As a consumer, you have the right to your choice of body shops. However, insurance companies are often guilty of trying to persuade or “steer” you into using one of their “preferred” or “approved” shops. In this article, we are going to discuss WHY insurers prefer you to use certain shops over others, and why you should choose a collision center that is not on one of their preferred lists.
It’s the law. You get your choice of body shops to which you will bring your vehicle for repair. And it’s also the law that insurance companies are not allowed to tell you that you can’t go to a certain shop – or that you must go to their preferred shops. That much is black and white.
What’s a whole lot murkier is the way insurers “work around” these laws. The minute you notify your insurer of an accident, they begin spinning up the rhetoric to motivate you to go the path of least resistance, which (according to them) is to bring your car to any one of their “approved” shops. They will tell you that their preferred shops will perform your repair faster, and in many cases, cheaper than any other shops.
If you ask about a shop that is not on their list, they switch scripts and start telling you that they cannot be responsible for the quality or speed of the repairs. They tell you that you will probably be out of pocket for the repairs because shops not on their list charge too much for parts and labor. Their intent is to cause doubt and confusion about going anywhere but where they want you to go.
Why All the Drama?
Money. It all boils down to money.
You see, all your driving life you’ve paid your insurance premiums on time, every time. That too, is the law. And you’ve been told that your insurer is like a good neighbor, or that you’re in good hands. But the fact of the matter is that when you file a claim, you are assigned a claims adjuster – an employee of the insurance company whose only job is to write an estimate for the repair order, and then adjust it DOWN.
It’s in the insurance company’s best interest to pay the very least for any and all repairs. And that means writing estimates that include aftermarket, salvage, junk parts instead of paying for original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) parts. And those OEM parts are the only ones that fit and perform perfectly on your vehicle.
It probably wouldn’t sound too good for the insurer to tell you that even though you’ve paid full price for your premiums month after month, year after year – they’re going to pinch pennies and cut as many corners (including the safety and quality of your repair) as possible to preserve their profit margins. So, the insurance companies provide you a selection of body shops who will not question the use of substandard parts. And how can they be sure that these shops won’t give them any trouble about using cheap parts? They contractually BIND THEM against it!
That’s right – the insurance companies are in LEGAL PARTNERSHIP with the shops that they “prefer”… and those shops are not allowed to question the corner-cutting estimates written by your “good hands good neighbors”.
What Should You Do?
As mentioned above, you get your choice of body shops. And we strongly believe that they best choice you can make is to choose a shop that will not cut corners on the quality or safety of your vehicle’s repair. Ask the shop right at the beginning: “Will you be using OEM parts during my repair?” Ask them if there will be any aftermarket or salvaged parts used. Insist upon the right repair – not necessarily the cheapest.
An Afterthought
Actually, this should be a BEFORE THOUGHT. Not all insurers are the same. We encourage you to investigate for yourself – before you need to file a claim. There are a few companies that will pay for the right repair every time, because they know it’s the right thing to do. Those insurers may cost you a little more in annul premiums – but the lease of mind they provide should you ever need to file a claim ism ore than worth it. Check out this video by friends of ours to see which insurance companies are getting it right! And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. It’s our pleasure to inform and educate you!
