Why do insurance companies try to send you to their direct repair shops?
When you’ve been involved in a collision and your vehicle requires repair, you may find that the insurance company that will be covering the cost of the repairs will urge you to bring your vehicle to a specific repair shop within their “network of approved shops”.
The reason that insurance companies do this is because they have created contracts with these shops, which allow them to receive lower material rates, labor rates, and possible part discounts in exchange for continued referrals. Unfortunately, this just means that these shops will cut corners to fulfill these contracts by following the insurance company’s repair method instead of utilizing the manufacturer’s procedures, putting your family and your car at risk, and ultimately will not have you or your best interest in mind.
The truth is, your insurance company representative has a given goal to reach in terms of how many customers they send to their direct repair shops. This is why they try to sway you from choosing a shop that isn’t in contract with the insurance company. However, regardless of what the insurance company tells you, where you choose to bring your vehicle to be repaired is entirely up to you.
What are the risks involved with a direct repair shop handling your vehicle’s repairs?
While you may want to believe that your own insurance company will have your best interest in mind during a tough situation such as a collision repair, unfortunately, the only thing that the insurer wants to do is repair your vehicle at the lowest cost possible to save themselves money.
When your vehicle is repaired by a direct repair shop that is cutting corners to offset the costs of the discounts that the insurance company is receiving, they are typically spread thin with the amount of repair work that the insurance company gives them and it leaves a lot of room for error and poor workmanship. When your vehicle isn’t repaired correctly, especially after a collision, this puts your safety on the road at risk.
Here are some important points to remember when it comes to these direct repair shops:
- These direct repair shops work for your insurance company, and follow exactly what they tell them to do so that they can get paid.
- They typically are forced to use junkyard parts from vehicles that have already been involved in collisions in order to cut costs.
- If they do use new parts, they are sourced from cheap vendors, selling counterfeit/aftermarket parts and these parts will not meet your vehicle’s manufacturer standards. Most importantly, these aftermarket parts have not been crash-tested, do not perform under impact consistent with original parts, and can affect your vehicle’s manufacturer warranty.
- By agreeing to bring your vehicle to a direct repair shop, you may be unintentionally signing away your rights to a proper and thorough repair that you aren’t aware of. Therefore, placing you and your family at risk. *Each year, 400,000 vehicles that should have been totaled are back on the road again due to underground negotiations between “networked shops” and insurers.
Don’t be afraid to choose a Certified Repair Facility that you trust!
Here at db Orlando Collision, we are a certified auto body repair facility that offers quality repairs done right. We truly care about you and your vehicle and want to make sure that any work at our shop is performed with expertise, professionalism, and the utmost care.
Our team of technicians are highly trained, friendly, and specialize in what they do. We care about the safety of our customer’s cars and guarantee that only the best parts and products will be used to repair your vehicle.
At db Orlando Collision you can expect:
- To have peace of mind knowing that our repairs will always be done with honesty and integrity.
- That you’ll never have to deal with pushy sales.
- Every detail of your vehicle’s care will be thoroughly explained to you using easy to understand terms.
- That we won’t allow any corners to be cut that would compromise the quality of your repairs or your safety on the road.
- We have the training and certifications recognized by numerous manufacturers as well as a Platinum & Gold Class recognized collision repair facility.
- Your vehicle will be repaired following factory guided and specifically researched manufacturer standards/methods.
Dealing with your insurance company
Watch out for these misleading insurer phrases when speaking with a representative regarding your vehicle’s repairs:
- “That shop isn’t on our preferred list” - this just means that we don’t have a contract with the insurance company, which actually means you can expect complete transparency from db Orlando Collision’s team as to just what the insurer is trying to cut corners on during your repair. We strategically do not partner with the insurers. We work for YOU and your family - not them. This results in detailed, safe, and overall much higher quality repairs.
- “The repairs may take longer” - we begin repairs at the earliest possible time and ensure that each repair is performed correctly.
- “The shop you chose is difficult to work with” - this is commonly said by insurers due to our transparent repair process that educates you on proper manufacturer guided repairs. Ultimately, exposing what they don’t want you to know about their process and overall attempted economical repair methods.
- “Who is responsible for my repair warranty after repairs are performed?” - the repair facility you choose is responsible for the workmanship. Insurance companies do not repair automobiles and therefore cannot extend warranties for repairs. If there are repair issues, even with a facility selected by the insurance company, the facility itself is responsible - not the insurer. Db Orlando Collision offers a written lifetime warranty on all repairs performed.
- “One of our approved shops can begin repairing your vehicle immediately.” – let the insurer know that you have already chosen db Orlando Collision Center to perform your repairs. If the insurer continues to push for another shop, we would be happy to call them directly for you.
Things to know when dealing with your insurance company:
The insurance company has direct repair contracts with shops for their own interest. These partnerships were created in order for the insurance company to save themselves millions of dollars, not to ensure that you receive a certain level of quality repairs.
Remember:
- By law, you have the right to go with any repair shop you choose for your car’s repairs.
- By law, only one estimate is required and it should be from a shop that you trust will perform the work correctly.
- Don’t be afraid to be firm with your insurance representative by insisting on which shop you want to go with.
- The quality of repairs you receive will not be the same at every shop. Here at db Orlando Collision, we are a factory certified facility and the continued trusted choice for consistent quality-minded repairs supported by clear written manufacturer documentation presented by a well-trained in-house administration team on how to hold the insurers accountable for complete and proper repairs.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding issues with your insurance company pushing you to a direct shop, don’t hesitate to give us a call here at db Orlando Collision. We don’t want you to compromise on quality or safety just to appease your insurer. At the end of the day, it is up to you which repair shop handles your vehicle!