This month I would like to touch on a problem regarding fraudulent certification that we are becoming aware of.
June and July are traditionally busy months because many new tender requests for motor vehicle maintenance, repairs, products and services are being issued by tender providers.
One of the prerequisites for a number of these tenders is proof of RMI membership and accreditation. Fortunately, many of these tender providers have the foresight to contact the RMI or one of our associations to confirm the validity of the membership certification and to verify the authenticity of the information submitted.
The fact that many businesses have included this prerequisite in their tender request is definitely a huge benefit and complement to our organisation’s work. However, it is concerning when we discover that fake RMI membership certificates are being used when submitting tender applications.
It is our responsibility to ensure our member database is fully up to date in order for us to verify the membership authenticity and whether the automotive business in question is in good standing. As the economy tightens up even further, we could in all likelihood expect to see more of this fraudulent activity happening.
We believe the most effective way to manage and neutralise the problem is by implementing a proactive educational campaign aimed at our members, fleet operators and consumers alike to highlight the issue and the need to proceed with caution.
We appreciate that the maintenance of the membership database is constantly evolving to accommodate the ongoing churn of new and lapsed members. Please be advised of the issue and do everything possible to ensure we can effectively manage this latest development.
View the August Automobil edition here: Automobil August 2022 (joomag.com)
