LYNVALLE Hamilton, president of the Jamaica Used Car Dealers’ Association (JUCDA), said his organisation has retained the services of high-profile attorney-at-law Bert Samuels with regards to the impasse over the recently published ammendments to the Government’s Motor Vehicle Import Policy.

The JUCDA head said the decision was made at an emergency meeting at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston, St Andrew, on Monday.

“The executives of the used-car dealers’ association, along with several top dealers, agreed that we will not accept the policy, which was approved under a false premise. There was no consultation with us on the policy. And we do not embrace the recommendations, as was heralded in parliament,” he said.

According to Hamilton, JUCDA and Government are poles apart on the issues of warranty and who should accept responsibility for motor vehicle year-age discrepancies.

“The policy will hurt consumers,” he told Auto.

“How can we be asked to give a one-year warranty on a four-year-old vehicle? The cost of repairing the parts would increase the price of the vehicles, and ultimately, the consumers would feel it,” he said.

The warranty covers the parts including: engine, transmission, differential, steering gear, drive chain, front end, major electronic components (computers, air conditioning system, general electrical system), and suspension system.

— Brian Bonitto