Are your manager, and F&I AFIP trained?

With the lawsuits in our industry, we must all be concerned about our exposure. If you have not had legal issues, I assure you they can be quite costly even if you prevail. While it is terrible to even consider, dealer principals, and corporate leaders must find a way to distance your company from the consequences of a poor leader.

With AFIP training, you can show due diligence in ensuring your mangement personnel know the proper and legal means of all disclosures. Failure to then properly disclose would be placed on the employee, and may mitigate your exposure in legal confrontation.

I look back at my military training and the example of "What is the difference between accountability, and responsibilty?" Quite simply, we are responsible for our own actions, and accountable for the actions of those under our charge. Protect yourselves my freinds. The cost of AFIP certifying your management will be negligible compared to a legal defense.

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Permalink Reply by Scott Donaldson on January 25, 2011 at 9:45pm

I was an AFIP Trainer for several years. I believe that AFIP Certification should be a requirement on behalf of the dealer for employment in the Finance office. Ignorance in the Finance Department will get a dealer in just as much trouble as someone that is unethical or dishonest.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Linkonis Sr on January 26, 2011 at 2:02pm

This is an interesting discussion. As a Senior Certified AFIP professional, I am quite proud of my accomplishment - not just because the exams are hard as hell. It felt like college all over again.

It is true that an AFIP certified F&I office doesn't bullet-proof the dealership. But it goes a long way toward proving a 'bona fide error defense' in the event of a lawsuit.

If a dealer was faced with a choice of having or not having an entirely AFIP certified F&I office - and AFIP certification was 100% free - who would not choose the extra peace of mind?

AFIP certification does not in itself weed out any unethical F&I managers, but it helps identify character flaws. If they roll their eyes at the the ethics module, do you really want them sitting in the F&I chair?

I do agree that AFIP needs to reface or modernize their certification product in some way. They also have a fantastic Red Flags Rule turn-key program from what I have seen.