Do I Have to Take My Car to a Shop that is Recommended By My Insurance Company?
When it’s time to pick an auto body shop after an accident, you may wonder whether you’re required to choose from your insurance company's recommendations. The short answer is no, you don’t. The choice is entirely yours, regardless of what you might be told by your insurance representative.
At Seidner's Collision Center - Ontario, in Ontario, CA, we encounter this question all the time, so we are happy to be sharing this blog with you.
In some cases, the insurance company’s choice may work for you. If you don't already know of a quality auto-body shop or have a mechanic that you trust, it might be easier to go with the insurance company’s choice. It will save you time. The work will get done, and the established relationship between the mechanic's shop and the insurance company means that both parties are familiar with the process and paperwork.
The above considerations aside, you have every right to go to your own collision repair specialist. In most cases, you are better off choosing a specific collision center or auto body shop that you have an established relationship with, or that comes recommended by friends or family whose opinions you trust. This is especially the case when the shop is local and convenient to you, as the time spent getting to and from the shop can be a factor.
Always be cautious whenever you choose your own collision shop over a shop from the insurance company’s recommendations. If you end up unhappy with the work done, you will most likely have to handle the dispute personally. Either way, it's always wise to ensure that there is a warranty on the work, no matter how much you trust the body shop you've selected..
Whatever you decide make sure you have thoroughly negotiated everything with your insurance representative so that there are no surprises. In particular, you should ensure that the proposed repair work is approved before the work begins. Any reputable shop will make sure of this and be 100 percent transparent with you about it. For example, if there was a pre-existing dent on your car that wasn't caused by the accident, that likely won't be covered by insurance costs. In short, don't approve any extra work that you aren't comfortable paying for out of pocket.
Insurance companies usually maintain business relationships with auto repair shops, and it benefits them to send work to those shops so they can continue to nurture that relationship and mutually profit. To that end, they might try to convince you that not using their suggested auto body shop will complicate the process, or they might even insinuate that they don’t support your mechanic at all. This isn’t necessarily true, so don’t be intimidated. You have the freedom of choice, and in some states, that choice is supported by law. In the end, do what feels best for you, but remember the choice is yours.
Seidner's Collision Center - Ontario, 611 W Holt Blvd, Ontario, CA, 91762
Sources: Fender Bender, Collision News
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