ABP Club Car Body Repair News - October 2014

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

31/10/14 - 12:30		'Crash for cash' trial - Collision expert tells jury that damage to cars 'doesn't add up'

31/10/14 - 12:19		ABP Club Annual Convention and Night of Knights Awards Ceremony - reminder to book hotel rooms

31/10/14 - 09:58		IMI - 90% of the industry is behind licensing for vehicle technicians

31/10/14 - 09:35		Swiftcover - increase discount to 12.5% for drivers who fit an in-car dash-mounted camera

31/10/14 - 07:56		Pendragon - trading update: "continued strong performance.......we will be ahead of expectations for the full year"

31/10/14 - 07:45		Direct Line - Q3 trading update; motor GWP down 7.8%; motor policy count down 3.2%; "on track to hit 2014 financial targets"

30/10/14 - 20:27		Powerful activist activist investor Trian believes DuPont deal was a gift

30/10/14 - 20:10		USA - Axalta Coating Systems launches IPO

30/10/14 - 12:33		SkillAuto - 2014 finals take place at the SkillsShow at NEC from Thurs 13 to Sat 15 November

30/10/14 - 12:15		Easi-Drive - special school receives a £1,000 donation

30/10/14 - 12:09		DriveStyle Insurance - telematics insurer recruit Nick Spence-Thomas (Axa motor claims head) as Operations Director

30/10/14 - 11:45		LKQ - Q3 results: worldwide turnover up 33% in Q3 to $1.72 billion; pre-tax profits up 28% to $140 million

30/10/14 - 10:39		Glass's - Hybrid popularity grows in used car market

30/10/14 - 09:23		British Safety Council expresses concern the increase in work-related ill health

30/10/14 - 08:06		Aviva - Q3 trading update; "turnaround is delivering"; strong general insurance result in UK despite 6% fall in premiums

30/10/14 - 07:52		Redde (Helphire) - trading update; "trading profits are ahead of our expectations....cash generation has continued to be positive"

29/10/14 - 22:56		ABI - motor premiums fall but insurers still crave further reforms

29/10/14 - 22:50		Quartix to float on London's AIM from next week

29/10/14 - 21:07		Ford Impact Conference and Excellence Awards - an outstanding success!

29/10/14 - 04:20		ABP Club Employer Protect - The European Directive on Alternative Dispute Resolution

29/10/14 - 02:26		Quindell - announce death of Tony Bowers, non-exec Vice Chairman

29/10/14 - 02:23		Hastings - appoint Keoghs to its defendant motor panel

28/10/14 - 21:10		IFED (Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department) - arrest no win no fee company employees suspected to be fraudulently obtaining information

28/10/14 - 16:38		Crash for cash - "unluckiest family in south Wales" stand accused

28/10/14 - 15:56		IMI - Hemel technician Vicky gets starring role alonside Suzi Perry

28/10/14 - 15:48		Bluegrasscoms to takeover the running of Vauxhall Trade Club

28/10/14 - 08:43		Matthews to leave AutoRestore

28/10/14 - 08:18		Employer Protect - Free Employment Law seminar

28/10/14 - 08:15		PSA Peugeot Citroen announce improved sales and revenues

28/10/14 - 07:29		Lookers - trading update; "excellent performance in all areas of the business - record results"

27/10/14 - 10:26		Australia - “Ambiguous wording” causes insurers to refund customers

27/10/14 - 10:14		Spies Hecker salutes Mercedes AMG Petronas on winning F1 Constructors Championship

27/10/14 - 09:02		Germany: Innovation Group win 2 year motor claims contract from Zurich Germany

27/10/14 - 08:38		LV= 9 month trading results - motor GWP slightly down as pressure on premiums means "current prices are sustainable"

26/10/14 - 00:23		House of Commons Transport Committee - AA welcome the report

26/10/14 - 00:18		Thatcham - chief technical officer Andrew Miiler elected as new President and Chairman of the EuroNCAP Board of Directors

26/10/14 - 00:14		DVLA - drivers will save £150 million over next 10 years as cost of driving licence falls by up to 32%

26/10/14 - 00:04		House of Commons Transport Committee - Government response on small claims, medical panels, exagerated claims, pre-medical offers

25/10/14 - 21:45		ABI - what next for credit hire and what does the future look like for the market for temporary replacement vehicles?

25/10/14 - 21:39		PACTS / Thatcham Driverless Cars Conference - ABI view on insurance for driverless cars

25/10/14 - 00:31		R1234yf air conditioning refrigerant - Honeywell response; " allegations outlined in the Statement of Objections are baseless"

25/10/14 - 00:30		R1234yf air conditioning refrigerant - DuPont response; "we plan to defend vigorously against the Commission's allegations"

25/10/14 - 00:30		R1234yf air conditioning refrigerant - EC sends statement of objections to Honeywell & DuPont saying their collaboration may be illegal

24/10/14 - 11:26		ABP Club Annual Convention and Night of Knights Awards Ceremony - reminder to book hotel rooms

24/10/14 - 11:08		IMI Outstanding Achievers Awards Winners and Finalists 2014

24/10/14 - 10:56		BBC issues apology as motor trade is warned about HPI check imposters

24/10/14 - 10:50		BASF Coatings Refinish bolsters team with Area Sales Manager appointment

24/10/14 - 10:19		JCC's Chris McGowan Wins Outstanding Accredited Professional at the IMI Outstanding Achievers Awards

24/10/14 - 09:00		British Safety Council offers businessesfree stress advice

24/10/14 - 07:23		New app from Facebook (called Rooms) allows users to chat without using their real names

23/10/14 - 12:31		Power-tec introduce new dent removal solution

23/10/14 - 10:59		Eco Repair Systems delivers the first T-Hotbox paintless dent removal unit

23/10/14 - 10:10		Fix Auto appoints Midlands-based Autobase to become Fix Auto Wednesbury

23/10/14 - 09:22		MG Cannon in the Community invite applications for 2015 partnerships!

23/10/14 - 08:45		Direct Line and Admiral move ahead in the market after recent rises in motor insurance rates

23/10/14 - 08:39		Ireland - SIMI report shows a positive outlook

23/10/14 - 08:37		Tata - new XPF family of lighweight, high-strength steels offering 10% weight saving

23/10/14 - 08:29		Tesco - half-year results: motor insurance up 21.7%

22/10/14 - 17:43		PACTS / Thatcham Driverless Cars Conference - government minister eveals droverless buses are on their way in Britain

22/10/14 - 16:34		PPG signs five-year contract with KIA Motors Europe

22/10/14 - 13:18		Audatex - just 9 days left of the FREE trial of AudaLite, their NEW retail estimating tool

22/10/14 - 13:00		Repairers' Choice Awards - a reminder to complete the short online survey

22/10/14 - 12:10		PACTS / Thatcham Driverless Cars Conference - Volvo to deliver 100 self-driving cars to customers in 2017

22/10/14 - 12:09		PACTS / Thatcham Driverless Cars Conference - morning highlights

22/10/14 - 10:45		Suncorp Group smash demerger on table

22/10/14 - 10:35		PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety) - government to oversee trials of driverless cars in UK in 2015

22/10/14 - 10:34		Zenith Insurance (Markerstudy Group) launches Brightbox - a broker-based telematics insurance policy

22/10/14 - 10:28		AA Insurance Premium Index - reveals small £6 rise in last quarter; 14.4% down in last year

22/10/14 - 10:21		ABP Employer Protect - Time off to Care for Dependants

21/10/14 - 11:47		DAS - suspend ceo Paul Asplin "following an initial internal investigation"

21/10/14 - 11:31		Petrol and diesel sales volumes in Q3 highest for 5 years

21/10/14 - 11:20		Martin Williams (Hull) celebrates CV award and type approval wins

21/10/14 - 11:05		Petrol and diesel - now at lowest price since end of 2010

21/10/14 - 10:14		Road & Race Restorations win Glasurit's football promotion

21/10/14 - 09:56		Hyundai - have delivered first 6 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to UK customers; UK consumers can order now for early 2015 delivery

21/10/14 - 09:51		Ombudsman - sharing information with insurers

21/10/14 - 09:09		Audatex to make way for a new API solution - AudaConnect

21/10/14 - 08:55		ACIS looks beyond CMA Report to best practice driving down courtesy car costs

21/10/14 - 07:18		Canada: Quindell announce 5-year telematics contract win from top 3 Canadian insurer

21/10/14 - 00:47		Euro Car Parts - re-open the first 14 of the 27 former Unipart Automotive branches they bought from the administrators

20/10/14 - 17:34		Thatcham's new escribe the most comprehensive repair data set, including instant access to mechanical data

20/10/14 - 14:35		Aviva - approach £50m of savings since 2005 from fighting spurious whiplash claims

20/10/14 - 11:52		Road Safety Foundation - calls for Government to remove insurance premium tax (IPT) from telematics insurance for uner-25s

20/10/14 - 11:33		Ageas and ingenie - support Road Safety Foundation call for immediate government action to improve young driver safety

20/10/14 - 11:29		Government - over 17,000 grant-funded plug-in electric vehicles on UK's roads, 5,000 of them in last 3 months

20/10/14 - 09:55		UK Police - have spent £22.2m on accident damage repairs since 2011/12

20/10/14 - 09:44		Auto Express - "Shock as 21,000 new drivers are banned for not having insurance"

20/10/14 - 09:37		Daily Mail - "Whiplash gravy train is grinding to a halt: Crackdown on bogus claims sees payouts fall by a third"

20/10/14 - 09:30		Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) - legal changes result in10% cut in third party motor insurance damage and injury claims frequency

20/10/14 - 07:21		IMI calls for licencing of the retail motor sector

17/10/14 - 20:18		AA - Dramatic change in supermarket pricing leaves rural areas isolated

17/10/14 - 20:09		Axalta - Pioneering technologies to analyse waterborne paint sprayability

17/10/14 - 17:37		ABP Club Convention and Night of Knights Awards - Reminder to book your place and hotel rooms please

17/10/14 - 14:48		Australia - Gemini ARC in Brisbane gutted by fire which began in spray booth

17/10/14 - 14:21		CAP - Motorists will pay for 'vicious circle' of new car registrations growth

17/10/14 - 14:06		IMI - introduce 3 new awards to be presented at IMI dinner in March

17/10/14 - 13:39		Rye Street Group elevated to full member status of National-ARG

17/10/14 - 13:31		Just Car Clinics celebrates ongoing success

17/10/14 - 12:18		Enterprise Rent-a-Car - celebrate 20 yrs in the UK with an ecological initiative transforming roundabouts into wildflower gardens

17/10/14 - 11:26		Insurance industry needs to educate fleets on changing driver behaviour and reducing accidents

17/10/14 - 10:44		Ageas - celebrate winning Insurance Company of the Year award for third year running

17/10/14 - 10:34		RSA - announce sale of their Italian business

17/10/14 - 10:21		Thatcham’s Andrew Hooker runs for BEN

17/10/14 - 09:41		IFB (Insurance Fraud Bureau) - to expand fight against organised fraud beyond motor

17/10/14 - 08:52		ARI (formerly FSG - Fleet Support Group) - Masterserve Awards 2014

17/10/14 - 08:41		FAB Recycling - Electric vehicle parts; how are dismantlers coping?

17/10/14 - 08:27		Cromax - Cromastore offers bigger range

17/10/14 - 08:15		RAC research suggests motorists would welcome in-cab cameras to banish crash-for-cash claims

16/10/14 - 16:12		BSi - launch BS7006, a new "management system standard for for valuing employees within organizations"

16/10/14 - 14:53		Fire in spray booth at Star Bodies in Fleetwood

16/10/14 - 14:15		Toyota - Apprentice of the Year Champions includes Body and Paint – Nic Barbary, The Repair Centre, Salfords, Surrey

16/10/14 - 14:09		Frosts Accident Repairs, Milton Keynes - win ARI's Bodyshop of the Year at annual Masterserve Network Awards

16/10/14 - 14:02		Mercedes - recalls 28,000 new C-Class cars (inc 8,145 in the UK) over steering fault that 'could affect control of vehicle'

16/10/14 - 13:52		Toyota - recalls 1.75 million cars over various issues including 9,637 Lexus cars in UK with fuel pipe problem

16/10/14 - 12:36		Ageas - gains Investors in Customers top ‘Exceptional’ rating for customer satisfaction

16/10/14 - 12:04		IMI - research reveals the consumer decisions behind vehicle servicing

16/10/14 - 11:17		LV - new senior claims team inc Caroline Johnson heading up third party motor claims

16/10/14 - 10:06		CMA - ABI boss blames lack of insurer unity for CMA credit hire costs findings

16/10/14 - 10:02		CMA - chairman expresses "regret at not allocating enough time to identify a remedy to the cost of credit hire"

15/10/14 - 21:33		ABP Club - UK Body Repair Economic Climate Survey indicates stability and optimism has returned to the market

15/10/14 - 21:07		AkzoNobel - Collins moves into key Vehicle Refinishing role as Taylor steps up to Global Key Accounts team

15/10/14 - 21:00		Car-O-Liner opens its doors to this year’s Auto Body Repair Finalists

15/10/14 - 20:42		New Admiral HQ sold in a £20m deal

15/10/14 - 20:29		Circle Leasing introduces MyFleet Vehicle Hire to install best practice and improve end-user behaviour

15/10/14 - 11:11		S.M.S. Garages Ltd, Cardiff - director issues statement to ABP

15/10/14 - 08:50		Auto Body Professional magazine - Autumn issue now available online

15/10/14 - 07:34		Innovation Group - planned UK Motor acquisition "will not proceed further"

15/10/14 - 07:23		Vertu - half-year results: "Record results: recently acquired businesses improving - acquisition pipeline strong"

14/10/14 - 22:37		Crash for Cash - two more to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court

14/10/14 - 13:59		Euro Car Parts appoint Supply Chain Director

14/10/14 - 10:59		Annual inflation rate – further slowdowns in inflation rate; CPI fell to 1.2% for year to Sept 2014; RPI down to 2.3%

14/10/14 - 09:48		Quindell - Terry considers break-up to unlock value as share price falls

14/10/14 - 09:15		Accenture - "delivering average claims satisfaction levels is not enough"

14/10/14 - 09:09		Selsia launches Re-Home for fleet clients

14/10/14 - 09:01		Fix Auto UK awards the Network's highest performers

14/10/14 - 07:10		Australia - Innovation win contract from major insurer to provide claims management services

13/10/14 - 22:47		Admiral Law - ABS owned by Admiral and Lyons Davidson made £2.8 m profit on £6.1m turnover in 7 months last year

13/10/14 - 14:13		Euro Car Parts - 2013 results: turnover up 34%; profits up 52%; crash repair sales up 68%

13/10/14 - 13:32		Renault - Nissan Alliance - increases percenta`ge of women at senior executive level

13/10/14 - 13:23		CHO (Credit Hire trade body) - isue statement clarifying that the GTA technical committee have not chosen a supplier for electronic portal

13/10/14 - 08:55		Auto Body and Motor Claims Expo - ABP announces a NEW Trade Show

13/10/14 - 07:55		Fix Auto - results for the two UK companies show improved balance sheets

13/10/14 - 07:17		Quindell - trading update: "on track to meet 2014 targets"

11/10/14 - 11:28		Just Car Clinics - Chris McGowan shortlisted for IMI's Outstanding Achievers Award

11/10/14 - 11:06		QBE to close Norwich motor claims office

11/10/14 - 10:54		Terry Jackson appointed to Head of Business for UK & Ireland as BASF Coatings Refinish bolsters senior management team

11/10/14 - 10:46		CitNOW supports Bangers for BEN

11/10/14 - 10:04		Ingenie (telematics insurer ownwed by Quindell) - orders young speeders to have counselling or have policy cancelled

10/10/14 - 14:04		Confused.com/Towers Watson - car insurance premium index shows £3 rise in Q3; stll down 10.7% on last year

10/10/14 - 10:43		British Bodyshop Awards - 2015 date announced as Fiona Bruce is confirmed as host

10/10/14 - 10:07		Prasco UK - identical OES lighting could save £000's

10/10/14 - 09:35		ABP Member Services - Petroleum storage

10/10/14 - 08:59		ABP Employer Protect - Potential implications of the Immigration Act 2014

09/10/14 - 19:03		ECP appoints Regional Sales Manager for Scotland

09/10/14 - 18:59		British Safety Council launch new safety qualification designed for people driving at work

09/10/14 - 18:57		CitNOW service snapped up by Volkswagen retail network

09/10/14 - 17:41		AkzoNobel - Alex Green rises to teamwork challenge

09/10/14 - 14:05		TCW (Tonbridge Coachworks) - 2013 resullts; loss of £2m; business (not the company) by DWS in Aug 2014 for £1.65m; interesting VAT note

09/10/14 - 13:29		ProWorx - launch new dispencer unit for their Pearl bodyfiller

09/10/14 - 13:17		Crash for Cash - 14 deny charges

09/10/14 - 13:10		Bank of England interest rate remains at 0.5 per cent

09/10/14 - 12:58		Junair design and manufacture spraybooth silencers to reduce noise pollution

09/10/14 - 12:51		Farecla bolsters their marketing team

09/10/14 - 12:44		Solera companies protect their systems from BASH "shellshock" vulnerability

09/10/14 - 12:40		Drive Assist - creditors meeting being convened to consider pursuing further action re the conduct of directors prior to insolvency

09/10/14 - 12:01		ABP Employer Protect - Shareholder agreements

09/10/14 - 11:51		ABP Club Annual Convention and Night of Knights Awards - BOOKINGS NOW OPEN

09/10/14 - 09:04		Ireland - SIMI warns of “Fragile Recovery” ahead of the Budget

09/10/14 - 07:16		South Africa: Innovation Group win 5-year Fleet Contract to manage maintenance on 100,000 government vehicles

08/10/14 - 11:03		Auto Windscreens launches state-of-the-art mobile devices across technician workforce

08/10/14 - 02:52		RMIF – 2013 results show group incurred a £697k pre-tax loss in 2013, compared to a £645k profit in 2012

07/10/14 - 08:37		Volvo Cars’ goal of no fatal accidents by 2020 aided by 360°-view technology

07/10/14 - 06:53		Vauxhall - expand Corsa and Adam safety checks; vehicles registered since Feb 2014 should not be driven until steering checked

07/10/14 - 06:49		Standox clearcoat additive now in available in 100ml

07/10/14 - 06:43		PPG - Envirobase High Performance Waterborne line gets a new look

07/10/14 - 06:35		ABP Employer Protect - vehicle tax - Who is liable?

07/10/14 - 06:24		Eldridge completes 20km cycle ride as Belron raise over £6K for Team ElDorado charity

07/10/14 - 05:56		ABP Club launches the 2014 Repairers' Choice Awards survey

07/10/14 - 05:22		South Down MP welcomes the CMA report, but warns action must follow

07/10/14 - 00:30		Transport Committee - DVLA and DVSA must work harder to deliver a more unified service

06/10/14 - 15:40		Brown Brothers celebrates winning Distributor Branch of the Year 2014

06/10/14 - 13:53		Graham Barley (ex Helphire) joins Fleet Factors as Business Manager

06/10/14 - 13:42		Ireland - the 5 regional winners of Bodyshop of the Year announced

06/10/14 - 11:42		SMMT - new van sales up 10.8% in September and up 18.1% YTD; new truck sales down 20% YTD

06/10/14 - 11:31		ABI's Dalton responds to the CHO's call for insurers to endorse further work on the GTA portal

06/10/14 - 10:14		SMMT - new car sales in September up 5.6%; 31st consecutive month of growth

06/10/14 - 02:10		ABP - new all-time weekly record for website with 31,782 visits last week

05/10/14 - 17:25		Covea - claims director Adrian Furness says CMA report was a "really disappointing outcome and a missed opportunity"

04/10/14 - 15:47		Autorestore - 2013 results show losses doubled to £2.7m as turnover drops 15% to under below £12m - lowest level since 2008

04/10/14 - 15:47		ADR - 2013 results show turnover down 13% to £18m as pre-tax losses reduced to £1.7m

03/10/14 - 23:23		bodyshop magazine - BE2014 award finalists announced

03/10/14 - 13:27		Mercedes, Renault and Nissan agree to continue partnership launched in 2010

03/10/14 - 12:02		eCar insurance in security breach via Brightside Group

03/10/14 - 11:22		Insurers look to get a ‘golden view' of customers by harnessing big data and analytics

03/10/14 - 11:01		Audatex - launch AudaLite, an iPad app that automates quoting to enhance upselling for bodyshops

03/10/14 - 11:00		Audatex - launches AudaGarage, which provides technical data for mechanical repairs including fault diagnostics and repair times

03/10/14 - 10:56		CHO urges motor insurers to endorse further work on the GTA portal

03/10/14 - 09:32		ABP Employer Protect - Glaisyers to hold a FREE seminar on employment law changes

03/10/14 - 08:58		Hyundai - launch total loss avoidance programme open to ALL bodyshops

03/10/14 - 07:26		RAC - new tax disc rules will benefit DVLA to tune of £38m per year

02/10/14 - 20:12		UK's most lucrative speed camera - a 30mph camera in Cardiff rakes in £800,000 in just six months = 71 drivers caught each day

02/10/14 - 15:28		Enterprise-Rent-a-Car - ARMS Automotive now installed in 400 UK bodyshops; ARMS also wins technology award for innovation

02/10/14 - 15:24		RML - CMA report ‘confirms worst fears’ about UK car insurance market: safety concerns & premiums too high

02/10/14 - 14:24		BeatThatQuote.com records a £12 million loss

02/10/14 - 12:30		Allianz and BMW Group expand global co-operation for another 5 years

02/10/14 - 12:19		BSi - Kitemark House, testing facilities HQ in Hemel, gets £3 million facelift

02/10/14 - 12:13		QBE - recruit Paul Scott from Aviva as Head of Motor & Liability Claims; will report to Dominic Claydon also ex-Aviva

02/10/14 - 12:12		Vizion launches commercial vehicle repair network

02/10/14 - 11:25		Nissan - new Pulsar (Golf / Focus competitor) launched with amazing range of crash avoidance technologies

02/10/14 - 11:02		Admiral - claim victory in whiplash case and win costs due to claimants “fundamentally dishonest” evidence

02/10/14 - 10:56		IGA - highlight potential impact of eCall on independent garages

02/10/14 - 10:02		Ageas - launch new Pricing Initiative for commercial vehicle scheme using Transactor software platform

02/10/14 - 08:22		Eco Repair Systems - BMW approves and recommends Flatliner Repair System

02/10/14 - 07:50		SMMT - reveal shortlist for UK Automotive Innovation award 2014

01/10/14 - 14:56		DVLA website crashes as motorists try to renew their road tax on the day tax discs are abolished

01/10/14 - 13:17		Government - to announce at end of year that telematics, rather than intervention through legislation, is key to young driver safety

01/10/14 - 12:18		UKAARC (Direct Line owned bodyshops) - 2013 results reveal a 23.8% pre-tax profit margin and £7m turnover per site

01/10/14 - 10:56		RMIF - appoint Kevin Briggs as director on main board

01/10/14 - 10:18		National Minimum Wage - new rates apply from today

01/10/14 - 10:13		CMA - publish timetable for implementing remedies

01/10/14 - 10:05		EuroNCAP - release crash-test results for 3 new vehicles

01/10/14 - 10:02		Aviva - renew contract with WNS for BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) services until 2022

01/10/14 - 07:45		Innovation Group - trading update; negotiations continue for a UK Motor BPS acquisition

01/10/14 - 07:38		Employer Protect - changes to employment law from today

01/10/14 - 02:37		ABP – new monthly record for ABP website in Sept with 116,000 visits (up 20% on last year) from over 29,000 unique visitors