PANDEMIC PRECAUTION
The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada announced that the 2021 Quebec Grand Forum has been postponed. The event, initially scheduled for December 8, 2021, has been postponed until March 17, 2022, due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 restrictions.
AIA cites concerns abut maintaining social distancing while attending a gathering of this size and said their best course of action is to postpone until social gatherings are under fewer restrictions.
“While we all hope that the pandemic will be under control by December of this year, given the ongoing uncertainty, we decided it was best to postpone the Grand Forum until 2022,” said Patrick Saint-Pierre, Quebec division president of AIA Canada. “This was not a decision we took lightly. However, we felt that for the health and safety of our members and our industry, prudence was the best course of action.”
The Quebec Grand Forum brings together hundreds of aftermarket professionals from across the province to meet, network, and foster valuable conversations. It is open for any aftermarket stakeholders in Quebec to attend and celebrate another year in the industry, while learning from experts and panelists.
RENTAL RETALIATION
A class action lawsuit has been approved by the Quebec Supreme Court against numerous car rental companies for alleged discrimination against drivers under the age of 25.
The suit led by a consumer advocacy group alleges that the car companies charged customers between the ages of 16 to 24 with additional fees because of their age. It also alleges that these customers were charged extra even if they already had their own insurance coverage for the rental vehicle. The lawsuit involves car rental companies such as Enterprise, Alamo, National, Avis, Discount, Hertz and Budget Auto, according to Option consommateurs, a non-profit consumers rights legal organization.
“Younger drivers were already having to pay more to insure their vehicles because of their age,” said Sylvie De Bellefeuille, lawyer, and budget and legal advisor for Option consommateurs, in a news release, adding that “the fees imposed by lessors penalize them a second time.” The group is welcoming drivers aged 16 to 24 who have been affected by these kinds of discriminatory practices since Aug. 16, 2016 to register to receive information on the progress of the case.
