New System Rattles Trade In The West

Newcastle Herald

Saturday August 20, 2005

Brooke Newstead

EXECUTIVE director for the Motor Trade Association of Western Australia has claimed NRMA Insurance's web-based repair system has not worked in his state.

Peter Fitzpatrick said the system, introduced in WA about two years ago, was fiercely opposed by most repairers.

"The biggest problem that we have been facing in WA is that the emphasis is on the cheapest repair," Mr Fitzpatrick said.

"Quite often it (the job) will go to repair shops that would not spend as much money on equipment and so on.

The NRMA's web-based repair system has so far been introduced in WA, NSW, South Australia and Queensland.

Despite Mr Fitzpatrick's claims, NRMA Insurance claims and assessing boss David Brown said the system had been welcomed.

However Mr Fitzpatrick said Western Australian repairers were seeing a lot of "rectification jobs", where repairers had to repeat shoddy work carried out by repairers who had originally won the work on NRMA Insurance's tendering system.

"It's not a company that is really playing it straight with repairers," Mr Fitzpatrick said.

"I do not understand their methodology."

Mr Fitzpatrick said his main concern was that there had been staff cutbacks in terms of repairers, and that no potential apprentices were showing an interest in entering the industry.

"What is concerning is the lack of people in the industry and the lack of confidence in the industry," he said.

"It will come back to haunt them one day."

Brooke Newstead

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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