Why Should I join the Oklahoma Independent Automobile Dealers Association (OIADA)? What Can OIADA Do For Me?

Those are questions that we often get when we invite dealers to join OIADA. Well, you can take a look at the Legislative Wrap-up under the Legislation button of this web page to see that our efforts in that area alone have saved you a lot of headaches, if not your business.

You automatically become a member of NIADA, the Independent Automobile Dealers' National Association, with all the benefits that derive from that membership.

But that's just a beginning

Membership is only $295 per year

Additional Benefits

An example of a different kind of member benefit that is provided to every OIADA member is an easy way for each dealership to comply with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Privacy Act. We provide each member with detailed instructions and examples on how to comply with the Act. Available also is a Privacy Policy document easily adaptable to any dealership and the required "Opt Out" form that makes it easy to comply.

Here is another example of a current benefit that will help every OIADA dealer member in the state. Our staff makes it easy for every dealer to comply with the President's Executive Order requiring dealers to check their customer's names against the government's list of known terrorists. We have a link to that list on this web site,www.e-OIADA.com under the "blocked persons" button (The OFAC factor). In addition, we provide each member with complete directions on how to implement the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Safeguards Rules that every dealer is required to comply with. To make it even easier, the Safeguards Rule packet also contains compliance templates so that all you need do is read the information to determine that your procedures for protection of privacy information conform to the templates, fill in the blanks and put the procedures into effect.

Keith Whann, Legal Counsel for NIADA, our National Association, and the OIADA staff have thoroughly researched dealership requirements regarding the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Privacy Act, the President's Executive Order 13224, the U.S.A. Patriot Act and other federal consumer protection legislation. The package that each member gets free of charge provides you with the easiest, most effective way that we can devise for you to comply with these laws. We suggest that you put these documents in a three ring binder labeled "Safeguards Procedures" and train your staff to follow these procedures. This package is made available free of charge to any dealer joining OIADA.

OIADA members can rest easier because of another benefit that came your way related to "50/50" type warranties. The Pennsylvania Attorney General made an interpretation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act that said the use of 50/50 type warranties violate the "tying" provisions of the Act. As a result, numerous lawsuits against dealerships were pending across the Country challenging the offering of 50/50 (or similar type) used vehicle limited warranties where the dealership required the warranty repairs be made at a repair facility designated by the dealer. Keith Whann, on behalf of NIADA members, requested an interpretation of the Act and the FTC Used Car Rule from the Federal Trade Commission itself. The essence of the letter that he received back from Secretary Donald F. Clark was as follows: "It is the Commission's view that neither the Act nor the interpretations prohibit such warranty terms."

Had the Attorney General's interpretation not been challenged and had those lawsuits continued, every dealer in the country who had offered such warranties would have faced the prospect of refunding all the repair costs that had been paid by their customers on such warranties, plus paying the customers' attorney fees. This is an unsung benefit that every dealer should know about and should know that it came as a result of the existence of the Association.

Another benefit that is available to you through this web site is the link to IndependentDealer.com where dealers go for answers. This is an invaluable site to help you keep abreast of the latest changes in federal requirements for dealers. A new website that answers questions that dealers have posed is keithwhann.com. Feel free to visit both these websites.

I could go on and on, but the point I want to make is that EVERY dealer should belong to OIADA. Membership in OIADA automatically makes you a member of NIADA. There simply is not a good reason not to support your Association and receive the benefits. The auctions believe so strongly in association benefits that they even go so far as to offer, in the form of buy/sell coupons, much more than your $295 membership fee in return.

It costs to join - But it pays to belong! Just ask any dealer who is a member.

JOIN OIADA NOW!!