The Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association (VBRA) has secured approval for its consumer code of practice from the Office of Fair Trading.

The VBRA code sets the standards that members must comply with when providing vehicle repair services to customers. All eligible VBRA members have signed up to the approved code. By doing so they have agreed to provide the following benefits to consumers:

  • a disciplinary committee to deal with members who do not deliver the promises in the code
  • a conciliation service to handle consumer complaints if a member''s own complaints procedure does not resolve an issue
  • reference to a low cost arbitration process to handle unresolved consumer disputes following conciliation
  • estimates and/or quotations available to all customers
  • a dedicated customer services manager appointed by each VBRA member who acts as the first port of call for customers with any queries or complaints about the service being provided to them
  • continuing monitoring of customer satisfaction so that problem areas can be identified and addressed.

    The OFT consumer codes approval scheme has two stages:

    Stage one – the code sponsor makes a promise that its code meets the OFT''s core criteria in principle. The sponsor must make sure its code contains measures designed to remove or ease consumer concerns and undesirable trading practices in its sector.

    Stage two – the code sponsor must prove its code lives up to the initial promise it made. That means the code sponsor must demonstrate that the code is being effectively implemented by its members and that consumer disputes are being properly resolved.

    The OFT will only approve and promote codes that are shown to safeguard and promote consumers’ interests beyond the basic requirements of the law. Members operating to a code that achieves OFT approval will be able to display the OFT ‘approved code’ logo.

  • Download a copy of the VBRA code of practice