Code support

Code support

05 Jan 2009

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Government urges MPs to help recruit garages into MISRC scheme

THE GOVERNMENT has thrown its support behind the Motor Industry Service and Repair Code (MISRC).

Yesterday (Monday January 5th), Consumer Minister Gareth Thomas wrote to MPs asking them to contact garages in their constituencies and urge them to sign up to the MISRC.

He hopes the scheme will help not only raise standards within service and repair workshops, but also boost consumer confidence in the trade.

More than 5,000 garages have signed up to the scheme so far, although the government’s Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) says more members are needed to make the scheme a success.

Gareth said it was important garages showed they were prepared to publicly commit to high standards of service.

“When you book your car in for a service or repair, it can be a lottery whether you get a good deal or are taken for a ride,” he claimed. “This tough scheme will drive out the cowboy garages that charge for unnecessary work or miss major faults through incompetence.

“Regular inspections coupled with an enforcement regime will ensure consistency of service,” he continued.

“A helpline for advice and a searchable guide will help people to get a good deal and help garages to raise consumer confidence in their services.

“Garages that don’t want their business to get left behind should sign up to this code as soon as possible.”

According to BERR research, largely based on mystery shopping, many “sub-standard practices” persist within the trade. It claims that:

43% of garages did not provide customers with an accurate quote prior to a service

40% of garages missed or did not replace at least one item on the service schedule. For female car owners, this figure was 58%

12% of independent garages carried out work that had not been agreed with customers prior to the work being undertaken

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