Previously, motorists were required to have their vehicle servicing and repairs at the main dealer so as not to risk invalidating the vehicle's warranty. The EC Block Exemption Regulation 1400/2002 (October 2003) allows motorists more flexibility in selecting where they can get their car serviced.

Thanks to this legislation, maintenance and service work does not have to be done by the main dealer as long as the garage uses Original Equipment 'Matching Quality' parts, and are recorded as such, and the garage follow the manufacturer's service schedules.

The Block Exemption Regulation (BER) covers service and maintenance during the warranty period and prohibits vehicle manufacturers’ warranties from including conditions that require:

• all normal maintenance be provided within the vehicle manufacturer’s network

   

• all parts used must be the manufacturer’s original spare parts

So what does this mean to the motorist?

BER safeguards free competition in aftermarket parts, repairs and services and will benefit motorists by reducing the cost of servicing through better labour rates and competitively priced parts.