Toronto, Ontario — Concerns are being raised over customer information from Mitchell International potentially making its way to CARFAX. The Society of Collision Repair Specialists has begun testing to try and uncover how information related to a collision repair is reaching CARFAX. The issue arose after multiple customers became upset that the company had information on their vehicle of estimates written by Mitchell International specifically.
Mitchell International claims they do not share information with CARFAX yet somehow the company still manages to get information from Mitchell estimates. It’s not just estimates for vehicles that are repaired getting out but also estimates that are never followed through with a repair. CARFAX is still yet to comment publicly on the situation.
On the CARFAX website it states that collision repair facilities are its date sources for accident indicators, structural/frame damage and collision repair history. It also says that service/maintenance facilities provide records on dates and services offered. As well as automotive recyclers shared data on recycled parts that were requested for repair. It also says that CARFAX might info on major repair and maintenance history from extended warranty companies and service maintenance history from automakers. CARFAX also says that insurers give them total loss or stolen-vehicle data.
The Collision Industry Conference Vehicle Data Access, Privacy & Security Committee proposed five “Golden Rules” to try and keep auto body repair information from unwanted sources. The rules could aim to be best practices stated expectation of what end users can expect of their vendor partners.
The draft “Golden Rules” presented by Committee Co-Chairman Trent Tinsley state:
#1: Only use end-users’ data for the service(s) they intended for it to be used; never collect or use their data against them, or for business purposes other than those expressly intended and permitted.
#2: Always provide the end-user clarity, transparency, and continuing education on the data you collect, the business purposes for which it is being used.
#3: Never misappropriate end users’ data, or knowingly allow any third parties to covertly, dishonestly or unfairly access or take data generated by the end-user, for their own use.
#4: Give end-users the choice to determine what data is and isn’t shared, and the opportunity to opt-out of data collection outside of the primary intended purpose.
#5: Provide end-users with a clearly published, straightforward process to inquire about data that has been acquired from their business and the immediate chain of custody that data has encountered. (Minor formatting edits.)
In the meantime the Society of Collision Repair Specialists says it will continue to look into how collision repair info is reaching CARFAX.
