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July 2007
  

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Tuesday - July 31, 2007

Monday - July 30, 2007

  • Riding the Winds of Change - AutobodyOnline: In the early 1990s I went to work selling estimating software. At that time, PCs were becoming a necessary fixture for nearly every business. In fact body shops were a bit late in buying PCs and using computer software to run their businesses. To a large degree, change was being forced on shops by insurance companies.
  • 17th Annual Shop Management Software Guide - AutoInc.'s 17th annual "Shop Management Software Guide" gives an overview of the shop management software systems on the market and what features they offer. This year, 32 mechanical software companies and eight collision software companies participated in the survey, which was distributed by e-mail to various shop management software companies in the automotive service industry.
  • ALLDATA Introduces Online Collision Product - ALLDATA LLC has launched its revolutionary online CollisionConnect product containing manufacturers' collision repair information for 2000 and newer model year vehicles. The product also includes full mechanical diagnosis and repair information for an extensive list of American, Asian and European makes and models.
  • Manufacturers, Independent Repairers Question 'Bogus Solution' to Auto Repair Legislation - ASA: The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the American International Automobile Association and the Automotive Service Association cautioned legislators and consumers not to be fooled by the so-called "Right to Repair" legislation.
  • Insurance Legislators Against Repeal of McCarran-Ferguson Act - ASA in Support of Insurance Competition Act
  • Crumple zones’ shock cover-up - The way modern cars are designed means they could hide serious accident damage.  -- That’s because the materials now used to build them are intended to bounce back into shape after an impact – and this can conceal the true effects of a collision. As a result, owners could be driving round in potentially unsafe vehicles desperately in need of a serious repair.
  • Minnesota wife runs truck repair shop for deployed husband - Amy Gibson has come a long way in a very short time.
  • Pricing Increases Abound - In the wake of a number of price increases, most of which take effect Monday, July 30, glassBYTEs.com™/AGRR magazine has compiled all of the previously announced increases into a simple guide here for you.
  • New AEGIS® Website Offers Customers Improved Service - AEGIS® Tools International, Inc. is pleased to announce their newly redesigned website at www.aegistools.com. The improved website features video demonstrations of their patented AEGIS® Glass Handlers and windshield repair systems, the Solo™ windshield setting tool and their scratch removal kit.
  • DURA Automotive and MINTH Group Sign Joint Venture Agreement in China - New company to supply door frames, body-in-white door modules and door pillar cappings to China-based automakers
  • Fiat makes offer for TK Aluminum - Fiat has made an offer to buy TK Aluminum, another of its components suppliers which is in deep financial difficulty and whose failure could disrupt car production at the Italian industrial group.
  • Automotive parts plant to expand - KY: GR Spring & Stamping, which makes springs and other small metal parts for the automotive industry, this week purchased eight acres adjacent to its manufacturing facility on Continental Drive off US 25/421 south of Richmond. -- GR Spring & Stamping enjoys strong demand for its products, “because we have the right customers, BMW, Nissan and Toyota,” he said. “They have not struggled in recent years as the big three U.S. automakers have.”
  • ICI spurns sweetened Akzo bid - Britain's ICI has rejected an improved £7.8 billion ($15.9 billion) takeover proposal from Dutch rival Akzo Nobel, saying the 8 percent increase in the offer price is not enough.
  • 2 of China's Biggest Automakers to Unite - Two of China's biggest domestic car companies have formed a partnership to develop new models amid Chinese efforts to create producers able to compete with global automakers.
  • Renault Probes Alliance With Bajaj Auto - Renault SA of France is talking to Indian automaker Bajaj Auto Ltd. about a possible alliance to manufacture ultra-cheap cars that could sell for US$3,000 or less, both companies said.
  • Toyota, GM tops in Motorists Choice Awards - The awards recognize vehicles that delivered the highest customer satisfaction and the lowest cost of ownership.
  • Small auto dealers pressed - CO: Chrysler Corp. has blocked some smaller dealerships in the state from accessing its used-car auctions, raising fears that it may drop underperforming dealers entirely.
  • Recall Slips Through Cracks - Tiffany Uhland says her Ford F-150 pickup truck was simply parked when it began to burn. She didn't know the vehicle had been recalled.
  • Jury: Ford Owes $6 Million to Fla. Man Paralyzed in Crash - The Ford Motor Co. should pay $6 million to a Florida man who was paralyzed when the Ford Aerostar van he was in rolled over, a jury ruled Wednesday.
  • Sixth defendant admits guilt in Lowell insurance fraud case - MA: A Lowell man became the sixth defendant to admit his role in an insurance fraud ring when he pleaded guilty Thursday to staging a car accident and filing false insurance claims.
  • 4 Arrested In Auto-Insurance Scam - Four Tampa residents were arrested Wednesday in connection with an auto-insurance scheme in which medical clinics reportedly paid patients to receive treatment they didn't need, then billed insurance companies.
  • Justices say insurer must disclose its reserves - Two years after the state Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that Erie Insurance Property and Casualty did not have to disclose its reserves to a woman who accused the insurer of bad faith, the Justices ruled that Erie had to after all.
  • Best Casualty Insurance Provider: USAA - San Antonio-based USAA specializes in insurance coverage for active duty, reserves, National Guard and veteran military members and their families.
  • Farmers Insurance plans Hillsboro call center - OR: Farmers Insurance is opening what initially will be a 550-employee call center in Hillsboro next year because the Washington County labor market is good, a Farmers spokesman said Friday.
  • Legislation could revisit credit scoring issue - NH: Ten years ago, Concord attorney Martin Gross, a lobbyist for the American Insurance Association, urged lawmakers not to restrict insurance companies from the growing practice of using credit information in setting auto and homeowner rates. -- Last year, Gross learned his auto insurance rate was going up by $112, as a result of the very practice he once advocated.
  • So much for progressive insurance companies - CO: Progressive Direct issued a news release earlier this month touting the fact that it was lowering auto insurance rates in Colorado for the seventh time since 2003. -- Of course not every Colorado driver will see a decrease in their premiums — including me. Imagine my surprise when after reading the news release I realized that the company had increased my premium by more than $100 from what it was six months ago.

Friday - July 27, 2007

Thursday - July 26, 2007

Wednesday - July 25, 2007

  • I-CAR releases Fall 2007 Training Schedule - "We are already running into situations where scheduled I-CAR Live classes are sold-out due to high demand. Typically the fall months are some of the busiest months of the year," commented I-CAR Field Operations Manager for North America Jeff Peevy.
  • ASA Supplement Form Created for Collision Division Members - From the Collision Division comes a free, downloadable and customizable supplement form designed for ASA-member collision repair facilities. The form is designed to maximize customer satisfaction by minimizing delays in the repair process, as well as save ASA members time by providing a thorough, standardized supplement form.
  • New Collision Industry Association Releases Ground-Breaking Responsibility Poster - The National Collision Industry Alliance (NCIA) has released a responsibility poster that reminds insurers and repairers of their obligation to write estimates in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. "The simple act of writing an insurance estimate may subject the shop to certain state insurance laws," said NCIA founder Norbert Zaenglein.
  • Shop Estimate Compliance Poster - National Collision Industry Alliance
  • California Warranty Standards Proposed in New Mexico - ASA Opposed to Expansion of Warranties
  • Nationwide Accident Repair says H1 broadly in line; seeking acquisitions - London: Nationwide Accident Repair Services PLC said trading in the first half was broadly in line with expectations and added that it is well positioned for ongoing growth and is in talks with a number of parties on adding bodyshops across the country.
  • Body shop repairs St. Herman's Jeep for free after theft - OH: Towing companies aren't known for making car owners happy. But for one Cleveland monk, a towing company was a godsend. -- Norm Kirchner, manager of St. Clair Auto Body, said he and his wife, Sue, were happy to repair the vehicle without charge.
  • You Don't Have To Be Guilty To Be Hanged - Chris and Carol Ferrante, former collision shop owners in Arizona, have had their lives turned upside down from a lawsuit brought against them on May 11, 2007, in which they had done nothing wrong and yet were completely misidentified as targets of the suit, filed by Infinity Insurance.
  • Fire destroys Central West End auto repair business - St. Louis:  Holding his emotions in check, John Daniels sat on a curb Tuesday afternoon gazing at the burned out yellow-brick shell of what had been his thriving business for more than 50 years, Wicke Auto Service at 453 North Newstead Avenue. -- "It's been my whole life. It's been a great company," said Daniels, 77, who went to work at the auto repair and body shop in 1946 and bought the business in 1956. "Now, it's breaking my heart."
  • Marketing Summit and Conference for Top Shops - Assured Performance Network, the only organization that is truly dedicated to the well-being of the independently owned body shop and does not gouge them with excessive fees and dues, announced today that it is hosting the first Collision Industry Kick-Ass Marketing Summit and Conference in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, September 26 - 28, 2007.
  • AGRSS to Hold Consumer Education Program in Rochester, Minn., August 8 - GlassBYTEs: The AGRSS Council will hold its first-ever consumer educational program in Rochester, Minn., on August 8, in conjunction with the Minnesota Glass Association (MGA), and AGRSS-registered companies Minnesota Glass Co., City Auto Glass, K&M Glass, ABRA Auto Body and Glass and A1 Glass.
  • Manufacturers and dealers unite behind Hill-Terry bill - The nation’s leading trade associations united July 24 to praise the leadership of Representatives Baron Hill (D-Indiana) and Lee Terry (R-Nebraska) in bringing a significant and responsible proposal to increase to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for debate in the House. Representatives from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) joined the Congressmen in a news conference touting the strong support of the Hill-Terry CAFE alternative, H.R. 2927.
  • PAACE AUTOMECHANIKA 2007: Not an Ordinary Trade Show - Last week, many North American automotive aftermarket professionals packed their bags for Mexico City and the annual PAACE Automechanika trade show. The show this year drew more than 550 exhibitors and 19,000 attendees.
  • UTI sells Sacramento site - Universal Technical Institute Inc. has sold its Sacramento campus for $42.7 million and will lease back the space. - The auto-repair school sold its Natomas land and buildings to a subsidiary of investment firm W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, UTI announced Tuesday.
  • Ford Mustang - How To Restore An Interior - We Wrap Up Our '72 Mustang Interior Project With The Final Assembly Of Various Restored, Rebuilt, And New Components
  • A new world of adhesives for your car care needs - Instead of a body shop having an inventory of two or three adhesives, most have an adhesive for each part, each area, and each compound they want to secure.
  • 'Be Car Care Aware' kits are now available - The Car Care Council is making newly updated "Be Car Care Aware" point-of-sale kits available for Fall Car Care Month in October.
  • Deadly, costly and growing: the trade in counterfeit parts - Counterfeit parts can be deadly. Beyond creating financial losses for legitimate manufacturers, the use of counterfeit parts endangers lives and can create a legal morass for trucking companies, parts manufacturers and parts suppliers.
  • Akzo Nobel chief revives ICI bid talk - Hans Wijers, the chief executive of Akzo Nobel, a company that last month made a £7.2bn offer for Imperial Chemical Industries, wants to be "an active consolidator in the industry".
  • Dana, N.J. hedge fund in confidentiality pact - New Jersey hedge fund Appaloosa Management LP has entered into a confidentiality agreement with Dana Corp., perhaps easing a battle between the two firms.
  • Toyota Develops Plug-In Hybrid Car - Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it has developed a plug-in hybrid vehicle for public road tests in Japan and plans tests for the U.S. and Europe. -- Plug-in hybrids, whose batteries can be recharged via a standard wall outlet, are also being developed by other major automakers like U.S.-based General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co.
  • Rx for VW USA - VW is failing badly in the U.S. But does the company understand what its North American customers want?
  • China-designed light trucks to be "made in U.S." - Light trucks designed by ChangAn Automobile Group, China's third largest automaker, will be made in the United States, according to the Shanghai Securities Journal.
  • 9 Stolen Vehicles Recovered In Honduras, Returned To U.S. - Chopper 6 was over the Port of Miami while customs and insurance officials processed the stolen vehicles. -- Authorities said about 90,000 stolen vehicles are recovered from Central and South America every year.
  • Used cars may have non-working air bags - Before you buy a used vehicle you'd be smart to find out if it's been in a crash serious enough for the airbags to deploy. If so, you want to make sure that vehicle has working bags. It might not.
  • Allstate Insurance Company strengthens relationship with customer by enhancing distribution model - Mike Donoghue, President and CEO of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada unveiled the new Allstate Insurance Agency that will be used to sell and distribute Allstate insurance products.
  • Chubb 2Q Profit Up 19 Percent - Property and casualty insurance provider Chubb Corp. said Tuesday its second-quarter profit grew 19 percent and surpassed Wall Street's expectations on strength across its insurance business units.
  • Put Brakes On Car Insurance Rates - Smart Money Magazine On How To Take Advantage Of Declining Premiums
  • Farmers Insurance Continues Commitment to Oregon, Announces Opening of New ServicePoint Center in Hillsboro - Farmers Insurance Group of Companies announced today it is increasing its innovative approach to customer service excellence by opening a new ServicePoint operations Center in Hillsboro, Oregon. ServicePoint is a call center dedicated to providing second-to-none service and care to Farmers agents and their customers.

Tuesday - July 24, 2007

Monday - July 23, 2007

  • Area men aid businesses in New Orleans - Mexico, MO: In addition to his duties as proprietor of  Ben's Auto Body, Steinman is also president of the Missouri/Kansas chapter of the Automotive Services Association. As chapter president, he helped coordinate donation of various automotive repair tools from the local chapter to ASA members in New Orleans, especially the hard-hit St. Bernard Parish. -- "I guess it was kind of basically one ASA member hollering out for help from another state, and getting a response," concluded Steinman.
  • Are Aftermarket Parts Important To Your Survival? - AutobodyOnline: Recent patent infringement decisions have become a real threat to the survival of the aftermarket parts distributors. In one of the scariest times in the history of their industry distributors can clearly see that if they are not able to prevail in their attempt get congress to change antiquated design patent laws they will all be out of business.
  • Society of Collision Repair Specialists - June 2007 Newsletter
  • NACE 2007 Conference Program to feature 39 new sessions - The 25th annual International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) 2007 will feature a Conference Program that provides a comprehensive compilation of sessions, speakers and topics designed to address the needs of today’s collision repair professional.
  • Support Growing for New Senate Global Warming Bill - ASA: A new global warming bill, the "Low Carbon Economy Act," was introduced in the Senate July 11 by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. Comparable to other pending Senate bills, it would place a ceiling on greenhouse gas emissions while allowing businesses to trade emission allowances.
  • Let's Work Together to Enhance the Image of Our Great Industry - ASA President Blog: Just as new car dealers have different needs than new car manufacturers, independent repairers have different needs than manufacturers and distributors. It's time to increase communications efforts in our industry to better serve consumers.
  • AAA jump-starts its drive into the car repair business - AAA of Western and Central New York is planning to open a car repair service in a dilapidated and vacant building on Eggert Road, giving a new choice to consumers that could also compete with independent repair businesses now endorsed by the auto group.
  • 593 shops sign up for new program - ST. LOUIS — Nearly 600 auto repair shops have signed up so far to conduct emissions and safety tests under a new program that begins in September.
  • College revs up courses for trades - CA: American River offers auto body, diesel repair at Mather site. -- Donald Joe, longtime owner of a south Sacramento auto body shop, is the professor for the collision repair program.
  • Rick Bottom is the tops when it comes to car customizing - Many people know Rick Bottom as the guy with Rad-Crete Concrete Foundations who also customizes automobiles on the side. What they may not know is how he has garnered national and international headlines as one of the top automotive customizers in the aftermarket industry.
  • This guy pimps your ride - He started by installing car stereos as a kid, and has graduated into $200,000 custom jobs
  • Car lovers go custom crazy - NC: Some people long for their dream house. -- Others, a chrome dream on wheels with lots of extras. -- Despite the extra expense, lots of them are doing it, too.
  • Direct link to Thatcham methods for AudaEnterprise Gold users - UK: Thatcham’s escribe subscribers now have direct access to Thatcham’s model specific repair methods, through a link within Audatex’ new AudaEnterprise Gold estimating system.
  • High Deductibles on Rise in Canada - GlassBYTEs: Many Canadians are taking higher deductibles on their auto insurance, leading to a drop in insurance work for glass shops, according to those interviewed by glassBYTEs.com/AGRR magazine.
  • Akzo Nobel announces management changes - Akzo Nobel has announced that Jo Lennartz (57) will become the company's new Director of Technology. Two further management changes resulting from his appointment have also been confirmed.
  • PPG glass plant's future remains unclear - PPG Industries Inc. workers at the automotive glass plant in East Deer will have to wait another month or so before learning the fate of the facility, officials said Thursday.
  • Guardian Opens Plymouth Twp. Distribution Site - Guardian Automotive is opening a new windshield distribution center in Plymouth Township in September as the parts supplier expands its aftermarket business.
  • Auto Parts Affiliate Program Launches at ActionSalvage.com - ActionSalvage.com's affiliate program is now available on Share-A-Sale. Action Salvage has used and rebuilt engines and used and aftermarket auto & truck parts and online marketers are now able to participate by joining Action Salvage's affiliate program.
  • Copart to Acquire Century Salvage Sales Limited - Copart, Inc. Friday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Century Salvage Sales Limited, a vehicle salvage disposal company with three facilities located in the United Kingdom. This acquisition will bring the number of salvage facilities in the United Kingdom to 10 and the number of facilities worldwide to 134. The transaction is expected to close on August 1, 2007.
  • Volkswagen to develop new car with Shanghai jv - Volkswagen Group said it has signed an agreement with one of its China joint ventures, Shanghai Volkswagen, to jointly develop a new car as a replacement model for its Passat brand.
  • Crucial GM talks officially begin Monday - Serious concessions a must from UAW, analysts say
  • Mitsubishi Motors, Honda recall minicars for defective parts; all sold in Japan - TOKYO: Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is recalling more than 240,000 minicars for defective parts, and Honda Motor Co. separately is recalling almost 130,000 small cars, officials said Thursday. The models recalled were all sold in Japan.
  • Small-business owners join President Bush in health care roundtable - Two members of the National Federation of Independent Business joined President George W. Bush for a roundtable discussion focusing on affordable health insurance initiatives, which is a key concern in the collision repair industry.
  • Small businesses need reforms in insurance - It isn't easy to run a small business in New York. Competition is stiff, and costs are high.
  • State Farm Reinvests in SkillsUSA - Collision-Insight: In the interest of maintaining a workforce with the skills needed to repair homes and vehicles, State Farm has maintained its support of SkillsUSA. In addition to a $100,000 contribution, the insurer is providing hundreds of hours in time donated by employee volunteers.
  • State Farm sues for damage caused by road work - The fallout from a botched 2002 road construction job on M-45 between 68th Avenue and U.S. 31 in Ottawa County that left hundreds of cars and trucks damaged from flying stones continues. -- State Farm is trying to recoup $370,000 in paid claims through a lawsuit against Highway Maintenance Construction Co.

Friday - July 20, 2007

Thursday - July 19, 2007

  • Texas Mutual, Frost Insurance Launch Auto Repair Purchasing Group - The Texas Auto Repair group is open to qualifying tire sales centers, general auto repair facilities, lube centers, auto parts stores and body, brake repair, automotive machine and radiator shops. Members retain their own experience modifier and earn a discount based on the group's premium volume, regardless of their individual premium size.
  • DRPs, Here We Come? - Starting our DRP involvement with a small insurance company at first seemed like a good idea.
  • Perfect Paint Basics, Part 2 - House of Kolor and Scotty's Body Shop show us how to achieve a brilliant finish.
  • How to Add Stripes to Your Vintage Ford - During the '68 model year, Ford offered an exterior C-stripe as part ofthe GT and Sprint equipment packages that accented the sweeping designof the side-body sculpture.
  • Environment and Public Works Committee Reviews Ozone Standards - ASA: EPA Faces Criticism Over Smog Rules
  • Car Refinishes site receives coveted quality award - One of Akzo Nobel’s Car Refinishes facilities in Mexico has been presented with a highly prestigious award in recognition of its continued commitment to operational excellence.
  • PPG Scratch Resistant Clearcoats - The Future Looks Bright (and Glossy)
  • Keystone Shareholders Deserve Much More In LKQ Corp. Buyout - The deal seems too good!
  • Weichai, Norstar May Gain as Ford, Nissan Buy Chinese Car Parts - As wealthy Chinese clog Beijing and Shanghai's roads with new cars, the best place for investors to profit from the country's automobile boom may be Hong Kong.
  • ACI Instates Price Increase, Effective July 30 - GlassBYTEs: ACI Distribution will implement an auto glass price increase effective with orders placed July 30th. The increase will be 4% on windshields, and 7% on tempered parts.
  • Industry Reacts to Price Increases - GlassBYTEs: In the wake of announcements of price increases by one manufacturer, Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries, and two distributors-Hayward, Calif.-based Mygrant Glass and Memphis, Tenn.-based ACI Distribution, a subsidiary of Vitro America Inc.-auto glass shops and insurers must contemplate how to deal with the increases.
  • SCTC auto program receives certification - PA: The Somerset County Technology Center has received national certification for its automotive technology program. -- The school was certified by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) in June.
  • Dow Automotive IMPAXX On New Smart Fortwo - IMPAXX properties include superior crash performance at a cost effective price, and the product meets DaimlerChrysler’s specific requirements for the smart fortwo, which include providing occupant safety and comfort in up to 40 percent less packaging space.
  • Delphi Accepts New Plan For $2.55 Billion Investment - Automotive-parts manufacturer Delphi Corp. said Wednesday it reached a new $2.55 billion investment agreement with a group led by hedge fund Appaloosa Management LP, a move that replaces a previous $3.4 billion plan and keeps Delphi on track to exit from Chapter 11 by the end of the year.
  • CAFE has auto suppliers jittery - Auto suppliers in West Michigan are not waiting for Congress to pass tougher efficiency standards for the U.S. auto industry. -- They already are shifting gears to ferret out excess heft in their parts to help automakers build lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. And at least one West Michigan analyst is anxious over the looming change.
  • Car parts group Faurecia has smaller H1 loss - French car parts group Faurecia reported a smaller first-half loss than a year ago but its operating margin weakened to one percent and it said sales growth in the second half would be less than in the first.
  • Copart Announces Retirement and Management Changes - Copart, Inc. today announced that effective December 31, 2007, James E. Meeks, the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer will retire. Effective August 1, 2007, Mr. Meeks will relinquish his operational responsibilities but will remain with the Company in an advisory capacity until his retirement. Mr. Meeks will also continue as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
  • Toyota to Unveil Hot Trifecta at SEMA 2007: Spy Report - The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas was once just a week when we learned about the latest aftermarket parts.
  • Chrysler scraps plans for Imperial luxury car - Chrysler said Tuesday it has pulled the plug on planned production of what would have been its largest and heaviest luxury car because of expected increases in U.S. fuel efficiency standards.
  • Ford to receive bids for Jaguar, Rover: reports - The Ford Motor Company is expected to receive opening bids on Thursday for its Jaguar and Land Rover brands from a number of companies including private equity firms and other automakers, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing people with direct knowledge of the situation.
  • Quake Halts Japan Auto Production - An earthquake that killed at least 10 people and ravaged a nuclear plant also caused damage at one of Japan's major auto parts suppliers, forcing the country's top car makers to halt production for the next few days.
  • GM recalls Aveo cars in UAE over fuel-line defect - General Motors  recalled about 1,500 of its Chevrolet Aveo sedan cars in the United Arab Emirates because of a fault that may cause the fuel line to crack in a head-on collision, a distributor said on Thursday.
  • China says alleged faulty tires up to U.S. standards - China's quality watchdog has put its weight behind domestic tyre-manufacturer Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd, which has been accused of exporting faulty tires to the United States, insisting that they met U.S. safety standards.
  • US regulators missed tire defect - U.S. regulators missed an early warning of defects that sparked a recall of 442,000 Chinese-made tires, safety advocates said.
  • Monticello man convicted of wire fraud sentenced - IL A Monticello man convicted of federal wire fraud charges was sentenced Tuesday as a result false statements and use of money in a collision repair business.
  • Thieves target an automotive pot of gold - OR: Theft of catalytic converters, while widespread in California, has been sporadic in Washington County. But that seems to be changing.
  • Summer is prime time for car thieves - Vehicle theft is a huge problem in this country. Despite a variety of improved anti-theft devices, more than 1.2 million cars and trucks – worth more than $7.6 billion – are stolen each year. That means a car, SUV, or light truck is stolen every 25.5 seconds, according to the 2005 data (the last year for which figures are available).
  • Protect Yourself From the Staged Accident Underworld - Unfortunately, people are injured and sometimes killed every day in automobile accidents. But at the same time American culture has been infiltrated by a group of accident racketeers who take advantage of innocent motorists and the insurance industry.
  • Allstate posts higher quarterly net but misses view - Allstate Corp., the largest publicly traded home insurer in the United States, said on Wednesday that net earnings rose 16 percent in the second quarter, helped by increased auto insurance sales, but it missed analyst estimates for operating earnings by four cents a share.
  • Safeco Announces New Sale Regions, Field Leadership - The company plans to name leaders for the other regions in the coming weeks.
  • Commerce accepts plan - The state’s largest automobile insurer said yesterday it was ready to compete in the “brave new world” of managed competition even as regulators and consumer advocates cautioned the new framework unveiled Monday may raise automobile insurance rates for some consumers and still not entice national insurers to do business in Massachusetts.
  • PIA's Auerbach to Present at NCOIL Panel - Kenneth R. Auerbach, Esq., Vice President/Treasurer of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA), will participate in a panel discussion hosted by the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) July 21, 2007 in Seattle, Washington.
  • Allstate Ripped by Consumer Group - A consumer group on Wednesday accused Allstate Corp. of excessively raising home and auto insurance rates and using questionable practices to settle claims.
  • New Study Cites Allstate As A Leader In Anti-Consumer Insurance Practices - The Consumer Federation of America report
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Wednesday - July 18, 2007