Your Shout 08 December 2010

Less than scrupulous accident management companies (AMCs) need to watch out, as fleet managers get wise to the increasingly prevalent rip-off culture, revealed by this journal.

Spectrum Vehicle Repairers' Marc Watts, cited in a news item in last month's issue, spoke for many when he protested that some AMCs are guilty of taking commissions from accident repair specialists, such as his company, so inflating costs and ultimately pushing up insurance quotes for all operators.

Needless to say, that certainly doesn't apply to all AMCs. As managing director of FleetLink, I can assure readers that this is not our business appraoch. Indeed Spectrum has never paid our company a penny for work it has done on behalf of us and our clients. We have an entirely transparent model, where we invite several local garages to tender for the work, and we do not take commissions.

However, I know it does happen. So I am pleased to see someone speaking out against rogue AMCs and their practices. For far too long they have added money onto bills for no conceivable reason. Some also insist on contracted workshops signing secrecy deals, before adding on commissions to parts and labour before the estimate is submitted – which the garage then pays to the AMC once accounts are settled.

Although the customer never knows that he is lining the pockets of the AMC, such underhand practices are unacceptable. I set up my company never to take nor hide commissions.

I will always fight my corner, but I am glad that Spectrum has brought the issue into the open. Why should transport operators pay hidden commissions, when they already pay for their AMCs' services in the form of management fees?

Some of our competitors have been getting too greedy and the industry needs more honesty.

Author
SOE/IRTE

Related Downloads
29955\P36.pdf

Related Companies
Society of Operations Engineers

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.