The Motor Industry Ombudsman of SA (Miosa), which settles disputes between consumers and the automotive industry, has served as a lifeline for many car owners disgruntled with poor-quality goods or service
The office was established as a voluntary organisation in 2000 but in 2015 was accredited under the Consumer Protection Act , and since then its word has been law in applying the Automotive Industry Code of Conduct.
One of them is automotive supplier Grip-Tech, which is accusing Miosa of charging exorbitant fees that threaten the livelihood of smaller companies. “My company is a small hybrid engineering business with seven staff that makes both automotive security items and nonautomotive products,” he says. In response, motor industry ombudsman Johan van Vreden says Grip-Tech’s fee had increased because it had moved into a different category as per Miosa’s structure. Companies with an annual automotive turnover of less than R3m a year pay about R3,000 a year to belong to Miosa, while those more than R3m pay the higher R46,800 fee, he says.
Reis insists he’s provided the information, but in any case Grip-Tech’s main argument is that the fees are too high for small businesses and threaten their livelihood, as membership of Miosa is compulsory and paying contributions is a legal requirement. Companies found guilty of not paying the Miosa fee could be hit with a R1m fine or 10% of their annual turnover.
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