MOTORING STAFF
VEHICLES left abandoned at repair centres are becoming an inconvenience for workshop owners across the country, says Dewald Ranft.
The chairperson of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), an association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation, says some workshops have more than 25 such vehicles at their premises annually.
“Having to deal with this issue is onerous. As with any premises, space is valuable and these cars take up the equivalent of say, 15m2 to 18m2 each. If you equate that to what you would pay for a storage unit of similar size you are looking at more than R1 000 rental fee per day per vehicle. Along with the space issue, there is security to consider. Movement costs (such as fuel needed to move the vehicle) and additional insurance costs.” Ranft says general maintenance has to be done on the vehicles to ensure the workshop doesn’t start looking like a scrap heap.
“A professional image is important, so ensuring the abandoned cars are not neglected becomes an additional concern for the workshop owners.”
Why do car owners abandon their vehicles? Affordability of repairs is the simple answer. “We’re living in a time of an ever-tightening economy so, unfortunately, car owners are repairing their vehicles only when something breaks.
“The problem with this approach is that generally by the time something breaks, it is far more costly to repair than if the vehicle was regularly maintained. Also, there can be a knock-on effect as one broken part affects several others.
“The reality is that car owners will bring in their vehicles for repairs and then not have the money to pay for them, so leave their cars abandoned at the workshop.”
Car owners fail to realise is that they may be liable for storage costs.
“The repair workshop is well within its rights to include a storage fee rate in the contract signed by the vehicle owner, stipulating that a daily charge may accrue if the vehicle is abandoned. If the customer does not claim the vehicle and a financial institution repossesses the vehicle, the car owner will be liable to the financial institution for all costs associated with the vehicle, including the storage fees accrued. This can amount to a hefty sum.”
Ranft says regular maintenance is one way to reduce the number of abandoned vehicles. Along with that, he urges car owners to request quotes upfront and to speak to their mechanic about communicating clearly should additional work be required once the vehicle is stripped and assessed.
“Use a reputable workshop, like a MIWA-accredited workshop, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Discuss your options with the mechanic. There’ll always be a better solution than abandoning your vehicle.”