Authorised repairer cannot be qualified as a subcontractor

In order to resolve the discrepancy between the decisions rendered by the adorementioned chambers, the 9^th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation made the following determinations and decided that the relationship between the supplier company and the authorised repairer is not a subcontractor relationship and that the supplier company is not liable for the employment debts of the authorised repairer.

DETERMINATIONS MADE BY THE 9^th CIVIL CHAMBER

It is a requirement of the authorised service agreement that:

• spare parts are provided by the supplier,
• the supplier regularly inspects the authorised repairer,
• the supplier provides training to the employees of the authorised repairer,
• the diagnostic devices belong to the supplier,
• the supplier intervenes in changes in the share structure of the authorised service, and that only the maintenance and repair of vehicles belonging to the supplier are carried out at the workplace.

These are natural arrangements made to protect the brand of the supplier and to ensure its sustainability; they are not dufficient for the relationship to be considered a subcontracting relationship.

The fact that:

• the rent of the workplace operated as service is paid by the authorised repairer,
• the authorised repairer acts on its own behalf and with its own accounts (with its own profit and loss),
• the maintenance and repair service are acrried out at the workplace of Authorised Repairer and within the scope of the independent business organisation of the authorised repairer,
• the supplier does not give orders and instructions to the employees of the authorised repairer,

prevent the relationship between the supplier and the authorised repairer from being considered as a subcontractor relationship.