NCJ Number
106177
Date Published
1984
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This packet of materials is designed for use by Alaska consumers in arbitrating their claims with General Motors (GM) Corporation concerning defects in powertrains in GM automobiles produced between 1974 and 1983.
Abstract
The materials were developed following the settlement of the Federal Trade Commission's legal action against General Motors. The settlement provides that consumers can present claims in informal hearings and are not limited to the express warranty given by GM. The consumer must initiate the arbitration process and prove that the car is defective. The materials kit explains the history of the settlement, the consumer's rights, eligibility requirements for the arbitration program, and the procedures for signing up. It also advises consumers on how to prepare their stories and what their arguments should be. The use of mediation prior to arbitration is also explained. A separate memorandum to be given to the arbitrator details the problems in GM powertrains and includes a reprint of a magazine article on arbitration. The kit also includes a consent form to be signed by the consumer and authorizing the Better Business Bureau, which operates the arbitration program, to release to the State Attorney General the results of the claim. For related kits focusing on claims involving camshafts and lifters, transmissions, and diesel engines, see NCJ 106175, 106176, and 106178.