NMEDA Revises QAP Out-of-Area Rules

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Apr 29, 2014

The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) has revised its Quality Assurance Program (QAP) policies concerning sales, service and dealer locations.

In an April 21 announcement via its Short Circuit newsletter, NMEDA said its board of directors had approved the new rules for working with accessible vehicle customers who live outside a dealer's selling and servicing area.

The organization defines a service area as within 100 miles/160 km or within two hours' drive of a dealer, whichever is shorter.

Under the new rules, "All vehicles outfitted with new warranted mobility products for use by individuals with disabilities must be sold and delivered only in the selling dealer's service area, or in mutual agreement with another NMEDA QAP-accredited facility without crossing international borders, who will serve the client."

When such an agreement between multiple dealers and the customer is made, all parties need to sign NMEDA's Servicing Agreement Form, which was also revised and approved as part of the policy change.

By creating such a service area, NMEDA says it "assumes that customers who purchase a vehicle, adaptive equipment or both will drive the distance for repairs to an NMEDA QAP-accredited facility, and ensures that 24/7 emergency service can be administered on behalf of the customer in a reasonable and timely manner."

A Servicing Agreement Form needs to be signed by the customer if there is no NMEDA dealer within that 100-mile range, or if the dealer who sold the equipment has contacted at least four other NMEDA dealers within the customer's servicing and selling area, but could not find a dealer willing to take on the service responsibilities.

The new NMEDA policies also prohibit NMEDA dealers from promising out-of-area service to a customer unless that service agreement has been established, and require the selling dealer to demonstrate the equipment he/she is selling to the customer and to conduct the necessary customer training.

The new policy can be read in its entirety by clicking HERE.