by sweetlady4787 » Mon Dec 20, 2010 01:21 pm
My car was in an accident in October. My insurance company finally got everything in order for it to get fixed. However, they told me i had to go to their repair shop and if i didnt they would only pay whatever their repair man estimated on the damage (left side doors and right rims). I took it there he "fixed" it and I paid the $500 deductible. It has been maybe 2 weeks. Now my car is wobbling and lights in my dashboard are coming on that never came on before. When i took the car in the tire pressure light was on. Now all kinds of lights are coming on. I dont even know what to do about my deductible that they said if they have to go to court they will take court cost from my deductible. What should I do?
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 02:31 pm Post Subject:
Perfect example of why you should never take advice from the very people who owe you for your loss! If you were forced as you say, to use the insurance shop, they have an agreement with that shop to guarantee your repairs. If you do not find satisfaction with the shop you should inform your insurer in writing that their preferred shop has failed to perform repairs to restore your damage to pre accident condition as promised under the limits of liability in your contract of insurance and that you insist they do so now. It is the insurer who has the contractual responsibility to place you in a position you held prior to the loss. I would recommend at this time you communicate with your insurer in writing and begin a document trail; cc your complaint to the department of insurance in your state if they fail to act appropriately.
Many times when you use the insurance company preferred shop you wind up in a game of runnaround between the insurer and the shop. The shop claims we've done everything we were paid to do, and the insurer keeps sending you back to the shop that claims they can only perform work authorized by the insurer under their supplement rules. In reality, only you can authorize repairs legally to your car unless the insurer agrees to take control and liability for the repair of your vehicle.
You may find when you insist they put into writing what they may have been communicating with you over the phone, that the dialogue may change.
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 05:25 am Post Subject:
However, they told me i had to go to their repair shop and if i didnt they would only pay whatever their repair man estimated on the damage
I have no doubt that this is not what they said. It might be what you heard... but I have little doubt it's 100% incorrect.You have a contract with your carrier to have them pay for the damage to your vehicle. So they cannot simply pay you for an initial damage estimate. If there is more damage, they are responsible for addressing it. My guess is that for some reason they were explaining if you did not have the vehicle repaired that they would only pay for the repairs that they wrote up. This is 100% correct. They then probably explained that they used preferred repair shops and if you took it into one and additional damages were found, that they would pay for those additional damages.
Now my car is wobbling and lights in my dashboard are coming on that never came on before
This too two weeks to start happening?I dont even know what to do about my deductible that they said if they have to go to court they will take court cost from my deductible. What should I do?
First, you need to better understand what is going on and what is being said. As this makes no sense whatsoever. No can can take a cost from your deductible. That does not make any sense.Here is my question... as you seem to be jumping all over the place... have you taken the car back to the repair shop to see what is wrong with it and if the shop will correct the problem? Perhaps you want to start there.
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 01:55 pm Post Subject: My Responses
I am not in a normal situation with my insurance company. What I thought to be one insurance turned out to be 3 different insurance companys (Accurate is the base company, American Freedom for Liability, and Founders for collision). The repair conversation went like this:
Me: I've found a repair shop that can repair it. Its not even 2 blocks from where I live and it would be great because its not far from my job and school. Do I fax over their estimate?
Them: Have you taken the car to our shop of suggestion (Autodome)
Me: yes i have, but do I have to go to that shop?
Them: You do not have to, but we will ONLY pay what our suggested shop estimated.
Me: So if I go to my shop and their estimate is 3,000 and your suggested shop is 1200 I would have to come out of pocket with the rest of the cost?
Them: Yes that is correct.
About the light being on. The tire pressure light was on when I left the shop and i was told that it would reset itself. It has yet to do so. The parking break came on while I was driving the car.......no parking break was on. The wobbling not long ago started. Both rims on the right were damaged, but they only "repaired" one. Its wobbling the exact same way it was after being in the accident.
It took me forever to get my car back. I left it there the tuesday of the week of thanksgiving and got it back December 10. Accident happened October 3. When the accident happened I couldnt even contact anyone. I had to wait until that Monday.
About the court cost being taken from my deductible that is exactly what she told me. I have a tend to repeat what someone has told me to better understand what i am being told. I know what I heard and that is exactly what they told me. IF WE HAVE TO TAKE THE GUY TO COURT TO GET OUR MONEY BACK. YOUR DEDUCTIBLE RETURN WILL BE LESS DUE TO COURT COST AND OTHER FEES.
I am going to take the car back to be "inspected" as the shop owner says. I dont have time to keep going back to figure out what they didnt do right. I do go to school and work. I wouldnt frustrate me as bad if I didnt have to drive through snow to a place that is over 35 minutes from my house in the "not so good" side of town. Also they broke my gas cap. I dont understand why anyone was near my gas cap.
@mike of the Ozarks I will take your advice. This insurance company is off the wall. They must be operating out of their home kitchen or something. This whole ordeal has be rough for me. Between this, school and work it has been very hectic.
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 02:29 pm Post Subject:
So if I go to my shop and their estimate is 3,000 and your suggested shop is 1200 I would have to come out of pocket with the rest of the cost?
While I can't speak on how it was presented, what this means is that any shop in the area should be able to repair the damages the insurance company listed for the amount they listed.IF WE HAVE TO TAKE THE GUY TO COURT TO GET OUR MONEY BACK. YOUR DEDUCTIBLE RETURN WILL BE LESS DUE TO COURT COST AND OTHER FEES.
Still makes no sense to me. Your deductible does not change what the amount of the loss is. What the loss was is what your carrier should be recovering. The only time I can see what you mention being an issue is if the other person's policy limits were an issue. But this should not force anything into court.Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 03:03 pm Post Subject:
She said that they want to recover the total cost from the guy at fault's insurance. They are being difficult and she said if it is taken to court in order for them to recover the money for the repairs the court cost will be taken from my deductible and it will be less than the 500 i put out.
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 03:03 pm Post Subject:
She said that they want to recover the total cost from the guy at fault's insurance. They are being difficult and she said if it is taken to court in order for them to recover the money for the repairs the court cost will be taken from my deductible and it will be less than the 500 i put out.
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