Missing: Commissioner’s Bulletin B-0028-00
by Jill Tuggle, ABAT Executive Director
The highest goal and priority of an association is to address issues that plague its members, and that is certainly the case for ABAT.
Last year, we saw the insurance companies tighten up a lot on proper reimbursement, and the pricing agreement between GEICO and asTech is an issue we are still navigating as more and more agreements like this roll out.
Fun fact about me: I am OBSESSED with true crime. And (sorry to stereotype my people here) like many other females, I pride myself on being a top-tier armchair detective. That’s why a recent issue that came across my desk has had an absolute GRIP on me. This one is a bona fide mystery.
Recently, I received an email from Yanni Koutmos of Eagle MMS asking me if I could look into something for him. He had a commissioner’s bulletin out of Texas that seems to have been wiped from existence. Written and signed by Commissioner Jose Montemayor on June 9, 2000, bulletin #B-0028-00 essentially states that paint capping is an unfair claims practice, citing article 21.21-2 of the Texas insurance code. It has been used by Texas shops for years to combat paint capping tactics used by insurance companies.
Yanni and I have both spent countless hours in the depths of Wayback Machine (an internet webpage archive) trying to find it with absolutely no luck. My slow communications with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) have only led to more questions, and all accounts of that bulletin number turn up an unrelated bulletin. Other ABAT shops either know of or have used this bulletin as well.
You’ve heard of the Mandela Effect, right? If not, let me tell you it’s fascinating. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the “Mandela Effect is a popularized phenomenon in which a group of people collectively misremember facts, events or other details in a consistent manner.” It is aptly named for its inceptual example: large groups of people falsely remembering the death of Nelson Mandela in the ‘80s or ‘90s. There are so many other examples of this effect that will actually make you question your sanity (go look them up for a bit of confusing amusement). But this bulletin issue can’t be a Mandela Effect because we have a screenshot of it.
So, where did it come from? That’s what TDI would like to know. Where did it go? That’s what ABAT and Eagle MMS would like to know.
Maybe you can help. Have you used this bulletin? Have a copy of it somewhere? Know the source? Best friends with former Commissioner Montemayor? Any leads are appreciated. I refuse to let this case go cold.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION LEADING TO THE CAPTURE OF THIS BULLETIN, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE ABAT INVESTIGATIVE TEAM (it’s just me) at jill@abat.us.
Want more? Check out the February 2025 issue of Texas Automotive!