Don’t abandon your car
Cars left abandoned at repair workshops are an inconvenience workshop owners around the country face.
Les McMaster, chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), said some workshops have more than 25 vehicles abandoned at their premises annually.
“As you can imagine, having to deal with this issue can be onerous on the workshop,” McMaster explained.
“As with any premises, space is valuable and these cars take up the equivalent of say 15 to 18 square metres each.
”If you equate that to what you would pay for a storage unit of similar size, you are looking at over R700 rental fee per day per vehicle.
”Along with the space issue, there is security to consider, movement costs and additional insurance costs.”
McMaster added that general maintenance must be done on the vehicles, to ensure the workshop doesn’t start looking like a scrap heap.
“A professional image is important for workshops, so ensuring these abandoned cars are not neglected, becomes an additional concern for the workshop owners,” he said.
So why do car owners abandon their vehicles? Affordability of repairs, is the simple answer.
“We are living in a time of ever-tightening economy, so, unfortunately, car owners are repairing their vehicles only when something breaks,” McMaster explained.
“The problem with this approach is that, generally, by the time something breaks, it is far more costly to repair than if the vehicle was regularly maintained. Also, there can be a knock-on effect as one broken part affects several others.
“The reality is that car owners will bring in their vehicles for repairs and then not have the money to pay for them, so they abandon the cars at the workshop.”
He pointed out that what the owners of these abandoned vehicles may not realise, is that they may be liable for the storage costs.
“The repair workshop is well within its rights to include a storage fee rate in the contract signed by the vehicle owner, stipulating that a daily charge may accrue if the vehicle is abandoned; if the customer does not claim the vehicle and a financial institution repossesses the vehicle, the car owner will be liable to the financial institution for all costs associated with the vehicle, including the storage fees accrued.
”This can amount to a hefty sum, but these are costs that can be avoided.”
McMaster believes that regular maintenance at the required intervals is one way to reduce the number of abandoned vehicles.
Along with that, he urged car owners to request quotes upfront and to speak to their mechanic about communicating clearly should additional work be required once the vehicle is stripped.
“Use a reputable workshop and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Discuss your options with the mechanic, there will always be a better solution than abandoning your vehicle,” he concluded.
