April 18 , 2002

Malcolm Fox, Senior Producer
W-FIVE, CTV
P.O. Box 9, Station O
Toronto, ON M4A 2M9
Fax (416) 332-7462
E-mail: W-FIVE@ctv.ca

April 18, 2002

Dear Mr. Fox,

W-Five's April 7, 2002 report on allegations of widespread corruption within the Ontario auto body repair industry suffered from many flaws, not the least of which is that it completely ignored the actual situation in Manitoba.

This is particularly offensive because a W-Five researcher was provided with full and complete information about the safeguards and checks and balances built into the Manitoba system. Insult was added to injury by the fact that this same material is also available on our web site - www.mpi.mb.ca.

Manitoba Public Insurance - the corporation that insures more than 800,000 vehicles in Manitoba - and the hundreds of private-sector body shops in this province have worked hard to develop an accreditation system with established standards. In Manitoba we provide customers with written guarantees and we reward auto body shops for their excellence.

W-Five chose to ignore this and provide Canadians with a misleading, Ontario-centric view of the auto repair industry.

For the record - and for the benefit of your viewers -- here are the facts:

  • Every Manitoban is provided with complete information about vehicle repairs, quality standards and a written guarantee. If, at any point they are not satisfied, they have a series of appeal options.
  • Manitoba Public Insurance worked with the Automotive Trades Association and the Manitoba Motor Dealers Association to set up a stringent accreditation program to encourage excellence in both customer service and the quality of repairs. Again though, claimants are free to choose the shop of their choice - accredited or not.
  • The accreditation process also promotes continuous improvement. Last year, Manitoba Public Insurance provided thousands of hours of training to 722 trade technicians.
  • This accreditation program is based on standards set forth by the internationally-recognized Inter-industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR). I-CAR encourages and supports continuing education in the repair trade to ensure that the highest-quality repair and ethical standards are followed. The highest standard any auto body shop can achieve is I-CAR's Gold Class. Of the 586 auto body repair facilities that meet this standard in Canada, 333 are in Manitoba - 57% of the total.
  • Manitoba Public Insurance has a Quality Control Department that can examine claim-related repairs made to any vehicle in Manitoba. If there is any deficiency in the quality of the repairs or the conduct of the repairers, our inspector will ensure the repair shop takes corrective action.
  • There is no preferred shop system in Manitoba. Claimants are welcome to take their vehicles to the auto body repair shop of their choice. That eliminates any incentive for "kickbacks" from the repair trade.
  • New parts are warranted by both the manufacturer and the shop. Recycled parts are warranted by the supplier of these parts. As an additional safeguard, Manitoba Public Insurance also provides a full written warranty to provide additional piece of mind when recycled parts are used.

In Manitoba, both the public-sector auto insurance agency and the private-sector auto body repair industry have embraced a strong and public commitment to quality in standards of repair and business practices. Today's vehicles offer improved protection and safety for drivers and passengers but these can only be maintained through a mutual commitment to implement and live up to high standards that are focussed on the customer.

Your program may deserve good marks for uncovering a situation that should be of concern to the vast majority of honest and ethical people involved in the auto body repair industry across Canada. However, it is shoddy reporting, and borders on the negligent, to present a report that only looked at shops in the general vicinity of W-Five's GTA studios as a blanket "reality" across the country - especially in the face of evidence that says otherwise. It reminds those of us in the hinterland that, once again, some so-called national news programs believe Southern Ontario is Canada and Canada is Southern Ontario.

Sincerely,

Wilf Bedard
Vice-President Claims
Manitoba Public Insurance

© 2002 Manitoba Public Insurance