What are your experiences with Insurer recommended shops?

by ShannonAutoBody » Fri May 06, 2011 09:24 pm

Good, Bad, Indifferent lets here your experiences.

Total Comments: 1

Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 01:21 am Post Subject:

That is a broad question with many avenues. However in nutshell, I'll give it whirl. It first depends on the shop itself. Do they perform quality work? Many insurers do not select shops to be a part of their program based on quality. They are more concerned about how the shop will follow the contractual guidelines and save the insurer money. Savings the vehicle owner will never see.

In some cases, insurer recommended shops cut corners on repairs in an effort to make a profit from the profit they are losing being part of the programs. The fact is, if these repairers would only repair a vehicle correctly and charge accordingly being a part of the programs, they would make a profit. Unfortunately, that is not the easy way for these shops and the vehicle owner suffers as the shop would rather cheat to make a buck.

It's reported as convenience to the vehicle owner, because they can just drop off the vehicle and never really know how or what is being done to their vehicle. It's a bigger convenience to the insurer, because they can control the cost of the repair. Again, savings to the insurer.

The above isn't just for insurer recommended shops. A shop unaffiliated with an insurer can still perform less than quality repairs and defraud the vehicle owner.

The real bottom line is, a vehicle owner should do their home work and select a shop that will fit their needs. This would mean to tour the shop, see work in progress and finished work. A vehicle owner should never choose a shop (insurer related or not) based on a recommendation from anyone with out first investing some time in researching a repair shop. There are many insurer related shops that will perform safe and quality repairs and inform the owner of options they may have.


I explain to many vehicle owners to get involved with the repair of their vehicle. Ask tough questions and get real answers. If a shop or shops is not willing to invest time in you rather "treat the insurer as the customer", probably not the best place to leave your vehicle. Vehicle owners need to understand that although the money to pay for said repairs is coming from an insurer, that money does not belong to the insurer. The money belongs to the vehicle owner. The insurer doesn't owe the shop for the repairs, the insurer owes the vehicle owner.

Since it's their money, don't you think they would want to know who is receiving it? Better yet, who is deserving of it.

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