MK
27th September 2007, 09:41 PM
well, maybe in the future.
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=43780&s_rid=smh:ClassiePuff
The Victorian government wants to put the squeeze on car makers with tougher laws.
The Victorian Government is planning to introduce the nation’s first ‘‘lemon laws’’ to force car makers to replace persistently defective cars, but it will have to overcome the collective resistance of the automotive industry.
The Government has published a paper and started a public consultation process to determine the extent of the problem. Australian manufacturers and importers refuse to be part of a regular quality survey such as those done in the US by the J. D. Power group and they refuse to publish their warranty claims records, which would also give consumers an idea of which cars were more reliable.
The Victorian move follows the introduction of ‘‘lemon laws’’ in many states in the US, where a car is considered a ‘‘lemon’’ if problems arise within the first two years and persist after three or four separate attempts at repair.
There are no accurate figures on how many ‘‘lemons’’ there are in the state, said Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs, Tony Robinson.
‘‘Last year, Victoria recorded nearly 250,000 new-car sales. Yet, despite manufacturers’ warranties and existing consumer protection legislation, purchasers of lemon vehicles can experience compensation and rectification problems,’’ Mr Robinson said.
The Government wanted to clarify the rights and responsibilities of consumers, dealers and car makers, he said. It also wanted to provide buyers with a clear system of redress and to encourage prompt settlement of disputes. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said lemon laws were unnecessary as only an ‘‘infinitesimal’’ number of cars were involved.
‘‘The problem is so small you have got to question whether it warrants this response,’’ said the chamber’s chief executive, Andrew McKellar. Mr McKellar said all car brands had ‘‘very comprehensive’’ warranties. ‘‘The emphasis on quality and customer service is really entrenched in the industry and anyone who thought they could get away with anything less will find themselves at a major disadvantage in the marketplace.’’
Mr Robinson said manufacturers’ warranties offered consumers only partial protection.
‘‘Under most of these warranties, manufacturers are only required to repair defects during the warranty period. There is no express obligation to replace or refund a defective vehicle,’’ he said when launching the consultation process.
Mr McKellar said there were adequate protections for consumers under the Victorian consumer affairs laws and under the Federal Trade Practices Legislation.
‘‘Our view is that this is completely unnecessary and will only contribute additional costs and additional complexity and is open to abuse.’’
He said the situation was different in the US, which lacked the level of consumer protection provided in Australia by state and federal consumer legislation. The public consultation process on lemon laws will be led by Mordialloc MP Janice Munt.
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=43780&s_rid=smh:ClassiePuff
The Victorian government wants to put the squeeze on car makers with tougher laws.
The Victorian Government is planning to introduce the nation’s first ‘‘lemon laws’’ to force car makers to replace persistently defective cars, but it will have to overcome the collective resistance of the automotive industry.
The Government has published a paper and started a public consultation process to determine the extent of the problem. Australian manufacturers and importers refuse to be part of a regular quality survey such as those done in the US by the J. D. Power group and they refuse to publish their warranty claims records, which would also give consumers an idea of which cars were more reliable.
The Victorian move follows the introduction of ‘‘lemon laws’’ in many states in the US, where a car is considered a ‘‘lemon’’ if problems arise within the first two years and persist after three or four separate attempts at repair.
There are no accurate figures on how many ‘‘lemons’’ there are in the state, said Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs, Tony Robinson.
‘‘Last year, Victoria recorded nearly 250,000 new-car sales. Yet, despite manufacturers’ warranties and existing consumer protection legislation, purchasers of lemon vehicles can experience compensation and rectification problems,’’ Mr Robinson said.
The Government wanted to clarify the rights and responsibilities of consumers, dealers and car makers, he said. It also wanted to provide buyers with a clear system of redress and to encourage prompt settlement of disputes. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said lemon laws were unnecessary as only an ‘‘infinitesimal’’ number of cars were involved.
‘‘The problem is so small you have got to question whether it warrants this response,’’ said the chamber’s chief executive, Andrew McKellar. Mr McKellar said all car brands had ‘‘very comprehensive’’ warranties. ‘‘The emphasis on quality and customer service is really entrenched in the industry and anyone who thought they could get away with anything less will find themselves at a major disadvantage in the marketplace.’’
Mr Robinson said manufacturers’ warranties offered consumers only partial protection.
‘‘Under most of these warranties, manufacturers are only required to repair defects during the warranty period. There is no express obligation to replace or refund a defective vehicle,’’ he said when launching the consultation process.
Mr McKellar said there were adequate protections for consumers under the Victorian consumer affairs laws and under the Federal Trade Practices Legislation.
‘‘Our view is that this is completely unnecessary and will only contribute additional costs and additional complexity and is open to abuse.’’
He said the situation was different in the US, which lacked the level of consumer protection provided in Australia by state and federal consumer legislation. The public consultation process on lemon laws will be led by Mordialloc MP Janice Munt.