Allianz Cornhill will shortly make an announcement about the future of its partnership with the RMIF.

It seems likely that the insurer will drop its mandate for approved repairers to be a member of the RMIF’s bodyshop division.

The RMIF’s QC standard has long been a pre-requisite for bodyshops appointed to the insurer’s direct repairer programme. The RMIF undertakes its quality and customer service audits. But the Kitemark standard being developed by the BSI and Thatcham is widely tipped to replace this later this year.

At last year’s repairer roadshows, Allianz Cornhill evaded the question as to whether bodyshops should renew their RMIF subscriptions. This was shortly after the RMIF made its bodyshop division head Jeff Mack redundant, leading to claims that it no longer properly represented the sector.

Philip Brailey, Allianz Cornhill motor damage supplier manager, will not confirm if its link with the RMIF will end, but adds that an announcement will be made at the end of this month.

A review of Allianz Cornhill’s network is under way to identify its bodyshops with a more suitable “culture fit”. New contracts will be issued in July.

Some repairers unwilling to adopt the insurer’s customer service requirements have already left the network.