What is Block Exemption?
In October 2003 the European Union Competition Commission lifted the restricted practices which previously required motorists with new cars under warranty to have them serviced at the franchised dealers.
How can this change benefit you?
By giving you the motorist a greater and more competitive choice, it enables you to shop around for the best deal.
As many motor manufacturers are now providing independent garages with technical information, diagnostic equipment and training, any car still within the manufactures warranty period can now be serviced by any independent garage without invalidating the warranty cover.
The only stipulation is that the car is serviced in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations and that the parts used are of comparable quality to the Original Equipment.
Counterfeit Parts
The Institute of Trading Standards (ITS) estimates that the trade in counterfeit car parts, which in 1994 was worth 300m a year, is currently worth a staggering 3bn. With such a large number of varied parts being illegally copied every year, motorists need to be exceptionally vigilant to avoid dangerous counterfeits. - 'According to the US 'Federal Trade Commission', product piracy costs the automobile industry more than 9 billion every year. In Europe, around ten percent of all replacement parts are thought to be forged. Besides losses for the companies concerned, counterfeiting leads to perilous situations on the road'. Messe Frankfurt
Autoadvisor's aim is to translate the industry jargon into simple language and to empower the motorist to make informed choices.
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