AASP, ASA and SCRS Send Joint Letter to NCOIL -RE- AM Parts
Contact: Bob Redding
202-543-1440
b.redding@att.net
For Release: Immediate
News Bulletin
September 1, 2005
AASP, ASA and SCRS Send Joint Letter to NCOIL
Concerning Aftermarket Crash Parts Certification Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 1, 2005 – The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialist (SCRS) have sent a joint letter to the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) responding to their request for comments for further consideration of aftermarket crash parts certification.
On July 7, 2005 each of the organizations submitted written comments and/or testified in opposition to the Certified Aftermarket Crash Parts Model Act at NCOIL’s summer meeting in Rhode Island.
The organizations, representing a majority of U.S. collision repairers, expressed their support for vehicle owners to be given notice as to the types of replacement crash parts being used in the repair of their vehicles as well as consent to the use of those parts in writing.
Reporting in their written comments, “AASP, ASA and SCRS have, for the past several years, been working closely with the manufacturers of certified aftermarket parts to improve their quality and consistency. All three associations have sent representatives to Taiwan to meet with the manufacturers and government officials.”
The organizations continued, “Collision repairers are unable to identify aftermarket manufacturers because certified aftermarket parts are sold as “certified” and not by a specific manufacturer. This matter is further complicated because we feel the certification standards are incomplete, and are not consistently enforced by the current certification entities in place. This allows poorly manufactured parts to be certified and sold in the same market as the higher quality certified parts.”
“We applaud the efforts of NCOIL in their attempt to ensure the quality and safety of aftermarket parts. We believe that if this particular legislation were enacted, the industry would be left dealing with certification entities whose systems have proven to be flawed and have demonstrated their inability to monitor the production of high quality replacement crash parts acceptable to the marketplace on a consistent basis,” stated Tom Moreland, SCRS’s Chairman.
Nick Kostakis, AASP’s Immediate Past President said, “This NCOIL activity stands to have the opposite effect of its stated purpose of protecting consumers, and may actually hinder ongoing efforts to identify and resolve fundamental flaws in the current aftermarket parts certification model.”
Darrell Amberson, ASA Collision Operations Director, added, “We want to continue to work with NCOIL and state legislatures around the country to improve the replacement crash parts marketplace. The certification proposal being considered is not the answer for our industry.”
