Latest Bodyshop News from the ABP Club

Below is a news headline summary. The full news stories appear on the ABP Club members' forum.

07/9/10		LV - strong performance in first half of year; profits up significantly Mutual insurance, retirement and investment group LV= has announced a strong performance in the six months ending 30 June 2010 with sales and trading profits significantly up on the same period of 2009 General insurance GWP (Gross Written Premiums) up 37% to £546.4m (H1 2009: £397.5m). LV= now fourth biggest private car insurer (according to FSA returns 2009). Full article on members' forum
07/9/10		Thousands of motorists escaping totting up driving ban A driver with 54 penalty points has been allowed to keep his licence by the courts, reports the Telegraph. Full article on members' forum
07/9/10		Babcock Group accredited for Training Quality Standard (TQS) Babcock Group Training is delighted to announce its recent success in being accredited for the Training Quality Standard (TQS) Full article on members' forum
07/9/10		Fix Auto appoints Operations Advisor Following a substantial increase in applications from prospective bodyshop franchisees, Fix Auto (UK) has announced the appointment of Jim Thomas as Operations Advisor. Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		AW Repair Group champions customer experience Behaviour breeds behaviour was the topic of discussion at AW Repair Group's recent customer service training day. Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		Swinton: September sees increase in car insurance claims as kids go back to school The new school term will see an increase in claims according to Swinton Insurance. Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		Aon UK Warns Car Rental Companies on Upswing in 'Crash for Cash' Claims A bulletin from Aon UK, notes that Britain's Insurance Fraud Bureau "has claimed that "crash for cash" schemes, in which car accidents are staged in order to claim on another drivers' insurance, are at an all time high." Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		Merseyside police pay out £200,000 to repair crashed cars Merseyside Police paid out more than £200,000 last year to repair collision damage caused by crashing police cars. Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		New car registrations fall 17.5% in August Registrations fell 17.5% in August to 55,305 units compared with scrappage-fuelled 2009. Decline marks second consecutive fall, a pattern expected to continue through to year end. Volumes, however, are up 13.2% to date against last year, at 1,300,413 units. Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		Fleets prepare to save as public sector faces cuts Local authority and other public sector body fleets are gearing up for possible budget cuts of up to 25% when the coalition Government announces the results of its spending review on October 20th. Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		ABP Club 5th Annual Golf Day - Final call - book your places please! Bookings are now well under way for the The ABP Club fifth annual industry Social Golf Day . We now have 19 teams ready to compete at Bicester Hotel Golf and Spa, Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire on Thursday 30th September 2010. Full article on members' forum
06/9/10		Swinton Commercial warns on Insurance Fraud hotspots Swinton Commercial is warning van drivers and fleet managers to be aware of 'crash for cash' scams after the Insurance Fraud Bureau identified the top 10 hotspots for these incidents. Full article on members' forum
04/9/10		AA - fraud continues to push motor premiums up by record levels Fraud is helping to push car insurance premiums up at their fastest-ever rate, according to the latest AA British Insurance Premium Index. Full article on members' forum
04/9/10		AA Insurance - record rates of increase in motor insurance premiums; up 31% in last year to average of £704 The cost of car insurance has risen by almost a third in the past year, its biggest ever increase, as insurers seek to offset a sharp rise in claims expenses driven in part by fraud, AA Insurance said. The average cost of a comprehensive motor insurance policy is now £704 and has soared by 30.9% during year to end June 2010, the fastest increase since the AA began monitoring premiums in 1994. Full article on members' forum
04/9/10		Moneysupermarket.com - Britain's younger drivers crashing for cash Recession-hit drivers in the UK are resorting to dangerous measures to make extra cash, according to moneysupermarket.com. Their research reveals 15% of motorists under 35 would consider staging a motor accident to claim on their insurance. Full article on members' forum
03/9/10		Thatcham BSI Kitemark accredited (PAS125) bodyshops - total now 730 One new Kitemark accredited bodyshops has been added, and 2 bodyshops have been removed the Thatcham BSI Kitemark (PAS125) listing, since we last published our exclusive analysis of the list on Friday 27 August. The new total thus falls by 1 to 730 sites: 398 in groups and 332 single sites Full article on members' forum
03/9/10		EC - new "superpower" to supervise banks and insurers from January EU authorities are to get tough new powers to settle disputes among national financial supervisors and to ban risky financial products and activities, in a revamp of EU financial supervision plans agreed yesterday. The new EU Supervisory Authorities (ESA) and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) should be up and running by January 2011. Full article on members' forum
03/9/10		Ireland - plans to launch nationwide trade association gather pace Plans to launch a new nationwide trade association to represent the bodyshop sector in Ireland are gathering pace. The Vehicle Repairers Association (VRA) was established in Co. Mayo in early summer with a view to going nationwide. Full article on members' forum
03/9/10		Crash-prone police rack up £200K repair bill A Police force is spending thousands of pounds on fitting parking sensors to new vehicles because its officers are so poor at reversing. Full article on members' forum
03/9/10		USA - Date Set for Second Trial in Progressive vs North State Progressive appeal wins second attempt to bring claim against Greg Coccaro and North State Custom. Full article on members' forum
03/9/10		ABP Club Annual Convention - 19 October 2010 We are delighted to invite Club members to reserve your place for our fourth ABP Club Annual Convention to be held on Tuesday 19 October 2010, sponsored by Audatex and followed by the Night of Knights Awards ceremony and dinner. Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		USA - Colorado insurance company fined $71,100 for 'steering' A Colorado automobile insurance company, IDS Property Casualty Insurance Co. (better known as Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance Co.), has been fined $71,100 and ordered to change its business practices following an investigation into repair shop "steering," which violates Colorado law, the state Division of Insurance reported. Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		RBS - "horror story" as a further 3500 job cuts are planned Royal Bank of Scotland is planning to cut 3,500 jobs from its technical and back office division in the UK it has been reported today. Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		Australia - Association shaping up for another battle on repairable write-offs (including video interview) The Motor Traders Association of NSW is waiting with bated breath for the NSW government to introduce legislation to ban repairable write-offs. Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		SMMT - outlines priorities for motor industry ahead of spending review The UK motor industry has urged chancellor George Osborne to consider the significant economic contribution made by industry when he makes tough decisions in the Comprehensive Spending Review, set to be published on 20 October. In a letter to the chancellor, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) called for emphasis on easing access to finance and credit for businesses and consumers, encouraging investment in UK skills and low carbon research and development, and promoting international trade Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		Junction - adds more insurers to the M & S panel which currently has 300,000 policyholders Affinity insurance provider Junction (part of BGL / Budget group) has expanded its insurer panel for partner Marks & Spencer Money. In addition to lead insurer Fortis, the motor insurance panel now includes ABC Insurance (part of LV Insurance), Premier Underwriting and Chaucer Insurance. Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		Fix Auto Appoints Brand Manager Fix Auto (UK) has announced the appointment of Jo Baillie-Smith as Brand Manager. Reporting into Fix Auto UK's Business Development Manager, Dom Napier, she will be responsible for implementing brand compliance across the bodyshop network and supporting future network development. Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		Daily Telegraph - the uncrashable car Interesting article by Andrew English the motoring editor of the Daily Telegraph: Volvo has set itself the difficult task of building a car that can't be crashed, but do we really want technology taking control? Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		The BIGGEST event in Scotland for the body repair industry in 2010 has just got bigger YET AGAIN! The BIGGEST event in Scotland for the body repair industry in 2010 just got bigger YET AGAIN! SEL Imperial, Car-O-Liner and Circle Leasing are the latest companies to be joining an already very impressive exhibitor listing! Full article on members' forum
02/9/10		Minstry of Justice - closes 200th "rogue claims management firm" Two hundred rogue claims management firms have now been closed by the Ministry of Justice. The 200th case for the claims management regulation unit highlights the ongoing success of its efforts since it was launched in 2007 to protect customers from firms which breach rules and put their money at risk. Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		QBE Insurance - sponsors Brake road safety workshops QBE Insurance, the specialist in business insurance, is proud to announce that it is sponsoring a series of professional workshops run by Brake, the road safety charity Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Ferrari - recall new 458 model due to glue melting in rear wheel arch area causing fire; to be replaced by metal rivets Ferrari today recalled more than 1,200 supercars worth more than £212million because of a design fault which can cause them to burst into flames. The recall includes about 50 of the top-of-the-range vehicles in the UK which have been delivered or are with dealerships ready for delivery. Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Defaqto - few insurance policies cover road rage Defaqto's annual report on the motor insurance industry has found that only one in eight policies offer any cover for road rage incidents. Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Sinemaster extends contract with West Yorkshire Police IRIS Coatings distributor Sinemaster has retained its long-standing contract with West Yorkshire Police (WYP) for a further three years ... Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		RBS Insurance - why NIG closed its personal lines motor book As the debate rages around the future of RBSI, brokers will be focused on one comparatively small part of the bank's insurance empire: NIG. The broker-only insurer has made news this summer with its surprise decision to withdraw from personal lines, announced to the broker community via email on 11 August Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		RBS Insurance - "sale of the century" The rumour mill is in overdrive yet again over a possible RBSI sale as potential bidders, including Berkshire Hathaway, enter the picture. But could its painful losses resulting from the explosion in bodily injury claims have left it vulnerable to a cheeky offer from a savvy investor? Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Auto Express - campaigns for manufacturers to release technical bulletins to independent garages Motoring groups are lining up to support an Auto Express campaign calling for all manufacturers to publish the details of known problems with their vehicles. The AA, RAC and the Retail Motor Industry Federation have joined our call to force car makers to issue public technical service bulletins - documents that detail the symptoms, causes and fixes for known problems - in the same way that they do for safety recalls Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Audatex price review - 3.5% increase from October 2010 Audatex has today written to its customers informing them of a 3.5% price increase as of 1st October 2010. The correspondence is below: Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Audatex - first price rise since Jan 09; will remain unchanged until 2012 Further to my letters of 7th July 2010 and 23rd December 2009, informing you of our decision to extend our on-going price freeze and to delay the review of our pricing structure until 1st September 2010, I am now able to advise you that our review is complete. Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Accident Exchange - to delist from Stock Exchange and become private company; shareholders likely to lose out Buried away in the notice on refinancing, posted on the ABP site earlier this morning is the real news that Accident Exchange is to convene a general meeting at which they will seek the cancellation of their shares to trading on the London Stock Exchange. Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Vertu Motors - trading update; bodyshop revenue up 2.1% with increased profitability Vertu Motors plc, [ABP - who have 10 bodyshops and trade mainly as Bristol Street Motors] the 8th largest UK motor retailer, announces the following update ahead of its Half Year for the six month period ended 31 August 2010. Full article on members' forum
01/9/10		Accident Exchange issues positive note on the business refinancing Accident Exchange has issued a statement to the Stock Exchange this morning providing a positive update on the business refinancing and announcing that a Circular will be issued to shareholders on or before 10th September to vote on a proposal to de-list the business from the London Stock Exchange. This is the first stage in the re-financing. Full article on members' forum
31/8/10		Insurance Ombudsman - disputes over the quality of repairs arranged as part of an insurance claim From todays Ombudsmans News (issue 88) [ABP - Although they are not motor insurance related, the 6 cases below do illustrate the Ombudsmans thinking] The insurer has already agreed to pay - but a dispute has then arisen over the repair or restoration work authorised by the insurer, in connection with the claim Full article on members' forum
31/8/10		swiftcover.com - Drivers get sneaky with their insurance claims Online car insurer swiftcover.com has published the top insurance claims tricks and misconceptions, saying that motorists are trying to pass off old damage and normal wear and tear to their vehicles as part of genuine insurance claims in order to get their insurers to pay for all their repairs. Full article on members' forum
31/8/10		Granlyn Auto Paints - new owner Craig McDonald Granlyn Auto Paints is now under new ownership after a successful management buy out by long-standing director, Craig McDonald. Full article on members' forum
31/8/10		AM Awards - Bodyshop of the Year award dropped for 2011 Details and entry forms have been published for the 2011 AM Awards. For 2011 there are 20 categories, with 4 categories dropped from the 2010 awards and 5 new ones introduced. The 4 dropped categories include Bodyshop of the Year (won this year by AJC Wilson, Dagenham) Full article on members' forum
31/8/10		IBIS 2011 - to take place in Barcelona from 16 to 18 May 2011 The next International Bodyshop Industry Symposium - IBIS 2011 - will take place in Spain from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 18 May 2011 at The Hotel Arts in Barcelona Full article on members' forum
29/8/10		RBS - Potential bidders line up to buy Direct Line RBS has brought in a team of advisers to help sell its insurance business Direct Line after a flurry of interest from potential buyers - including Berkshire Hathaway, the investment vehicle for American billionaire Warren Buffett, it has been claimed. Full article on members' forum
28/8/10		Co-operative Insurance says uninsured drivers 'cost other motorists £1.25bn' Uninsured and fraudulent drivers cost other motorists £1.25bn every year, Co-operative Insurance has suggested. Full article on members' forum
27/8/10		Thatcham BSI Kitemark accredited (PAS125) bodyshops - total now 731 Six new Kitemark accredited bodyshops have been added to the Thatcham BSI Kitemark (PAS125) listing since we last published our exclusive analysis of the list on Monday 22 July. The new total thus goes up to 731 sites: 398 in groups and 333 single sites The 6 new sites to achieve the Kitemark: Full article on members' forum
27/8/10		Chaucer plc - results for half year to 30 June Total gross written motor premiums: £78m in first 6 months; down 4% on same period last year - Private motor: £43.1m (£50.8m last year) - Specialist motor: £22.0m (£16.1m last year) - Fleet motor: £12.9m (£14.4m last year) Full article on members' forum
27/8/10		Solera (owners of Audatex) - full year worldwide results; turnover up 13% to $631m; pre-tax profits up 36% to $126m Solera Holdings, the leading global provider of software and services to the automobile insurance claims processing industry, today reported results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 Full article on members' forum
26/8/10		RBS Insurance - to cut 400 jobs in Glasgow as14 of their 27 offices are to be shut across the UK Royal Bank of Scotland is set to axe more than 400 jobs at the Direct Line office in Glasgow, the BBC reports. The cuts will affect staff at the Atlantic Quay offices in Glasgow, which is set to close within three years, although further jobs will be created in the area. RBS is said to be axing 14 of its 27 insurance offices. Full article on members' forum
26/8/10		IAG - Storms and UK car accidents drive down profits Australian insurance major IAG has had its bottom line severely hit by storms that have raged in Melbourne and Perth, as well as losses incurred at its UK division. Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		David Murby blog - which bodyshop group to join? I've heard a lot of repairers discussing the groups that have been formed in the UK over the last couple of years and trying to decide which group(s) to join. I offer you three key points of which for consideration....... Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		WNS renews IRIS agreement 'for the next five years' WNS Assistance has renewed its long-term business partnership initiative with IRIS Coatings, for the next five years. Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		Solera (owners of Audatex) - create HEMI Region (Highly Established Markets Initiative) comprising USA, Canada and Holland Solera Holdings, the leading global provider of software and services to the automobile insurance claims processing industry, today announced the creation of the Highly Established Markets Initiative (HEMI) Region through the alignment of the United States, The Netherlands and Canada. Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		Zurich - fined £2.28 million by the FSA for losing data tape containg personal details of 46,000 customers The FSA has fined Zurich Insurance UK £2.275m for failing to have adequate systems and controls in place to prevent the loss of a back-up data containing confidential information of general insurance customers. Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		Allianz - planning further major rise in motor premium rates Allianz Insurance is planning double-digit rate increases in its broker private motor book in the second half of 2010, according to chief executive Andrew Torrance. Torrance also hinted that Allianz would be signing up two corporate partners, to be announced in the second half of the year, although he declined to name the companies concerned. Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		Euro NCAP - releases latest crash test results and confirms it will be testing electric vehicles later this year Today, Euro NCAP, the organisation dedicated to revealing the safety of new cars, releases the crash test results for four vehicles: the Honda CR-Z, the Suzuki Swift, the Citroen C4 and the Hyundai ix35. The results show that manufacturers are rising to the challenges of Euro NCAP's new rating scheme and are continuing to make safety a priority. Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		Admiral - record results for the first half; in the UK motor grew 37% with 2.12 million cars now insured; longterm downward trend in claims frequency Admiral announces another record half-year profit and continued strong growth. Profit before tax at £126.9 million was 21% ahead of H1 2009, whilst turnover rose 33% to £720.5 million. UK motor gross written premiums in the first half rose by 37% over last year to £556m. The number of cars insured in the UK is now 2.12 million, a 22% rise on last year and a 43% increase on 2008. Full article on members' forum
25/8/10		Fortis UK - continues to deliver strong premium growth in Q2 Private car Gross Written Premium for the first half of the year was up 2.4 % to £ 235.1 million (HY 2009: £ 229.6 million). Overall performance in the Private car book continues to be impacted by the industry-wide issues of increased personal injury claims and the need for further rate strengthening. Full article on members' forum
24/8/10		Groupama - confirms new senior Claims Management Team Groupama Insurances has confirmed the line up for its new senior Claims Management team, reporting to Phil Bird, Claims Director. Full article on members' forum
24/8/10		Price comparison sites (aggregators) - HMRC confirms they are VAT exempt HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed that it has given up its long-running fight to make aggregators pay VAT. A guidance note issued by HMRC says it will not pursue its action against the now defunct comparison site InsuranceWide and the Trader Media Group, which runs the Auto Trader website.The note says that comparison sites should be now considered as VAT exempt. Full article on members' forum
24/8/10		IFB (Insurance Fraud Bureau) - releases latest stats listing top 20 Crash for Cash areas The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) releases statistics pinpointing the top twenty areas of the UK affected by 'Crash for Cash'. Full article on members' forum
24/8/10		Standox - supports last weeks HSE report on health risks for painters Standox is backing the results of a new survey by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) [posted on the ABP website on 17 August] which reveals some paint sprayers are still putting their long-term health at risk. Full article on members' forum
23/8/10		Thatcham BSI Kitemark accredited (PAS125) bodyshops - total remains 725 (1 shop out & 1 shop in) One new Kitemark accredited bodyshops have been added to the Thatcham BSI Kitemark (PAS125) listing since we last published our exclusive analysis of the list on Friday 16 July. One site has been removed from the BSI list - Mill Lane Accident Repair Centre Ltd in Welwyn The new total thus remains at 725 sites (1 out and 1 in): 398 in groups and 327 single sites Full article on members' forum
23/8/10		Admiral - rule out bid for RBS Insurance Engelhardt says he is not keeping an especially close eye on rivals Direct Line and Churchill, which are both owned by the troubled Royal Bank of Scotland We don't think we will be able to buy either of these firms without a lengthy monopolies and mergers investigation. And even if this is passed we think if they are sold to us it will give us such a hefty share of the market, the sellers will make us pay a large premium for it. We think we can grow pretty rapidly on our own. Full article on members' forum
23/8/10		IMI - welcomes call from Which? for an industry wide qualification for all automotive technicians In response to today's Which? report into garage servicing, The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has had the status raised of its Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme. Full article on members' forum
23/8/10		Which? magazine - new report on garage servicing; Bosch scheme come top with Good Garage scheme last There are still shocking levels of incompetence in UK car garages, says Which?, after a rigorous undercover investigation - despite the introduction of several new codes of conduct. Nearly 90% of the garages investigated* by the consumer watchdog missed (or ignored) at least one potentially dangerous fault, while 39% charged for a product that wasn't supplied. Full article on members' forum
23/8/10		Motor Codes - Which? magazine says significant progress in raising standards being made by Motor Codes Independent research published today by Which? shows that in just two years of operation, automotive consumer champion Motor Codes is already making significant progress in raising service and repair standards in UK garages. [ABP - Motor Codes specifically says it does not apply to body repairs] Full article on members' forum
22/8/10		Equity Red Star in FSA investigation The so-called "syndicate", one of the largest motor and home insurers operating in the market place, said it is co-operating with the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which is thought to have launched a Section 166 investigation or so-called "Skilled Persons Report" into the company, reports the Sunday Telegraph. Full article on members' forum
21/8/10		Leading investor says RSA's offer for parts of Aviva 'needs to be 10% higher' RSA will need to raise its offer for parts of Aviva's general insurance business by about 10pc in order for a deal to go through, a leading investor in both the insurance groups has claimed. Full article on members' forum
21/8/10		BBC - Crash scam figures at record high, insurers warn "Crash for cash" scams where fraudsters stage accidents to claim on other drivers' insurance are at an all-time high, the BBC has learned. Full article on members' forum
20/8/10		Mitsubishi slashes price of its i-MiEV electric city car As the race to dominate the electric vehicle market starts up, Mitsubishi Motors UK has slashed £10K from the original price tag for its i-MiEV electric city car. Full article on members' forum
20/8/10		IMI and Babcock International head to Norwich The Institute of Motor Industry has been running a series of informative evening sessions around the country, in partnership with Babcock International Group (formerly VT Group). Full article on members' forum
20/8/10		The BIGGEST event in Scotland for the body repair industry in 2010 just got bigger again! The BIGGEST event in Scotland for the body repair industry in 2010 just got bigger again! Bodyshop Solutions - Celette and Sandicliffe Motor Contracts have added to an already very impressive exhibitor listing! Full article on members' forum
20/8/10		Bolton MP banned for driving without insurance Yasmin Qureshi, a new MP for Bolton South East, has been found guilty of using her mobile phone and driving without insurance. She has been banned from driving for six months and was also fined £1,250. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Audatex - update on technical committee progress with multi-strikes As detailed in our statement posted on 27 April 2010, (see below), the Audatex Technical Committee continues its detailed research into the subject of 'MultiStrikes' and is currently reviewing repair data, its composition and how different approaches in respect of the data received may, in some instances, be affecting the content and presentation of the assessment. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Audatex - update on technical committee progress with multi-strikes As detailed in our statement posted on 27 April 2010, (see below), the Audatex Technical Committee continues its detailed research into the subject of 'MultiStrikes' and is currently reviewing repair data, its composition and how different approaches in respect of the data received may, in some instances, be affecting the content and presentation of the assessment. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Caution called for as strike action against insurers 'is imminent' Word around the Newcastle/Hunter area is that yet another industrial dispute with the insurance companies is imminent. Yet one of those who were on the front line during the previous donnybrook is calling for calm heads to prevail. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		USA - General Motors paves way for massive share sale A little more than a year after being saved from the wreckage heap by a massive bailout from the U.S. and Canadian governments, General Motors Co. is hoping to shine again and has paved the way for an initial public offering (IPO), expected to be the second largest share sale in US history. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Avis UK appoints Audatex as technology partner Avis UK, has announced the appointment of claims solutions provider Audatex UK as its technology partner in a new strategy to bring accident management and vehicle repairs in-house. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Drive Assist - loss of two contracts will result in several hundred job losses Drive Assist has announced to its staff the loss of two contracts, the result of which will see several hundred job losses from its Head Office in Tamworth and other UK locations. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Brake - 74% of drivers confess to ignoring tiredness Many drivers may be risking serious injury or worse by ignoring tiredness, a new survey has revealed. Of the 800 respondents in the survey, 74 per cent said they had driven tired ... Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Aviva - RSA needs to ‘crank up its offer' RSA has commitments from Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, and HSBC to underwrite a rights issue if the insurer makes a bid for Aviva's general insurance arm. The three banks could underwrite at least £5 billion, according to the FT today. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		UPD partner G K Enviro for Waste Management Programme UPD (UK) Limited, in partnership with GK Enviro, have launched the UPD Waste Management Programme. Full article on members' forum
19/8/10		Defaqto - Motor insurance providers must clarify direct debit fees Defaqto has published its comprehensive annual report on the motor insurance industry, which addresses the challenges currently facing the sector. Among its findings, the report urges motor insurance providers to clarify the direct debit fees they charge customers. Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		ABP Club Repairers' Choice Awards Survey 2010 Calling all bodyshops - please take a couple of minutes to complete the ABP Club Repairers' Choice Awards Survey 2010. Make your vote count! Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		Parkford announces 50% purchase of Windsorian Accident Repairs Parkford Coachworks Ltd of Maidenhead recently completed a 50% acquisition of Windsorian Accident Repairs, based in Windsor. The purchase is part of Parkford's growth strategy and builds on the long-term relationship between the two companies. Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		Selsia provides repair services to Kindertons Selsia Vehicle Accident Centres and Kindertons Accident Management have agreed to work together in the provision of car, LCV and HGV repair solutions for Kindertons' corporate customers. Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		Lookers - half year results Lookers plc, the 5th leading UK motor retail and aftersales services groups has announced a record trading performance for the six months ended 30 June 2010. Like-for-like new car sales rose by 26% (32,469 units) whilst like-for-like sales of used cars fell 6% (21,954 units). Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		'Crash for cash' - brothers behind fraudulent scam convicted Two brothers who masterminded one of the country's biggest ever 'crash for cash' scams have been convicted. Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		USA - Hyundai says no to aftermarket, imitation or recycled parts Hyundai Motor America issued a statement on 13 August regarding the use of aftermarket and recycled collision repair parts. Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		Innovation Group - Interim Management Statement The Innovation Group plc, owners of Motorcare, today published an Interim Management Statement for the period from 1 April 2010 to date. Full article on members' forum
18/8/10		AXA now linked with Aviva swoop Aviva's share price finished up 5 per cent yesterday to 397p after rumours suggested that AXA is the latest insurer to be interested in a bid for its general insurance business. Full article on members' forum
17/8/10		FSA fines and bans insurance broker for fraud FSA director of enforcement and financial crime Margaret Cole says: "These individuals acted with complete disregard for the interests of their customers and the FSA's regulatory requirements... Full article on members' forum
17/8/10		HSE - Bodyshop workers still at risk of asthma Bodyshop workers are being encouraged to do more to protect themselves when paint spraying, as new research suggests that some are still putting themselves at risk of developing asthma. Full article on members' forum
17/8/10		IMI - Women step up to skills challenge Six women took part in a ground breaking challenge designed to encourage females to consider more technical roles within the industry ... Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		IMI - invitation to have your input into the National Occupation Standard (NOS) for MET The Institute of the Motor Industry are holding two consultation events to review changes to the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for MET. These events are taking place on the Monday 6th September at the IMI HQ, Fanshaws near Hatfield and on Wednesday 8th September at GTG, Glasgow. Both events will review the MET NOS in the afternoon. Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		Audatex - working with technical committee to pilot updated version of AudaEnterpriseGold Audatex UK has announced that it is working with representatives of its Technical Committee and other volunteers from its insurer and bodyshop customer base to pilot AudaEnterpriseGold v3.6, a ground-breaking new version of its market-leading estimating and claims management solution Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		Allianz UK - profits fall 11% in first half; private motor to "decline modestly" Allianz has recorded an 11% fall in profits before tax to £78.4m (H1 2009: £88.3m) for H1 2010, as the insurer's combined operating ratio deteriorated slightly to 95.3% (H1 2009: 94.9%). The insurer recorded gross written premiums of £861.2m for H1 2010, a 4% increase on the prior year (H1 2009: £825m). Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		RSA - "remains open to discussions with Aviva" The Board of RSA Insurance Group plc notes the recent press speculation and the announcement made today by Aviva plc regarding a possible transaction involving Aviva and RSA. RSA confirms that it....... Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		UK Government - consults on workers right for time off work to attend training courses The legal right to allow workers in businesses with more than 250 employees, to request time to take up relevant training came into effect from 6 April 2010. The Government has announced a review of all regulations in a bid to reduce burdens on business. This consultation aims to gather opinions on the right to request time to train and will feed in to the review. Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		Scottish councils rack up £10m road crash bill in last three years Scottish councils have spent more than £10m settling compensation claims and repairing damage caused by thousands of road crashes... Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		Quinn Insurance - sales process slips behind schedule The sale process for Quinn Insurance has slipped weeks behind schedule, despite bidders' calls for a speedy sale to maximise value of the embattled insurer Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		Aviva - official press release on the bid from RSA The Board of Aviva notes recent press speculation and confirms that on Wednesday 28th July 2010 it received a conditional proposal from RSA to acquire Aviva's general insurance (GI) businesses in the UK, Ireland and Canada excluding RAC and Health for a cash consideration of £5 billion funded entirely from a rights issue by RSA In considering RSA's proposal, the Board of Aviva had particular regard to the following:.............. Full article on members' forum
16/8/10		Thatcham BSI Kitemark accredited (PAS125) bodyshops - total now 725 Twelve new Kitemark accredited bodyshops have been added to the Thatcham BSI Kitemark (PAS125) listing since we last published our exclusive analysis of the list. One site has been reinstated to the list - Impact Repair Centre Ltd, Kings Norton - see below The new total thus goes up by 13 to 725 sites: 397 in groups and 328 single sites The 12 new sites to achieve the Kitemark: Full article on members' forum