Block Exemption

Many of our customers have spent a king’s ransom with main dealers during their warranty period only to discover later that they could have used their trusted local repairer all along.

This common misconception arose because, prior to 2003, manufacturers were permitted to void warranty if they didn’t carry out all in-warranty services themselves. The European Union, in a rare display of wisdom, recognised the unfairness of this monopoly and introduced a piece of legislation known as the “Block Exemption Regulations 1400/2002”. Now motorists can use any garage of their choice to service their cars without invalidating the manufacturer’s warranty (subject to certain conditions). The Office of Fair Trading have stated “Independent repairers CAN carry out normal maintenance and repair services during a vehicle’s warranty period without invalidating the warranty conditions provided that:

· The service is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer’s servicing schedules and is recorded as such

· Any parts used are of ‘appropriate quality’ and are recorded as such

Where we can do so, we will use “after market” parts (oil filters, air filters etc.) provided by third parties at a fraction of the cost of manufacturers' originals yet compliant with manufacturers' specifications.