Smash Repair and Insurance

The Productivity Commission’s inquiry report into ‘Smash Repair and Insurance’, was released on 18 August 2005. The Productivity Commission was asked to review financial and other commercial relationships between the smash repair industry and the insurance industry. Some of the areas the Commission was directed to look into were: the appropriateness and transparency of ‘preferred smash repairer’ criteria; financial relationships between repairers and insurers; consumer choice; and dispute resolution systems. The Commission was asked, where appropriate, to propose recommendations to improve relationships between insurers, repairers and consumers, including possible regulatory approaches. This report contains the findings of the Productivity Commission's public inquiry. In summary, the Commission considers that the Australian Government should facilitate and promote the development and implementation of an industry-wide code of conduct.