On June 12, AOCA member Jay Rosenthal, vice president of New Jersey Lubrication, testified before the New Jersey Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee in support of A2612, an Act requiring Magnuson Moss Warranty Act (MMWA) disclosure to new car buyers. Rosenthal impressed upon the Committee that the “2016 AOCA New Jersey Customer Warranty Rights Survey” demonstrates the only way to stop automakers and dealerships from tying warranty coverage to branded products and services is to empower consumers with knowledge of their MMWA rights through a mandatory measure like A2612.
Rosenthal said during his testimony, “[We surveyed] customers who had been told they were required to use OEM parts and/or services to maintain warranty coverage. This isn’t easy information to obtain, because many people are afraid to risk calling out a powerful company on bad behavior. Within a mere month, however, 58 customers came forward to tell their stories. Ninety-one percent of respondents did not know about their MMWA rights before they took the survey. Sixty-five percent of them were told by an automobile dealership employee that they were required to use OEM parts and/or service to maintain warranty coverage.”
The Consumer Protection Committee passed A2612 that afternoon.
About the experience, Rosenthal said, “It wasn’t daunting or overwhelming. With the support of AOCA, it was empowering. The legislators were very interested in what we had to say.”
AOCA member Tom Rodolico of Egg Harbor Lubrication also participated at the Committee hearing.
