A victory for Swedish car consumers
The dispute between the SBF (Association of Swedish Car Parts Wholesalers) and Kia Motors has been settled in the Swedish Market Court.
The SBF sued Kia Motors for demanding that service be carried out at authorised KIA workshops to ensure the validity of its seven-year extended new car warranty, which excludes unaffiliated workshops and thereby breaches EU competition rules. To this date Swedish KIA owners could not service their cars in the workshop of their choice during the four to seven-year to maintain the extended warranty period that applies for KIA.
The Market Court approved the SBF’s complaint, thereby dismissing that of KIA Motors.
“This is a victory for Swedish car consumers,” says Håkan Lundstedt, President and CEO of Mekonomen AB.
“EU competition rules are very clear, and form the basis of the Market Court’s decision.”
“Rules were introduced as early as 2003 that unequivocally assert that unaffiliated workshops can perform service on all car makes without affecting the new car warranty. Mekonomen services and repairs all car makes professionally, in accordance with the car manufacturer’s recommendations and using original parts with a three-year warranty.”
“We have now received a crystal-clear ruling on this issue in Sweden, which will benefit individual car consumers – who are free to continue servicing their cars in the workshop of their choice,” says Håkan Lundstedt.
The Swedish Market Court is a specialised court that deals with cases related to the Swedish Competition Act and other marketing legislation. The Court consists of a combination of lawyers with experience as judges plus financial experts, and is composed of one chairman, one vice chairman and five special members who have been appointed by the government.
Read more about EU competition rules:
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/sectors/motor_vehicles/legislation/mv_faq_en.pdf
For further information, please contact:
Håkan Lundstedt, President and CEO of Mekonomen AB, +46 (0) 8-464 00 00
Marcus Larsson, Executive Vice President Mekonomen AB, +46 (0) 8-464 00 00
Mekonomen AB (publ), Corp. Reg. No. 556392-1971 Box 6077, SE-141 06 Kungens Kurva.
Tel: +46 (0)8-464 00 00, Fax: +46 (0)8-464 00 66
Mekonomen makes CarLife easier through a wide and easily accessible range of affordable and innovative solutions and products for consumers and companies. We are the leading spare-parts chain in the Nordic region, with proprietary wholesale operations, more than 400 stores and more than 2,200 workshops operating under the Mekonomen brands.