Right to Repair Bill Proposed! LOVELY!

[Excaliber]

We have all kinds of "Government control" of monopolies, securities, bank regulations, investment regulations, the list is endless. And the list doesn't mean it's a "bad thing", it would be a nightmare of a market place without controls!

In this case I just don't see where the Guv is trying to "control" or "manipulate" an industry, it's opening up an industry to greater competition. Gunner makes a valid point, giving "Joes Garage" access to basic information about a product doesn't mean "Joe" will be able to compete.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Gunner makes a valid point, giving "Joes Garage" access to basic information about a product doesn't mean "Joe" will be able to compete.

Most Joe's will never be able to compete, they can't afford 10 to 20 grand diagnostic machines to maybe do a few cars a month and charge less than a dealer.........

One local garage invested in some of this equipment and he charges 1/2 what the local dealers charge, he says it's still not worth the expense he put out (even if he charged the same as a dealer) and his equipment doesn't do nearly all that a dealer's equipment does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dealerships have the factorys behind them with the best and latest equipment, and their techs are specifically trained on this equipment for their brand auto..........

I don't believe the "average Joe" will ever be able to compete with them.......

David

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by DAVID GAGNARD

I don't believe the "average Joe" will ever be able to compete with them...

Possibly not; unless a shop specializes in one make and puts everything into that, it probably doesn't have the capital to invest in every machine that does every important job for every make.

But Joe is only one level. Joseph Garage Inc. is another... and a bigger operation might well have the money to stay equipped to compete with dealers.

It's not some sort of welfare program where Ford *has* to make Joe competitive. It's an open market where anyone competent and capable should be able to compete. Manufacturers hoarding essential diagnostic and repair data come very close to anti-trust violations. Fixing that only benefits the entire market.