Jones’s speech was his department’s state of the union address, in which he described See CDI’s Dave Jones, Page 62
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