NYSACTA LOBBY DAY

Press Release: The New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association, (NYSACTA) held its annual Lobby Day in the State Capitol on May 1. Lobby Day is one day a year where auto body shop owners and managers from all over NY descend on Albany and deliver pre-packaged folders to Assembly members and Senators. This year the focus was over concerns that some insurance companies are violating state regulations by systematically engaging in the use of word tracks aimed at one thing; Bullying consumers into using shops controlled or owned by insurance companies. This practice is blatantly illegal. Illegal steering is causing auto body shops to take serious action. The lobby day participants also distributed a DVD of a local news story highlighting a consumer who fought for his rights against illegal steering.

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10-10-06
The New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association, (NYSACTA) issued a statement today in the wake of completion of an Independent Economic Study for the Auto Body Industry in the State of NY. NYSACTA is challenging all insurance companies to increase the allowance paid to auto body repair shops in NY State. NYSACTA explained that they want insurers to conduct business in the spirit of the NY State Insurance Regulation 64 by "negotiating all elements of a claim, including labor rates fairly and completely," instead of using the current "price suppression tactics," alleged by NYSACTA being used by some insurance companies.

Dear Legislator:

As a consumer and a voter, I do not want the Insurance Companies in New York

State to offer any policy that would restrict or limit my choice of Collision

Repair facilities. I fear if the insurance industry is able to offer this

option, eventually this type of policy will be the only option.

I also believe it is a CONFLICT OF INTEREST for ANY insurance company to have

ANY interest/ownership in a Collision Repair Shop.