Ford India to begin over-the-counter sales of spares

Ford India has announced to start the over-the-counter (OTC) sales of genuine spares. This makes them join the industry leaders Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata and Mahindra who have been following this route since the last few years.

Ford claims that it has been working towards reducing the cost of ownership of its cars since 2010 when it launched the Figo hatchback. The OTC sale of spare parts is expected to make owning a Ford car a little more convenient. The American manufacturer found that it was little inconvenient for its customers to visit the authorised service centres for work related to the car. This will now enable the customers to take their Ford cars to any independent workshop near his house and get the work done. It is also much cheaper than the authorised service center. 

Also, the Competition Commission of India has found some auto companies guilty of anti-competitive practices by selling spare parts only through authorised dealerships at higher prices rather than the open market. The commission however, has not yet passed an order against any of these companies. This pending order has also played its part in the step taken by Ford.

This comes as a very big relief for the Ford owners. However, Ford dealers are likely to lose out on revenues, but the company has assured that the new launches will keep their showrooms and workshops full.

Source: ACI