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Alabama Parts Director Sees PartsTrader as a ‘Toll Bridge’ for Parts Suppliers & Customers by Melanie Anderson
Marvin Windham is the Parts Director for Benchmark Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Birmingham, AL. Windham has been a parts manager since 1976 and his company sells about $14 million in total sales. Currently, they have about 15 customers in the Birmingham area who have remained on the State Farm PartsTrader pilot program. “We receive fax-only orders from PartsTrader for these customers. We didn’t sign up with PartsTrader, even though Birmingham was one of the first pilot cities,” Windham said.
Windham believes that PartsTrader offers no benefits to the repairer or supplier. “If you extrapolate the facts, it isn’t a hard decision for parts suppliers. Currently, we (OEM suppliers) aren’t controlled by the insurance industry, and those on the repairer side, in a lot of cases, have given control to Marvin Windham the insurance companies,” Windham said. See Alabama Parts Director, Page 8
Coming in April... First of Two Special Paint Issues, Plus:
IABA 3rd Convention & Technology Showcase Coverage . . . . . . NADA Convention and J.D. Power Roundable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AASP/NJ Northeast Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CAA-San Diego Hosts PartsTrader’s Dale Sailer
See PartsTrader at CAA, Page 12
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
The San Diego chapter of the California Autobody Association hosted Dale Sailer, Vice President of Business Development for PartsTrader, Feb. 18 at the Hilton San Diego on Harbor Island. At the meeting, Dale Sailer with approximately
60 CAA members and visitors in attendance, Sailer provided perspective on how PartsTrader came to the market, a demonstration of the product, shared data regarding activity in the five initial markets, and answered questions. Sailer described the PartsTrader product, which he said is an “easy-touse, online marketplace.” About half those in attendance said they were on State Farm’s select service program. Sailer, whose background includes
Change Service Requested
by Melanie Anderson
VOL. 4 ISSUE 1 MARCH 2013
GEICO Joins State Farm in Seeking Gag Order Against Ray Gunder, Tactic to Block Information GEICO has joined State Farm in seeking a gag order against Ray Gunder of Gunder’s Auto Center in Lakeland, FL. Gunder is suing the insurers on behalf of his customers for intentional short pays and a variety of other alleged misdoings. According to Gunder’s spokespeople, GEICO brought in legal cocounsel last week from Arizona, who immediately sent notice to Gunder’s attorney, Brent Geohagan, that they would be seeking a delay/continuance for several scheduled depositions and request the court to issue a gag order to stop Gunder from sharing his legal findings. Last month, State Farm filed a similar motion with the local court to
stop Gunder from sharing information relative to the numerous lawsuits he has filed on behalf of his customers, including deposition transcripts and results of hearings and discovery. “Because no ‘trade secrets’ (i.e. policy premiums, methodology to set or determine pricing, demographics, etc.) will be part or parcel of the discovery in these cases, and because the terms of the insurers’ policy/contracts are readily available to all, as are their marketing efforts, I can see no viable or ‘legitimate trade secret’ concerns that would warrant the courts to issue such an order to silence Ray,” said Barrett Smith of Auto Damage Experts (ADE). “Based upon what has See Gagging Gunder, Page 37
More Stringent PIP Laws in Effect in Florida Florida has a new set of stringent personal injury protection laws, which offer less time to make auto insurance claims and make it more difficult to get full medical benefit pay-outs. The average PIP insurance claim is $12,900. A long form accident report must now be done in every accident involving death, injury, pain complaints, if wrecker is required or if collision involves a commercial vehicle. Law enforcement now has a greater burden to comply with this new law and its requirements. As of Jan. 1, drivers involved in injury-inducing crashes must follow stricter rules to take full advantage of their PIP insurance policy. Initial treatments must be provided in a hospital or licensed clinic or by a select group of professionals, including medical doctor, dentist, chiropractor and paramedic. There also are two benefit thresholds: To qualify for $10,000, injuries must be diagnosed as an emergency medical condition (EMC). For nonemergency treatment, the maximum benefit is $2,500. This finding must be made within 14 days of date of accident. If no EMC finding is made during the 14 days after a collision, personal injury benefits allowed are re-
stricted to twenty five hundred dollars ($2,500). If no treatment is received within fourteen days (14) then no personal injury benefits need to be paid. The new statute allows a penalty for false applications in insurance policies and benefits. This portion of the statute reiterates laws already in effect on insurance fraud. Proponents hope these new laws will keep premiums down by curbing fraudulent claims, especially those which seek maximum insurance payoffs for non-emergency services. The other side says the need to fight fraud is just an excuse to limit consumer rights and options. “The Legislature took away a consumer’s right to benefits they paid for,” said Craig Goldenfarb, who runs a personal injury law firm in West Palm Beach. “You paid for that coverage, and now if you don’t get treatment in time your benefits could be reduced to zero.” said Goldenfarb. Goldenfarb also took issue with the fact that massage therapy and acupuncture visits are no longer covered by PIP. Robin Smith Westcott, Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate, counters that the new laws are more in line with proper public policy.
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