Mrs G had her car repaired by a repairer recommended to her by a friend, after the car's rear body panel and door had been badly damaged in an accident. She had been assured by the repairer that the quality of the workmanship would be as good as that provided by the manufacturer approved repairer. Unfortunately, Mrs G was not at all happy with the quality of the repair work and she complained to the repairer as additional damage had appeared in the form of scratch marks that had not been present before the car went in for repair.  She also reported this to her insurers who were meant to pay for the repairs, and although they arranged for the repairer to carry out further remedial work, the scratch marks were still evident when the car was returned to her.  In the meantime her insurers also established that the paint used for the re-spray was not of the approved standard, and the repairer did not have the required paint bake oven which resulted in defects appearing in the paintwork. The car had to be completely re-sprayed by another repairer at an additional cost and at greater inconvenience to Mrs G.

Mr C had an accident while driving home from work one evening. His car was badly damaged and the necessary repair work was carried out by a repairer he had used before. However, when the car was returned to him, Mr C complained that the brakes and clutch appeared to be faulty.  The insurers were asked to intervene and it was suspected that this was the result of damage caused while the car was being repaired.   It was difficult to produce firm evidence of this, but the insurer agreed to pay for additional repair work, as a gesture of goodwill.  However the problems persisted and Mr C had by then lost faith in the repairer's ability to do the work to an acceptable standard.  The car had to be taken to another repairer to get it back to the condition it had been in before the accident.    Since the insurers had already paid twice for the repairs Mr C had to pay the costs of the second repairer out of his own pocket.

These are two real life cases that a motor insurer had to handle recently, and they were not by any means rare ones. These type of problems arise, most often, not because the repairer is trying to cheat the client or because of incompetence, but more commonly because of a lack of knowledge on the latest methods of repairs and the lack of the proper equipment required. There is no doubt that over the last twenty years cars have become more and more technologically advanced, as manufacturers try to make them more comfortable, more fuel efficient and even safer for passengers in the case of a collision.  Many cars now contain sensors that trigger safety feature such as airbags, and are built using high strength steel in certain sections, to protect passengers against the dangers of an impact.  If the repairer is not knowledgeable about the correct repair method, does not possess the required tools and equipment, or uses them incorrectly, the car's safety features can be seriously compromised.  This is, of course, something that any car owner should be very concerned about.

Aside from safety issues, the car owner can also end up being inconvenienced in having to spend more time without the car as repairs take longer than necessary, or by having to take the car back in, sometimes more than once, for additional or remedial repairs.  To top it all there is also the risk that if repairs are not carried out correctly, the resale value of the car is lowered.  A potential purchaser may be able to identify the effect of incorrect or unsuitable repair methods and may end up not buying the car of offering a much lower price than normal.

If your car is damaged in an accident, even if the damage appears to be minor, you need to make sure that you make the right choice of repairer.  This is where your insurer can assist you by referring you to a repairer that has been QVR certified.  What does this mean?  For a repairer to be certified, he must undergo a rigorous inspection by international experts, who then grade the repairer according the type of damage he is equipped to handle and the services he can offer.  The repairer is also provided with a list of recommendations of how he can improve his operation and achieve a higher grading.  Inspections are carried out annually and a repairer can be upgraded or downgraded.  It is therefore in the repairer's interest to maintain a high standard as he cannot afford to lose the QVR certification or to be downgraded.   This certification and grading is therefore vital for a car owner to be able to identify the right repairer without having to be knowledgeable about car repairs.

Where can this information be obtained from?  The QVR project has a webpage http://www.qvr.com.mt which includes a searchable list of certified repairers, showing their grading, aside from all the information about the project.  Your insurer will of course assist you in identifying the degree of damage your car has incurred, and can guide you as to the type of repairer you should be looking for.  Some repairers are, for instance, able to handle structural damages to the vehicles, while others may not be equipped to do so.  Another example is that some repairers may offer spray painting, others do not and have to subcontract this work.

The repair industry is required to keep pace with the ongoing technological advances in car manufacturing as it is the only way that repairs can be carried safely and efficiently, with a minimum inconvenience to the car owner and without the risk of de-valuing the car's resale price.  The QVR project has been designed to tackle all this and to make it easier for car owners to choose the right repairer.  It makes sense therefore to listen to your insurer and follow his advice when making this important choice.

Francis Valletta

General Manager, Motor Insurance Division,  GasanMamo Insurance Ltd.