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ABP Club Car Body Repair News - May 2014

Below is a news headline summary. The full bodyshop news stories appear on the ABP Club members' forum.

29/8/14 - 16:07   Hogan Lovells provide an update on insurance fraud – dishonest claims, inducements and medical fees
   
29/8/14 - 14:29   FAB Recycling Group invests £350K to enhance national distribution and online presence
   
29/8/14 - 11:56   New Lexus NX 300h takes safety to a higher level
   
29/8/14 - 10:40   Accident Exchange - Zero My Excess from AIS division to be sold by What Car?
   
29/8/14 - 07:09   AkzoNobel announce a new organisation for its Performance Coatings Business Area in order to drive leading performance
   
29/8/14 - 06:56   Ageas Law - first insurer ABS to gain Lexcel accreditation
   
29/8/14 - 06:42   BGL Group - Junction reveals 50% growth in customers managing policies online; total now over 1.5 million
   
29/8/14 - 06:33   90,000 cars seized from uninsured drivers in 2013
   
29/8/14 - 06:14   Euro Car Parts announce BEN partnership
   
29/8/14 - 06:09   Spies Hecker launch newly designed website
   
29/8/14 - 06:05   Crash-for-cash - third conspirator spared jail sentence
   
28/8/14 - 17:38   PPG strengthens marketing and technical teams with 4 key appointments
   
28/8/14 - 13:00   Hastings issues positive Q2 2014 results - 90% increase in pre-tax profit
   
28/8/14 - 12:22   Mirka launch Microstar
   
28/8/14 - 11:17   Ageas answer NAB's questions at recent Solution Centres network meeting
   
28/8/14 - 10:54   ABI - Safe driving and car crash injury is the main parental concern
   
28/8/14 - 09:52   Gocompare warns motorists of potentially lost savings if they automatically renew their motor policy
   
28/8/14 - 09:37   Enterprise Rent-A-Car announce enhancements to ARMS Automotive
   
28/8/14 - 09:22   CitNOW appoints Lacey as Non-Executive Director
   
28/8/14 - 09:08   Ireland - FDB indicates motor premiums will rise by 10%
   
28/8/14 - 04:44   Traffic volumes in UK - rose 1.4% in Q2 2014 compared to Q2 2013; van traffic up 3.5% to new record levels
   
27/8/14 - 17:47   Admiral to sponsor City of Newport Half Marathon for second year running (forgive the pun!)
   
27/8/14 - 08:17   Pennell accepted for the 2015 London Marathon
   
27/8/14 - 08:11   Northern Ireland - Consumer Council launch car insurance price survey
   
27/8/14 - 08:07   Volvo unveils its all-new XC90
   
27/8/14 - 04:23   Solera – results for y/e June 2014 show a “positive underlying trend in UK…up 9%”
   
27/8/14 - 03:56   Solera (owners of Audatex) - worldwide results for y/e June 2014: turnover up 18% but pre-tax profits down 74%
   
26/8/14 - 16:02   Half of UK's drivers break the speed limits, says DoT research
   
26/8/14 - 13:03   All Party Parliamentary Group sets the agenda
   
26/8/14 - 12:40   Enterprise data compares length of rentals by collision repair center customers
   
26/8/14 - 12:34   HSE appoints new workplace health and safety regulator
   
26/8/14 - 10:16   ABP Club Ireland Meetings - reminder to book as we're only two weeks away
   
26/8/14 - 10:02   Northern Ireland - High Court judge says car hire costs are too expensive
   
26/8/14 - 09:22   Abolition of tax discs - nearly half of UK drivers are oblivious
   
22/8/14 - 07:37   Claims moving into the cloud - white paper produced
   
22/8/14 - 07:28   AA - petrol and diesel fall to new three year low
   
22/8/14 - 07:22   Quindell - Questor advise investors "too much risk... Sell."
   
22/8/14 - 07:15   RSA announces £130m sale of operations in Singapore and Hong Kong - more disposals to follow
   
21/8/14 - 18:34   Bentley Motors - launches new Upskilling programme for employees and takes on record 51 apprentices
   
21/8/14 - 18:05   Blackstone Private Equity (new owners of 177 bodyshops in the US Service King network) - acquire Alliance Automotive Group (GroupAuto)
   
21/8/14 - 17:34   Perfect Finish Bolton - secures bank funding to allow expansion
   
21/8/14 - 17:27   T L Darby - VW dealer in Burton-on-Trent to set up new bodyshop
   
21/8/14 - 17:26   Glass’s predictions for continued growth in the new car market are realised
   
21/8/14 - 17:23   LAPSO - Price, is it the only game in town?
   
21/8/14 - 16:42   ABP Member Services - Employer Protect
   
21/8/14 - 12:26   AA - awarded Which? Recommended Provider status for breakdown service for 9th year in a row
   
21/8/14 - 12:23   LV - putting 5 staff through Thatcham's VDA Apprenticeship Scheme
   
21/8/14 - 11:34   Volvo - use new AstaZero proving ground, with 4 different test environments, to help development of active safety systems
   
21/8/14 - 09:06   VBRA - membership numbers fell 10% last year to 547; membership income down 9% to £405k; staff costs down 10% to £373k
   
21/8/14 - 07:48   Quindell- half-year results; turnover up 118%; pre-tax profit up 292%; cash-flow ahead of expectations; on track to meet 2014 targets
   
21/8/14 - 07:30   IMI launches #MotorCareers online drive for high calibre apprentices
   
20/8/14 - 23:29   Fix Auto Rochdale - provide insight into the motor industry for year 10 students at local High School
   
20/8/14 - 23:15   Mobile networks - ranked for speed and reliability; EE are first, followed by Three, O2 with Vodafone last
   
20/8/14 - 20:14   USA: State Farm accused of 'creating a culture of unsafe business practices' by Louisiana’s Attorney General
   
20/8/14 - 18:51   CMA publish further reponses to their consultation on Remedy 1C (replacement vehicle provision)
   
20/8/14 - 16:33   Crash for Cash victim speaks out on potential lack of compensation for others
   
20/8/14 - 13:56   Government - deny Sunday Times report that public trials of automated lorry road trains are planned in UK for 2015
   
20/8/14 - 13:43   Latest circulation figures from ABC show further small falls for bodyshop magazine and Repair Refinish Review
   
20/8/14 - 11:39   Jaguar - bodyshell of new XE, launched on 8 September, is made of new high-strength aluminium alloy called RC574
   
20/8/14 - 11:38   Land Rover - all new 7-seater Discovery Sport (to replace Freelander) to be unveiled on 3 September.
   
20/8/14 - 11:13   Allianz UK - creates new claims management role to improve links between claims and retail division
   
20/8/14 - 10:57   Cromax introduces 100ml clearcoat tints to assist a bodyshop's stock holding
   
20/8/14 - 10:50   Stanners introduce the Expert range
   
20/8/14 - 10:29   ABP Club Member Services - Debt Recovery Service
   
20/8/14 - 09:47   Allianz - Simon Law heads to Allianz Australia on a 7-month secondment as their National Technical Advisor
   
19/8/14 - 17:46   Jim Terry leaves Chaucer after 15 years to take up a new position with Markerstudy Group
   
19/8/14 - 17:46   Jim Terry - left Chaucer today to join Markerstudy as Group TP Claims Operations Manager on 29 Sept
   
19/8/14 - 16:40   Quindell - issue strong 6-page rebuttal to Tom Winnifrith and ShareProphets website; legal action underway
   
19/8/14 - 14:23   Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome - Company fined for safety breaches
   
19/8/14 - 13:56   Prasco UK to fly the flag at Automechanika
   
19/8/14 - 12:49   M&M Group celebrates 30 years of continued success
   
19/8/14 - 12:02   Redline Creative enhances Northern Accident Repair Group website
   
19/8/14 - 11:21   CMA (Comp Comm) - publish 3 more reponses (Aviva, BGL LMA) to their consultation on Remedy 1C (replacement vehicle provision)
   
19/8/14 - 11:00   MoJ - 600 "rogue claims firms" have left in the industry in last year; now just 2,097 authorised CMCs
   
19/8/14 - 10:54   IMI - contract with Cyber-Duck to "execute a brand overhaul to simplify and amplify the IMI brand"
   
19/8/14 - 10:50   Annual inflation rate – slowdown in inflation rate; CPI fell to 1.6% for year to July 2014; RPI down to 2.5%
   
19/8/14 - 09:21   Ford - all-new Mustang available in right-hand drive next year for first-time; testing of RHD prototype underway now
   
19/8/14 - 09:08   Croydon Council prosecutes garage owner for dumping trade waste
   
19/8/14 - 09:01   Tailgating law has limited impact on driver behaviour
   
19/8/14 - 08:50   Auto Windscreens opens in Peterborough
   
19/8/14 - 08:44   China; authorities find Mercedes guilty of parts price-fixing
   
18/8/14 - 10:54   Glass’s teams up with ContractHireAndLeasing.com to enhance its customer services
   
18/8/14 - 10:44   BasicHireRate.com exceeds 2 million quotes for geo-comparative vehicle hire rates
   
18/8/14 - 10:37   RAC - bosses in line for up to £300 million windfall as Carlyle Group plan to float business at double price they paid Aviva for it in 2011
   
18/8/14 - 10:24   Fixed site speed cameras now being used on normal 70mph stretches of motorways
   
18/8/14 - 07:16   Innovation - trading update; "UK motor business now engaged in a number of substantial tenders with Tier 1 and 2 insurers"
   
18/8/14 - 03:04   Sunday Times - automated "road trains" of lorries to begin tests on UK roads next year
   
18/8/14 - 02:37   AA Insurance - reveals cheapest (Isle of Man and Orkney) and most expensive places (London and Essex) to insure a car
   
18/8/14 - 02:26   BIBA - average motor premium in Q2 2014 was 5.6% lower than a year ago
   
18/8/14 - 02:14   RAC - Report on Motoring 2014 finds that company car drivers more likely to speed
   
18/8/14 - 02:07   Quindell - Sunday Times view
   
17/8/14 - 10:05   Mail on Sunday - "Troubled Quindell begins fight back against Gotham City Research"
   
16/8/14 - 09:32   Crash-for-cash - Nasir Mahmood gets 4-years jail for leading conspiracy involving 80 claims worth around £2.4 million
   
15/8/14 - 21:51   CMA (Comp Comm) - publish 18 reponses to their further consultation on Remedy 1C (replacement vehicle provision)
   
15/8/14 - 21:33   USA: courts allow consolidation of 5 separate lawsuits filed by repairers against insurers alleging labour rate suppression
   
15/8/14 - 21:07   AutoRestore - md Chris Eldridge secures household name as his personal sponsor for charity Triathlon
   
15/8/14 - 17:30   Zurich - One-in-five Brits admit to lying to their insurance company
   
15/8/14 - 16:07   Halo Accident Repair Centres - opening their third branch - Cardiff - in October
   
15/8/14 - 14:10   ARI Fleet (formerly Fleet Support Group) - 2013 results; turnover down 25%; loss of £0.99m, compared to profit of £0.65m previous year
   
15/8/14 - 13:56   Axalta Coating Systems - owners Carlyle Group has hired banks for an IPO (Initial Public Offering) in the US
   
15/8/14 - 13:33   Jaguar Land Rover - announces Prologis Park, Ryton as location of its new Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre
   
15/8/14 - 12:23   "The UK motor market set to enter a very unattractive part of the underwriting cycle, with falling profitability over the next few years"
   
15/8/14 - 12:20   Intelligent Telematics - in-van camera solution chosen by National Windscreens
   
15/8/14 - 10:44   Sheila's Wheels (esure) unveil proposal for PinkZones, women-only lanes on Britain’s most dangerous roads
   
15/8/14 - 09:39   AXA - reveal that the average delay between an 'incident' occurring and a claim being submitted to the insurer is 11 days
   
14/8/14 - 15:03   Saab - new owners facing bankruptcy? NO, just a lack of "liquid cash"; unable to pay bill of £13,000
   
14/8/14 - 14:22   Axalta Coating Systems - launch new apprenticeship programme for the UK refinish market
   
14/8/14 - 14:12   Cosan Lubricants - brakes on more than a quarter of all UK cars could fail without warning
   
14/8/14 - 13:53   Dents and Scuffs, Ipswich - inquest hears that owner Alan Hobbs was overwhelmed by financial difficulty when he committed suicide
   
14/8/14 - 13:32   Crash-for-cash - 3-year jail sentence for Alan Wright after pleading guilty to 4 charges of fraud as part of biggest ever scam
   
14/8/14 - 13:19   HGV Road User Levy - has resulted in foreign truck drivers handing over more than £17m to the taxpayer in the past four months
   
14/8/14 - 13:14   Thatcham - to sponsor "Safety" category at What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2015
   
14/8/14 - 09:26   Be Wiser - for youngsters a 20-year-old Fiesta could cost £1,000 more a year to insure than a brand new supermini
   
13/8/14 - 23:36   Government - access to information held at Companies House on UK businesses to be free from Q2 2015
   
13/8/14 - 20:26   Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) - on course to beat last years total of 6,000 calls from public to their "Cheatline"
   
13/8/14 - 15:50   Just Car Clinics - consolidates its supply arrangements into LKQ Coatings
   
13/8/14 - 13:08   Gladwins - success with Hunter Quick Check system; find 66% of cars entering their bodyshops fail alignment check
   
13/8/14 - 13:02   USA: PartsTrader processes its 1 millionth parts job since its launch in Feb 2012
   
13/8/14 - 12:54   Dust explosion at Chinese car parts plant that supplies GM kills at least 69, injures more than 180
   
13/8/14 - 11:47   Average pay in UK (excluding bonuses) up only 0.6% in year to June; unemployment down 437,000 in last year
   
13/8/14 - 09:28   Legal & General (L&G) - "will send shockwaves through the UK’s insurance sector by terminating its ABI membership"
   
13/8/14 - 09:14   Auto Express - Driver Power survey reveals best car insurers are Saga and RAC; worst are RAC and
   
13/8/14 - 09:04   Lookers - half-year results: profits up 38% on turnover up 29%; "an excellent record performance"
   
13/8/14 - 08:54   Admiral - half-year results; UK motor premium down 9%; profit up 8%; policy count up 4% to 3.15 m; £7.9m of credit hire referral fees
   
12/8/14 - 15:13   Jaguar Land Rover - results for Q1 of their 2014/15 fiscal year; vehicle sales up 22%; profits more than double
   
12/8/14 - 15:03   Trade Group appointed by EMM as wholesale distributor for the UK for Colad and Tander consumables and Hamach Tools and Equipment
   
12/8/14 - 14:08   DVLA - Updates and advice on abolition of the vehicle tax disc from 1 Oct 2014; details of on-line checking service
   
12/8/14 - 13:36   Ageas - celebrates as Which? awards a Recommended Provider for car insurance to John Lewis Insurance
   
12/8/14 - 12:18   Admiral - reports say they are evaluating a bid for InsureTheBox; valued around £150 million
   
12/8/14 - 11:29   Statement from Enterprise Rent-a-Car; "we voluntarily referred the acquisition of Burnt Tree to the CMA in the interests of transparency"
   
12/8/14 - 10:31   Autodata - rapid growth in TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems), mandatory from November, will mean increased demand for repairs
   
12/8/14 - 10:25   Volvo - new 7-seater XC90 (unveiled in 2 weeks) will be built on their Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) modular chassis technology
   
12/8/14 - 02:39   EC - European Commission presses car rental companies to stop discriminatory practices against consumers
   
11/8/14 - 17:42   Land Rover - Defenders now being targetted by organised gangs for their parts prior to vehicle going out of production in Dec 2015
   
11/8/14 - 15:55   CMA investigating Enterprise Rent-a-Car's completed acquisition of Burnt Tree; initial enforcement order issued
   
11/8/14 - 14:21   1easycall - open new out-of-hours call centre in Phillipines for UK and American insurance markets
   
11/8/14 - 14:14   Easi-Drive -donate £1000 from their Wheelsforgood fund to Stevenage Motability
   
11/8/14 - 14:12   AutoRestore – training regime intensifies as Triathlon draws closer!
   
11/8/14 - 10:49   Proworx - win VIP tickets to BTCC and meet Andrew Jordan, last years champion, currently lying 4th
   
11/8/14 - 10:48   Revive! - win chance to take part in go-kart race against BTCC champion Andrew Jordan
   
11/8/14 - 10:13   Hella Gutmann Solutions - launches CSC Tool (Camera & Sensor Calibration Tool) designed for bodyshops
   
11/8/14 - 09:31   Revive - increasing popularity of SMART repairs means effective regulation will be key
   
11/8/14 - 09:22   IMI - call for licencing of "automotive retail sector" as "modern vehicle technology has reached a level where regulation is necessary"
   
11/8/14 - 07:52   AA plc - new four-year contract to provide roadside assistance for the Volkswagen Group UK
   
09/8/14 - 15:36   Enterprise-Rent-a-Car - acquire Burnt Tree, one of UK's largest commercial vehicle renters with 17,000 vans, HGV and minibusess
   
08/8/14 - 17:14   Daily Mail - lists which cars are most at risk of having their systems hijacked
   
08/8/14 - 15:07   Cougar Accident Repair Centre - releases comedy video 'Cougar Vehicle Hospital' to engage with customers and prospective customers
   
08/8/14 - 14:22   Insurance Fraud - 1,000th arrest due to IFB and 500th arrest for IFED
   
08/8/14 - 14:11   HPI (owned by Solera) - appoints Neil Hodson (ex Manheim and Experian) as Managing Director
   
08/8/14 - 14:08   USA: AudaExplore (Audatex) - consumer survey finds bodyshops and insurers must improve communications, trust and price
   
08/8/14 - 13:00   Allianz - half-year results; GWP up 9.7%; profits down 25.3%; direct motor "performed particularly well "
   
08/8/14 - 09:52   Sun newspaper - launches campaign to persuade government to launch scrappage scheme for non-Euro 6 diesel cars
   
08/8/14 - 01:09   Audi - new TT on sale now; improved aluminium and steel hybrid construction saves 50kg
   
08/8/14 - 01:01   Euro Car Parts (LKQ) - acquire 27 Unipart Automotive sites from administrator; ECP now have 194 sites
   
07/8/14 - 14:09   Ridgeway - uses CitNOW to improve transparency in servicing through 'Workshop Window'
   
07/8/14 - 12:45   FMG - win 3-year contract from QBE Insurance to provide end-to-end delegated claims management service
   
07/8/14 - 12:06   MINI - becomes first car brand to use the JustPark app to allow drivers to reserve a parking space
   
07/8/14 - 11:54   CMA - ABI says their private motor insurance investigation is "on the brink of failure"
   
07/8/14 - 11:38   FCA - fines Stonebridge International Insurance Ltd £8.4m in relation to sales of insurance policies
   
07/8/14 - 10:02   ABI - reducing unnecessary costs is key to sustained lower motor insurance premiums
   
07/8/14 - 10:02   ABI - quarterly motor insurance premium tracker; average premium in Q2 down 4.5% in last year to £361
   
07/8/14 - 09:28   LAST CALL - ABP Economic Suvey - PLEASE complete - only 12 questions - closes 11.59pm tomorrow, Friday 8 August - open to ALL bodyshops
   
07/8/14 - 09:03   RSA - half-year results; UK personal motor written premiums down 39%; UK commercial motor down 66%
   
07/8/14 - 08:21   Aviva - half-year results; company "remains a work in progress"; profits up 4%
   
06/8/14 - 17:57   Metro Salvage, Bolton - star in BBC1 reality TV show Meet the Scrappers; starts Thursday at 8.30pm
   
06/8/14 - 15:51   Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) - explains how it is putting the consumer at the heart of everything it does
   
06/8/14 - 14:08   Karl Vella Group - make third senior appointment as Marc Holding (ex Howard Basford) joins as Finance Director
   
06/8/14 - 14:02   Winn Solicitors - strengthens commitment to supporting people with hearing loss on the roads
   
06/8/14 - 13:59   EMACS - 6 staff (including Alan Hargeaves) attempting UK's highest skydive (15,000 ft) for charity on 26 August
   
06/8/14 - 13:49   HSE - rules changing on storage of petrol from 1 October 2014; unlikely to affect most bodyshops
   
06/8/14 - 13:29   IBIS 2015 - moves to Athens
   
06/8/14 - 13:26   Quindell - trading update; all KPIs for July met; positive cash flow in July; re-affirm market expectations for 2014 and beyond
   
06/8/14 - 11:13   SMMT - new van sales up 34.5% in July; YTD van sales up 18.9%; but new truck sales are down
   
06/8/14 - 10:05   Ageas UK - half-year results: income up 0.4%; profits down 46%; motor income down 1.5%; now UK's 2nd largest motor insurer - 3.6m policies
   
06/8/14 - 09:13   SMMT - new car sales in July up 6.6%; 29th consecutive month of growth; full year forecast raised to 2.45m
   
05/8/14 - 09:56   USA; Ford says they will sell body parts for its new aluminium F-150 to all bodyshops complete with instruction sheet
   
05/8/14 - 09:36   ProWorx - new catalogue now available
   
05/8/14 - 08:53   RMI NAB - call for "root and branch" legal reforms of dysfunctional market; continue call for independent lead body
   
05/8/14 - 07:42   Pendragon (Evans Halshaw, Stratsones and Quickco) - half-year results; underlying pre-tax profit up 39% on turnover up 3%
   
05/8/14 - 00:24   Aviva - Drive app drives down the cost of car insurance by £101 for safer drivers
   
04/8/14 - 15:45   Morelli - appoint Mike Rowley as Corporate Accounts Manager to liaise with vehicle manufacturers and dealer groups
   
04/8/14 - 15:02   RSA - Daily Express says "hundreds" of jobs are at risk with "relatively severe" cuts in UK motor operations
   
04/8/14 - 14:21   bodyshop magazine - award finalists announced
   
04/8/14 - 14:11   Farecla - appoint Mark Taylor (ex LKQ Coatings, AkzoNobel and Grove) as Applications Technician
   
04/8/14 - 14:09   Auto Windscreens - animals responsible for nearly 18,000 damaged windscreens every year
   
04/8/14 - 14:01   EMM - ownership transfers to management team
   
04/8/14 - 13:34   Carlac - launch new website
   
04/8/14 - 13:06   Selsia - launches updated version of SelsiaCentral, on-line management platform for fleet repairs
   
04/8/14 - 11:57   Plenham (bodyshop magazine / IBIS) - accounts filed for y/e Oct 2013
   
04/8/14 - 11:11   Hyundai - stunning video showing new safety features in action
   
04/8/14 - 09:04   Quindell - FT says "deal with RAC runs off track"
   
04/8/14 - 07:18   esure - half-year results; premiums down 1.9%; profits up 0.4%; motor policies up 2.6% to 1.42m; launcing ABS with Irwin Mitchell
   
03/8/14 - 19:35   MoJ - whiplash medical report fees to be cut to max of £180 from October; law firms banned from offering incentives to potential clients
   
02/8/14 - 20:29   'Crash for cash' - fraudster jailed following LV's investigation into a staged accident
   
01/8/14 - 13:44   Spies Hecker - increases range of special mixing tints in 250 ml tins
   
01/8/14 - 13:17   Enterprise respond to accusations made to CMA by Accident Exchange
   
01/8/14 - 12:38   2014 UK Body Repair industry Guides now available online
   
01/8/14 - 12:21   2014 British Bodyshop Awards Review now available online
   
01/8/14 - 12:10   Wrights ARC, Northern Ireland - turnover up 4%; pre-tax profits up 20%; pre-tax profit margin 13.3%
   
01/8/14 - 12:08   Auto Body Professional magazine - Summer 2014 issue available online
   
01/8/14 - 11:36   Cobra - calls for DVLA to register Stolen Vehicle Tracking Products on V5C
   
01/8/14 - 11:32   C Jackson Body Repairs, Sleaford - congratulate employee for 40 years of service
   
01/8/14 - 08:26   Police Forces extend contract with My Green Fleet as savings of over £2 million are achieved
   
01/8/14 - 08:00   Direct Line - half year results: premiums down 5% but profits up 8%; UK motor policy count down 3.6% on last year
   
01/8/14 - 07:37   Accident Exchange - accuse Enterprise "of causing innocent drivers to pay millions of unfair charges" and report them to the CMA
   
01/8/14 - 06:53   AXA UK - half-year results: turnover up 2%; profit up 33%; direct business up 8% and profitable
   
01/8/14 - 02:00   ABP Club website – new all-time monthly record set in July, with over 110,000 visits to the site in a single month