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Should I use my insurance company’s auto repair shop?
July 8, 2017
My answer to this question will take a slightly different tack than those already provided. Let’s get to the bottom line first: It is your prerogative to take the vehicle to a body shop of your choice. If you have a body shop that you prefer and want to have them do the work… feel free to use that shop. Continue Reading
My answer to this question will take a slightly different tack than those already provided.
Let’s get to the bottom line first:
If you have a body shop that you prefer and want to have them do the work… feel free to use that shop.
Trust and relationship still mean something today. If you trust a shop different than those sponsored by the insurance company, make that clear to the claims adjuster right up front. Have the adjuster work with your body shop directly to negotiate the scope of loss and pricing.
Just because a shop is affiliated with an insurance company does not make them better at what they do. Regardless, who you have work on your vehicle is your choice. Said a little stronger… Insurance companies can not dictate which shop you use.
On the other hand…
There are benefits to using the body shop affiliated with your auto insurance company.
Let’s take one company, Progressive Network of body shops as an example. Any body shop affiliated with Progressive must adhere to:
Most body shops that affiliate with an insurance company are bound contractually to hold to similar standards. If a problem arises, it usually is worked out between the company and the affiliated shop.
BTW… the shop you like may make the same type of commitments to you directly. Maybe it would be worth showing the benefits offered by the affiliated shop and ask them to respond?
It’s your choice. Making a good decision should include a look at the benefits you might forgo.
Choosing to use your own shop may simply result in taking more personal responsibility for the issues bulleted above, in addition to the final workmanship.
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Factors You Can’t Easily Control These factors are built into your profile, but still play a major role: Your location: Claim trends, traffic, and weather patterns where you principally drive. Your age and driving experience: Especially for younger drivers. Other drivers in your household: Their age and driving history. The vehicle you own: Unique to the Year, Make, Model, and Sub-model’s damageability and cost of parts/labor. These factors significantly influence price differences, but they don’t tell the whole story. Factors You Can Control This is where habits and wise decisions can make a real difference: Your driving habits: Minimizing tickets and accidents can have a direct impact. Your coverage choices: Liability limits, deductibles, and optional coverages can vary widely. Your insurance consistency: Avoiding lapses in coverage. Your annual mileage: How much and how often you drive. Discount opportunities: Bundling, pay-in-full, NYS defensive driving course. Your Insurance Score (Yes—You Can Influence It) Insurance companies use a credit-based insurance score as part of their rating process. While it’s based on financial behaviors, it is not permanent—and it can be improved over time. Simple habits like: Paying bills on time Reducing outstanding debt Avoiding excessive credit inquiries… can positively impact your score—and in turn, your insurance rates. Your insurance score is under your control and a worthy mid to long-term project in and of itself. For more information on what you can do to positively influence your score, see: Great 8 Tip #8 - What's Credit Got to Do with Insurance? How Can I Improve My Auto Insurance Score Why Comparing Rates Doesn’t Work When someone says, “I only pay…” , the uniqueness of their fingerprint is missing. What are their: Deductibles Driving history Insurance score Household profile Coverage limits: what they may be giving up in terms of protection. Price without context can be misleading and discouraging.
Part 7 – Designing a Value-Driven Insurance Plan
Part 6 – Advice, Advocacy, and Answers
Part 5 – Can Your Company Deliver?
Part 4 – Custom Coverage = Real Protection
Part 3: Coverage Limits - "The Ceiling You Don't Want to Collapse"
Part 2 – The Risks of Chasing Cheap
Part 1: What Are You Really Paying For?
Insurance fraud is a significant problem, exceeding $300 billion annually, with the Property and Casualty sector contributing nearly $50 billion to that total.
Living in New York, you might have a stack of insurance documents—auto, homeowners, health, or life insurance policies—filed away somewhere. But how long should you keep those documents, and specifically, what papers should you hold on to?
