TAKE BACK CONTROL!

You now have the right to repair your new vehicle wherever you like – with a few provisos

- MAXINE PETERS

THERE’S nothing like that feeling of driving a brand new car off the showroom floor – but for many car owners, that sense of satisfaction can wear off pretty fast when you realise you’ve locked yourself into years of expensive services and having to fork out for pricy car parts.

For a long time this has been the norm: consumers being forced to cough up thousands to have their vehicles repaired and serviced at car-dealership workshops or risk having their warranties voided if they choose to have the work done elsewhere.

But not anymore.

It’s been a long and winding road but finally there’s an end in sight to the restrictive limitations that drive new car owners around the bend.

Thanks to a ruling by the Competition Commission South Africa, from July car owners have more choices about where they can take their vehicles for repairs or services without voiding any guarantees or warranties that are in place.

And more choice means more competition, which will surely mean big savings for consumers.

The decision by the commission, which helps to ensure market transparency and prevent anticompetitive conduct, also gives car owners the green light to fit non-original car parts, which are often much more affordable than what’s available at car-dealership workshops.

And more good news is that the new guidelines apply retroactively – which means it doesn’t apply only to vehicles purchased from July onwards but also all other cars currently under warranty.

But as with all things, there’s some fine print you should be aware of to ensure you don’t run into trouble. Here’s what you need to know.

HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?