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Frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about Insurance Pay Repairs:
The following are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for Insurance Pay Repairs at Rod Shop Auto Body Repair & Painting in Stuart, Florida. Be sure to also see the FAQ's asked questions of General interest for FAQ's asked of General Interest. At one time or another you will want answers to the following questions. Most of the time events are unfolding too fast for most people to act. We know you have had these questions and that is why we will try to answer them for you here. However, if you are like most you are just unaware of your rights. Please do not be afraid to ask us a question. We want you to be able to make an informed decision when choosing a Repair or Body Shop. We want you as our customer! 1. What should I do after an accident? 4. What is the difference between a claimant and an insured or 1st party and 3rd party? 5. What if the insurance company wants me to use another shop or attempts to steer me to a shop? 7. Can the insurance company force me to go to their claims center for an estimate? 8. What if the insurance company is avoiding me or refuses to pay? 10. Who pays the difference between all these different estimates? 11. What will my responsibility be and how much will I be expected to pay? What should I do after an accident? The number one most important thing to do is protect yourself and others from future injury! Many, not so serious accidents turn into MAJOR accidents. The injury you suffer could be a life threatening one or it could a costly one due to a simple mistake. But, the most common injuries occur when you simply do not know your rights.
1. Protect yourself, others and your property from further damage. Get off the road. Stand away from the vehicles. Be aware of possible dangers from passing traffic. 2. Do not apologize or admit guilt of any kind to anyone. 3. Get the name of the other driver, his phone number and other contact information. Get his license plate number, insurance information, drivers license number. 4. Note the location, time & date of the accident, environmental conditions and anyone else who may have seen it or been involved. Take a photo or two. 5. Call the Police every time. Never get involved in any accident without calling the police. Have the officer complete at the vary least an exchange of information form. Note if a ticket or warning is written and to whom. Insist upon the officer that he place blame, write a ticket or at least indicate which driver was at fault. Hopefully it is not you. 6. If your car needs to be towed, have it towed to our shop or one that you trust. Be sure you know where your car is being towed! Towing of a wrecked car is exactly where all the mess starts. Of course there are exceptions but as a rule you should not accept any referrals from a police officer or tow truck driver as to where you should have your car towed. These people often get kick backs paid to them for sending suckers to shops who pay the kick back. If your car is being towed to a location other than the shop you prefer, be sure NOT to authorize repairs. Even better be sure that the manager of the location, shop or yard fully understands that you DO NOT want any repairs authorized. This is important to you and your insurance company because as the law is written if your car is "towed in" the customer need not authorize repairs in writing. Damage often times is inflicted on cars in storage yards and at dishonest shops when the car arrives on the hook to inflate the cost of repairs and profits to that shop. Have your car taken to shop you trust. They will most likely look out for your interests. 6. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible but not until you have a chance to calm down in order to report the claim. Never do this from the accident scene. It is ok to wait a few hours. Perhaps you think that you would rather talk to your agent... Your agent 9 times out of 10 has no idea what to do. Hopefully, if you ask for help from your "insurance salesman" he guide you in the correct direction. Keep in mind that insurance agents are really just salesman. They are not trained in dealing with claims. But, occasionally an agent can be of great help. The phone number to call if you have had an accident is usually on your insurance card. Get your information together and have it ready for processing by the insurance company clerk. Again do not admit guilt. You will need your policy number and other personal information. You will also need some specifics about the accident and the other driver. If asked or questioned be sure to say exactly where you want to have your car repaired. If you are unsure where you want your car repaired be sure say that you do not know where you are having your car repaired. Do not decide on a repair shop based upon insurance company referral alone. The insurance company will try to steer you to a shop that they have a prearranged understanding with. Do not fall into this trap. 7. Get in touch with the repair shop of YOUR choice and have the manager get your car towed to his shop as soon as possible. Be sure to provide the shop manager with as much information as possible, claim numbers, names etc. Also be sure the insurance company knows where your car is located.
NO, you do not need to even get one estimate. All you really have to do is choose a repairer, take your car there and sign all the proper Repair Authorizations required by state law.
Do not be fooled, do not waste your time. Your insurance company might ask you get one, two or even three estimates so they can pay you the lowest amount. The truth be told, 99% of the estimates written for customers are written as low ball as possible.
Even after you do all the work getting estimates and driving all over town the insurance will almost always send out an appraiser to write yet another even lower estimate from which to pay you. Of course the insurance companies involved have the right to inspect the automobile in order to complete their own estimates. You should know that most estimates written on drivable automobiles are inaccurate, incomplete and usually only contain a fraction of what really needs to be done.
Keep in mind that insurance companies sell insurance, period. They do not repair cars. Your insurance company is there to protect you from others. The only reason an insurance company even needs an estimate is to have documentation of the loss. An adjusters job is to see that the contract (your insurance policy) is complied with. Complied with so the insurance company does not pay you for something it shouldn't or is not liable for.
Automobiles are very complex and the estimating language used is also complex. It is IMPOSSIBLE for a consumer to fully understand or be able to translate the body of a collision repair estimate into anything that makes sense apart from the bottom line figure.
The shop should complete its own estimate from which the you and the shop can negotiate with the insurance company. Often times it is necessary to disassemble the vehicle to accurately estimate the cost of repair. The estimate that the repairer writes is important because it is the blue print from which the actual repair will be performed.
Pick a shop you trust and let that shop write its own estimate. Then you and the shop can work together in negotiating with the insurance company's. The shop will most often ask for and get everything it needs to repair your car correctly. The shop does not own the policy. You do. The shop has no right to accept payments from an insurance company for your loss.
Often times a shop that participates in an insurance company DRP ( Direct Repair Program) is required to give discounted rates and kickbacks to the insurance company. They do this in exchange for the referrals the insurance co. makes to the shop. This is wrong because if any discounts or cash rebates are to be given they should be given back to the consumer. The discounts does not belong to the insurance co. It belongs to you the policy holder or claimant. See below "What if my insurance company want me to use another shop".
NO! It will be close. Things are never the same. Do not let someone fool you into believing that your car will be same or better than it was. Repairers have been attempting to perform repairs to "Pre-accident" condition forever. It simply is not possible. But, it is possible to perform repairs to "As close as humanly possible". When you find a repair shop that will be honest in making the above statement then you might have found one that will honestly repair you automobile.
What is the difference between a claimant and an insured, or 1st party & 3rd party? Who was at fault you or the other guy? Are you going through your company? These are questions you might have to answer. Generally if it was the other drivers fault you would be the claimant, provided you are going through the other drivers insurance company. If we are talking about your insurance company then you are the insured. The claimant is usually referred to as the one who is claiming a loss. When your loss is being claimed against the other insurance company you are a claimant. But of course you could be claiming against your own policy in this case you would be both claimant and insured.
The Insured is usually referred to as the one who is claiming against his own insurance company, also known as a 1st party claim. If you are claiming against the other insurance co. then it is called a 3rd party claim.
Dealing with your insurance company has its advantages and disadvantages. You will have the benefit of your policy or contract of insurance you purchased from your insurance company. The downside is that you will be required to pay your deductible and your company may even charge you higher rates or even cancel your coverage when renewal time comes up. And, the policy you purchased just may not be that great. Your policy may require that you accept used, junkyard or imitation, aftermarket parts. Your policy might even state that you must do something just to save the insurance company money.
If the accident was NOT your fault and you process your claim through your own insurance company and pay your deductible you WILL get the amount you paid back once your company gets reimbursed from the company at fault. Your insurance company would have to subrogate the claim or go after the other insurance company for your expenses. Or you might sue the person at fault for your deductible and all other charges your insurance company does not pay for. In any case you will need to fight to get your deductible back.
Going through the other insurance company, the one that is at fault, or making a 3rd party claim, means you will not have to pay your deductible. But, you must keep in mind the other persons insurance company owes you nothing until that person they insure has been proven to be at fault. Insurance company's are supposed to protect its insured. The other insurance company owes you nothing until that company accepts liability. They might drag their feet, loose your paperwork or just be of such poor quality that there is no way any claims are ever covered or paid out without a fight.. Who knows your own company may not be any better. They might try and force you to use a shop they prefer. Their job is to protect their insured. They might even deny liability. However, going through the persons insurance carrier is an accepted practice and it happens more often than not. The advantage is that once the other company accepts liability they owe for damages up to the limits of the policy.
It is important that blame is placed upon the correct person at the accident scene and that the police have made a report. It helps when someone is written a citation for the accident.
Your company would be in your corner fighting for your rights and getting everything you deserve. You would hope... Go with them when the other persons company attempts to block your claim or if they deny liability. If the other driver is in fact at fault your company can even get your car rental costs, lost wages etc back from the other company if you ask and provide the documents they request. And are persistent. When you use your own insurance you will pay your deductible and get your car fixed as per your insurance policy.
Providing that if you choose to pursue the resources of the other driver or the other insurance company you may need to be somewhat more patient and certainly more firm in your stance. The other insurance company will often times not want to treat you fairly and will often times say they do not pay for this or that and otherwise just be uncooperative. You may need to bypass that insurance company and deal directly with the driver or owner of the other vehicle by threatening to sue. It can be in your advantage to draft a simple letter or have an attorney do it for you and threaten to sue the other driver or owner. Often times this is what is needed to get the attention of an insurance company.
What if the insurance company wants me to use another shop or attempts to steer me to a shop?
It is your choice who repairs your car.
You make the decision. Insist on having the repairs completed at the shop of your choice. If you have not selected a shop yet say so and inform the representative that you will let them know when and where you have decided to have your car repaired. Its ok to take recommendations from them, just do not let them be your only guiding force. The first rule in any negotiation is not to give the other party an advantage. Stand your ground.
The insurance company should never approach you with a referral to a repair shop until you have first asked for advise. In fact, legally an insurance company should never make a referral unless you have asked first.
If an insurance representative understands that you have made a choice and decided where you are having your car repaired they should refrain from making anymore statements. However it should be noted that they will often make statements that the shop you have selected is difficult to work with or un-cooperative. Or, that shop does not guarantee its work. Or that the insurance company can not guarantee the work done at the shop... Insurance company's do not guarantee repair work done at any shop... they can not even guarantee the work done at the shop they might refer you to.
Insurance company's want to refer customers to preferred or DRP shops for a number of reasons. Many of those reasons look to appear worthy... at least on the surface. However, the reasons usually have nothing to do with customer service. The reasons insurance company's refer, direct or steer you to a preferred shop has little to do with customer service or high levels of satisfaction. It does not have anything to do with protecting you from bad, inexperienced, un-cooperative, and fraudulent repairers. It has everything to do with saving the insurance company money at your expense.
Simply put, the insurance company's want to send you to the shop of their choice for many reasons. DRP shops will agree to work for a discounted rate or perform certain repairs for a predetermined fee. Or to not perform certain repairs at all. Or, to perform certain repairs in a way in which many reputable shops will not. Many shops take on the added responsibility of being that insurance company's claims department. Doing claims processing and writing low ball estimates for little or no profit. Most of these shops offer free towing and storage. They also give the insurance company discounts and special rates and discounts. These shops sign agreements with insurance company's detailing how estimates are to be written, what prices to charge and what discounts or fees are to paid back to the insurance company in exchange for referrals.
Often times Insurance company representatives are paid extra for every customer they can "steer" to a preferred or DRP shop. A DRP shop is a member of that insurance companies Direct Repair Program. It means that shop does repairs for that insurance company at discounted rates and the shop also agrees to only perform certain repairs and not others. Or the shop agrees with the insurance company to use imitation parts or low quality materials. This often times jeopardizes repair quality and safety.
DO NOT TRUST the insurance representative that says that they will not guarantee the work that a certain shop performs, or that a certain shop does not guarantee their work. This is a classic example of steering a claimant or insured to the shop of the insurance companies choice. ONLY THE SHOP AND PARTS MANUFACTURER CAN GUARANTEE PARTS OR WORKMANSHIP. An insurance can not offer a warranty or any kind of guarantee. They only say that because they require their DRP shop to offer the warranty. All creditable shops offer a warranty. Some are better than others... But you can be assured that no insurance company can guarantee that you will receive a quality repair.
Another tactic that insurance companies use to "steer" you to their preferred shop is the "agreed price" scam. An insurance company or representative will say that the shop you have chosen is out of line on the price and that a "agreed price" can be or has been arrived at with their preferred shop. NEVER trust anyone who will place a price on repairs without actually seeing the damage. It is illegal for any adjustments to be made to a repair estimate without the adjuster actually seeing the damage.
If an adjuster or appraiser insists that you take your car a shop that they have an agreed price with, then it would be your right to insist that the automobile be repaired for that exact figure and not one penny more, at the shop they have an agreed price with. You then need to be sure you only authorize repairs up to that dollar figure and no more. Make that authorization in writing for that amount. In the end if the insurance co. were to pay that shop more than the agreed figure to repair the damage, they together, would then be considered to be committing fraud against you. And in fairness the amount paid to the shop in excess of the agreed to figure would actually not belong to them, but to you. An agreed price is in effect a contract to repair for a certain amount and no more. It certainly is not fair when you consider afterwards that you could have had the repairs done at the shop of your choice and avoided all the trouble in the first place. Agreed prices are just another way a insurance co. steers you to the shop of their choice.
Many field appraisers are just that, appraisers. Appraisers do not have adjuster licenses. If they did they would be called adjusters. Just because a field appraiser looks at your car, it does not mean he can make changes to the repairers estimate or repair bill without a license. Keep in mind adjustments only effect what the insurance company is paying not what the shop needs to do to repair your car. Appraisers shouldn't even be called appraisers... they are only inspectors or investigators. They are the eyes and ears for the adjuster. To be exact... an adjuster can only pay from an actual repair bill or invoice that an insured or claimant presents to them. They can not choose to pay less unless some sort of fraud has taken place or they have actually laid their own eyes on the damage and made onsite inspection personally. The appraiser or inspector / investigator is only there to validate the claim.
If the insurance company doesn't pay for it, the shop usually does not provide it to you. That is why insurance companies are so focused on sending you to one of their preferred shops.
An insurance company does not repair vehicles. They do not decide what will be done or what will not be done. They pay for losses in money. Only you and your mechanic can determine what needs to be done to properly repair your car.
Pick a shop that has your needs and interests at heart not one who focuses on serving the insurance company . Pick a shop that will HELP YOU work things out with the insurance company.
Step back and consider the statements being made. If the insurance company insists that you use a particular shop then be cautious. Some policies or lease agreements state that you must use the shop that insurance company specifies. This language used to be very rare, but is popping up in policies more often. You may have purchased this lower cost insurance that requires you to use one of these DRP repair shops and not even been aware of it. Or you may have the better more expensive broad coverage which allows you to choose your repair shop and the insurance company is tricking you into using the lower quality and cheaper alternative. It often pays to read your policy.
Often times a insurance representative will say a shop is difficult to deal with when in reality it is the insurance company that is difficult and un-cooperative.
By law insurance companies can not refuse your request and must work with the shop of your choice. They are not to interfere with the repair process or the contract between a customer and a repair shop, if they do it is illegal. The only responsibility the insurance company has is to pay exactly what it takes to restore your car to a pre-loss condition. They are not required to pay anything more and will take steps to assure that they do not. They manage to avoid paying what it often takes by wearing down the people involved. The claimants, the repair shop. It is done by playing dumb. Or being hard to deal with. By being difficult to contact. But, that does not mean they should underpay at your expense.
How can I collect the difference?
NO, not if your going through the other persons insurance. But, it might be true if it is your insurance company. But probably not . Read the following to learn about what options you may have when collecting the differences.
If a insurance tells you that they will not pay the difference between what the insurance company estimates and what the shop of your choice charges then you have a few options.
First, you need to fully understand that no one, no repair shop can legally negotiate a claim for you or accept insurance proceeds for you. The claim is paid to the person who had a loss. Insured or 3rd party claimant it doesn't matter.
You need to understand that an insurance company will use intimidation tactics to steer you where they want you. These tactics are used to pressure you into using a DRP shop or a business that the insurance company prefers.
An insurance company will say a shop is too expensive or that you will need to pay any differences between estimates and actual repair invoices as a tactic even when no estimate exists from the shop you have chosen or the one that they are attempting to steer you away from. In fact they will attempt steering you to their shop even when there is no estimate from their preferred shop. They will say, that what they are suggesting is based upon previous experience with a particular shops.
Keep in mind that you can use any shop you want. It is your choice. Sure, one shop may cost more or less than another. There can be differences in estimates. However, you would need to be a trained expert to spot the differences them and determine exactly what those differences are. There can be huge difference in the quality of the workmanship between shops. There are certainly differences in how one company rewards its employees when compared to another. Some businesses have the tools and equipment required and necessary to provide a quality product. They also have employees who posses a higher level of education and experience. In fact, some areas cost more to operate a business in. Many factors must be considered when a shop decides upon a price to charge for a service.
These factors are never considered by a insurance company. They only want to make you believe that they are only going to pay a certain amount and that possibly other shops will charge more, or even that some provide sub-standard quality.
Consider your options.
You could pack it up and go to the insurance company DRP shop and just roll over and take what you get.
Or, if you were not at fault in the accident and you have managed to get the other person and his insurance company to accept liability then you can have the vehicle repaired at any shop you want. Just be careful.
You will need to allow that insurance company an opportunity to inspect the damages and write their own estimate prior to any work starting. At this point you should not pay much attention to the insurance estimate details or totals. If the insurance company gives you a check, do not deposit or cash it. Simply concern yourself with where and by whom your vehicle will be repaired and hold the check. By processing the check you may be agreeing to the terms set by the insurance company and you may not want to do that.
Take the estimate and vehicle to the shop of your choice and have a complete tear down completed and then a complete estimate written based upon what is found during the disassembly and inspection. Instruct your shop to write a estimate as close as possible to what they will expect the final charges to be. Tell them you will only authorize a predetermined amount and that any additional items or charges will be closely scrutinized. Advise them that you expect a tight estimate with no unneeded items or procedure. This will verify the full extent of the damages and that the estimate is written as close as possible before repairs are started. These are things an insurance appraiser can not do without seeing the vehicle taken apart and all hidden or indirect damage exposed, and why a preliminary estimate written by a insurance appraiser can not be taken very seriously.
Once the original estimate is entered into the system and all the additional or supplemental findings are included and a supplement created by the shop notify the insurance company that there has been additional damages found and you are putting them on notice. Explain that the vehicle is currently under repair and that they have an opportunity to inspect the additional items if they like. Set a reasonable amount of time for them to inspect the additional damage. It may take a few days. These delays are not your fault and will add to the time you may need a rental car. Rental cars are another intimidation tactic they use against you and may be discussed separately with us. At this time your concern should be that you let them know that you will be submitting a supplement and will expect payment for these additional items.
Either the insurance company will write a supplemental estimate that matches the current charges and issue payment for the amount you request in full or they won't. If they choose to not write a supplement and not make additional payments or they take an unreasonable amount of time to inspect the additional findings then put the notes on paper and send it to the adjuster. be sure you put the insurance company on notice and what you have decided to do. In either event the repair work should resume on a timely basis. The vehicle should then be completed and/or if additional damage or charges are found another supplement written and submitted as above and a final bill created.
If they don't issue a acceptable payment for your supplemental items or final bill you then have to either accept the short payment and pay the difference to the repair shop or you will need to present the person who caused the damage with a short letter outlining the charges and the fact that their insurance company has not paid you in full for your loss. Demand payment for the differences from him, the at fault party.
When presenting the at fault party with a bill for differences they need to understand that their insurance company has not paid for your loss in full and that you intend to collect from them personally by taking the matter with your attorney or by settling in court or mediation. When doing so all that is often needed is a simple request that they contact their insurance carrier and demand that they pay your losses and bill in full.
If when using your own insurance and your shop will not budge off a given price or charge and the insurance will not pay it then you may need to pay a portion not covered by your insurance. The reason is simple, many times a repair is not profitable for a shop. Parts, materials, labor and overhead is expensive and even though a repair estimate may look expensive to you and the insurance appraiser that particular repair, because of the way automated estimates are calculated, may not have enough profit built into it for the shop to break even. A smart business owner knows how to identify those jobs and either perform them for a profit or pass on them.
In the occasional rare case where the insurance appraiser will not budge on price or we decide a job is not profitable for us we might recommend that you use the DRP shop... keeping in mind there are still options...
We would recommend that you demand that the insurance company show you where in your policy it states that they do not pay a particular charge or fee or where it says they will only pay a certain rate and no more.
You could talk to your agent and simply let them know you will be taking your business elsewhere in the future, talking with your wallet. Of course he will all the while demonstrate the increased premiums you have been paying and compare that to the increased cost of auto repairs.
Or, you could simply use the shop they recommend and hope that you will avoid having to pay a difference. We would suggest that you agree to authorize only the amount of the original estimate that the insurance appraiser wrote. You know the one... The one that is set in stone. The estimate that we are more expensive than. The one that his DRP shop will honor. The estimate he has an agreed price set with the other shop... The one the insurance company is willing to pay.
We suggest that you go to that DRP shop and only authorize the amount of that estimate and no more. Then as the repair progresses be certain that you do not authorize any additional repairs or dollars. Chance are in the end the DRP will have repaired your car for the amount of the original estimate plus a far greater amount included on a supplement which they expect to collect from your insurance company and possibly collect even behind your back, without your knowledge. However, this additional amount does not belong to the shop. it belongs to you. You would have never authorized any additional work and any additional amount paid should go directly to you.
Insurance company's prefer these DRP businesses because of certain pre-negotiated contracts that exist between them. The contracts spell out rates, prices and finders fees or commissions paid by shops to insurance company's for referral of clients. These discounted rates hurt the local market but are nothing compared to the commissions paid by these shops to some of the insurance company's. The commissions are usually for at least 10% and sometimes more of the bottom line. The money used to pay the insurance company comes directly from your claim dollars paid out to that DRP shop for your repairs. The problem is that in the end your claim is inflated by that amount and those dollars are paid back directly to the insurance company. Those dollars are not theirs to pay back to the insurance company. They are yours. Ask them if they the participating shop agrees to provide a discount or a certain pricing level or a commission. If any of these things exist in the contract that money belongs to you. In fact if the shop is required to offer rates lower than what is found to be common door rates in the area, then they owe you that too. Often times a shop will post one rate and charge his DRP insurance partner another. If you end up getting railroaded and steered to a DRP shop we suggest you ask for a copy of the contract that the insurance company and shop have together. If they will not provide one or act strangely, then buyer beware.
Can the insurance company force me to go to their claims center for an estimate? NO! You can leave the car at the shop of your choice. The shop will work with the insurance company and claims adjuster. If for some reason you find yourself in the position of accepting a check from a field appraiser or adjuster that was sent out to inspect the vehicle at your home or business, DO NOT sign anything that states you accept their check as payment in full. Also be aware that these payments are only good for as long as stated on the face of the check.
It is common practice for a insurance company to under estimate the damages. This is because the damage on the car has not been fully evaluated or judged by a actual expert who will be doing the repair. Other times these estimates are purposely written for amounts that are far below the actual cost of repair. This done to keep a claims rep severity numbers low. This is also done because there are many people who just want a check and the insurance company and realizes this. So, the insurance company will try cheat you out of what they actually owe you for your loss. They do not believe you will have it repaired, so they underpay you. Take your car to the shop of your choice, a shop you know will get what is needed to repair your car and one that will not take short cuts based on short pay .
Remember insurance companies insure against damage and losses. They are to pay you for your loss. They will need to inspect the loss and damages to document the files. They do this to protect them and you against fraud. However please be aware that the purpose of the inspection is not to develop a plan of repair. That is not their field of expertise.
A proper and accurate estimate can not be written in just a few minutes. To write a correct and detailed estimate that will include all the costs involved will take time and usually tear down will need to be done. Labor and parts prices will need to be verified and availability checked. There is no way a appraiser can drive by and do an estimate in a driveway and have any level of accuracy. The same goes for drive-in estimates weather the are done at a shop or some place else.
The insurance company will be the first one to make it clear that they do not repair automobiles. They pay for the repairs that are done by professional mechanics.
Insurance companies realize the repair shop you select may call with additional damage costs. Additional repair costs are submitted for payment as supplements to the original estimate. Often times a supplement will require an additional inspection.
What if the insurance company is avoiding me or refuses to pay? Bring your vehicle to Rod Shop Inc. We will make every attempt to help you and see that your vehicle is repaired properly. We will help you deal with the insurance company.
Or, you can pay for the repairs and or any differences yourself and submit them to the insurance company. We can provide you with a written statement detailing any denied procedures or parts with your bill which you can take to small claims court. You may have to file against the individual who caused the accident. Insurance company's do not have to pay you immediately. They have the right to investigate claims before paying out. However there are time limits in which they must pay. Some company's go to the extreme and never pay on claims. We recommend consulting an attorney for specifics.
Sometimes an insurance company will say they do not pay for this or that, when in reality they do. Insurance companies often use the phrase "customary or ordinary" in reference to what they say they will pay for and what they say they will not. Certain insurance companies will use every trick in the book to "steer" you to a shop they prefer. Making statements that what one repairer charges is out of line or uncompetitive. This is just one example of another trick they use to steer you.
The book that an uncooperative insurance company or adjuster operates from is full of tricks. That is why we suggest you first seek help by selecting a reputable repair shop to help in the process. We are accustom to these problems and have experience in dealing with them.
We will pick up the expense of towing your car and or paying storage fees. We will then simply bill the insurance company for the charges. The insurance company that is responsible for paying for your repairs is also responsible for paying the tow bills. If your car was towed to a yard or another shop first or even the shop the insurance company selected, the insurance company is responsible for paying the tow to the shop of your choice. Do not authorize repairs until you are satisfied with the shop or you may have expenses out of pocket if you later decide to have your car moved once repairs are started.
Who pays the difference between all these different estimates?
If you played the insurance companies game in getting estimates prepared from every other shop in town only to produce the lowest cost estimate, then you pay the difference. Unless, you come to the realization that you have been taken advantage of and take your car, estimate in hand to a reputable shop to have your claim re-negotiated.
What will my responsibility be and how much will I be expected to pay?
Your responsibility should only be the amount of your deductible. Of course you might be responsible for anything you are not insured for or carry less than what is necessary in terms of insurance to cover your expenses such as car rentals, wages, etc.
The person who caused the damage is responsible for your losses. They buy insurance to cover those expenses when they cause damage to another persons property.
However in the end it is the owner of the automobile being repaired who is ultimately responsible for all costs and charges. So be sure you are insured and have selected a shop you trust and know your rights.
Be aware that if you do file a claim the insurance company is going to take what you feel is private and confidential information and sell it to companies like CarFax and the Clue Database. You will find out that there are hidden costs in having your car repaired and paid for with insurance proceeds. This information is sold even if you do not have the car repaired. All you have to do is report an accident. If you have filed a claim, you might be entitled to what is call diminished value. Diminished value is the difference between what your repaired wrecked car is worth to a buyer when compared to a car without any damage history.
No one wants to pay as much for a car that has been wrecked when there is one right next to it that has not been. A CarFax report or bad mark on a Clue report will diminish the value of your car and possibly your credit. And you will not find out until you try to trade or sell.
You could avoid putting in a claim and pay for repairs out of pocket. Or, you could go after the at fault party for the diminished value. You will probably not be able to collect from your own company and if you were at fault. But, the other party owes you for this difference in value. It is not easiest thing to collect. But, we will help when we can.
Another form of diminished value is repair related diminished value. This is when a repair shop does such a terrible job of repairing your car that you need to fight to get it repaired correctly, or totaled. We can help you by providing post repair inspections to insure the safety, quality and integrity of repairs which other shops have performed. We often times find improper repairs or parts that were not replaced but charged for and even sometimes unsafe repairs.
In closing... If you ever wind up in a court room with an insurance company you will find they will fight tooth and nail over the simplest most obvious things and or expenses. Some companies have a policy to fight every disputed claim. They will claim to be the expert. In fact they will claim to be expert until it ends up in court or someone cries foul. And then they always admit the repair shop is the expert. They will say the repair shop and mechanic should have known better. And to think... all this because of something they required the repair shop to do, or NOT do.
Pick a shop who will tell you these things up front. Pick a shop who knows how to be honest with the customer and the insurance company.
Please visit the following website for more information about Direct Repair Programs and Steering. www.stopsteering.com
Contact us at : 772-287-3336, Fax 772-287-3394 Or stop by : 101 SW. Ocean Blvd. Stuart, Fl. 34994
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