Know your rights!
Being in an accident is painful enough. You may be injured. You likely have damage to your car. Taking car of appointments for yourself and your vehicle causes a loss of time, work hours, and money. Let's face it: it's a hassle.
The last thing you need is one more hassle in fighting for your rights with the insurance company. By educating yourself about your rights, you can ensure that the process goes smoothly and according to your desires.
An insurance company is a business. And, like any successful business, its primary concern is its bottom line. In an effort to protect that bottom line, insurance companies in any given market have established relationships with repair shops. They have negotiated lower labor rates and discounts on parts and supplies. When your vehicle is repaired at an insurance-recommended facility, the insurance company is likely paying that shop less for your repair than they would pay to a shop of your choosing. Thus many times, an insurance adjuster will strongly suggest, or even word things in such a way as to imply that you're required to use the body shop that the company recommends.
Unlike medical insurance and "in network" or "out of network" providers, the cost to you, the customer, is the same. No matter where you take your vehicle for repair, you will pay a maximum cost of your insurance deductible. And also unlike medical insurance, it is illegal for an auto insurance company to request, direct, or coerce you to use the shop of their choosing. This is true regardless of if you are using your own insurance company or the company of another driver.
That doesn't mean that there is anything necessarily wrong with the shop the insurance company recommend. As in any field, there are good apples and bad apples, and shops aren't more likely to be bad just because they're recommended by an insurance company. The opposite is also true: just because a body shop is not on the list recommended by an insurance company does not mean that shop does not provide high quality work and service. Regardless of whether or not you choose from the list, we recommend that you do your own verification before trusting your vehicle to anyone. Sites like Yelp, Angie's List, and your state's Better Business Bureau are wonderful tools for consumers to investigate the experiences of other customers who have used the business in question.
An insurance company may suggest that the repair work on your car will not receive a lifetime warranty if you use a different shop. This is not necessarily true. Any reputable shop should offer you a lifetime warranty. Be sure to verify this when shopping around.
One advantage to using a shop of your choosing is that because that shop has not already eliminated most of its margin by discounting its products and services for the insurance company, that shop may have more "wiggle room" to offer you some incentives, such as allowing you to keep all or part of your deductible, or offering a complimentary rental car. Smaller shops with a smaller backlog of vehicles before yours can often have you back in your vehicle sooner. Be sure to ask about these things when evaluating shops for your business.
Ultimately, you are the one who is going to take your safety and your vehicle's condition the most seriously. You are the one who has to live with the end result. You need to choose the shop where you are comfortable leaving your vehicle. This means you have the right to shop around. As long as repairs have not started in one shop (even if the car is in the pre-repair disassembly state, known as the "teardown" stage), you even have the right to change your mind. By advocating for yourself with the insurance company, you can give yourself peace of mind that your vehicle will be repaired in a way that best suits your needs.
Reference: Arizona Revised Statute 20-468
Additional Sources:
Automotive Service Association of Arizona
Diamond Certified Can I choose my own repair facility for an insurance claim after an accident? YES!
Know your rights!
Being in an accident is painful enough. You may be injured. You likely have damage to your car. Taking car of appointments for yourself and your vehicle causes a loss of time, work hours, and money. Let's face it: it's a hassle.
The last thing you need is one more hassle in fighting for your rights with the insurance company. By educating yourself about your rights, you can ensure that the process goes smoothly and according to your desires.
An insurance company is a business. And, like any successful business, its primary concern is its bottom line. In an effort to protect that bottom line, insurance companies in any given market have established relationships with repair shops. They have negotiated lower labor rates and discounts on parts and supplies. When your vehicle is repaired at an insurance-recommended facility, the insurance company is likely paying that shop less for your repair than they would pay to a shop of your choosing. Thus many times, an insurance adjuster will strongly suggest, or even word things in such a way as to imply that you're required to use the body shop that the company recommends.
Unlike medical insurance and "in network" or "out of network" providers, the cost to you, the customer, is the same. No matter where you take your vehicle for repair, you will pay a maximum cost of your insurance deductible. And also unlike medical insurance, it is illegal for an auto insurance company to request, direct, or coerce you to use the shop of their choosing. This is true regardless of if you are using your own insurance company or the company of another driver.
That doesn't mean that there is anything necessarily wrong with the shop the insurance company recommend. As in any field, there are good apples and bad apples, and shops aren't more likely to be bad just because they're recommended by an insurance company. The opposite is also true: just because a body shop is not on the list recommended by an insurance company does not mean that shop does not provide high quality work and service. Regardless of whether or not you choose from the list, we recommend that you do your own verification before trusting your vehicle to anyone. Sites like Yelp, Angie's List, and your state's Better Business Bureau are wonderful tools for consumers to investigate the experiences of other customers who have used the business in question.
An insurance company may suggest that the repair work on your car will not receive a lifetime warranty if you use a different shop. This is not necessarily true. Any reputable shop should offer you a lifetime warranty. Be sure to verify this when shopping around.
One advantage to using a shop of your choosing is that because that shop has not already eliminated most of its margin by discounting its products and services for the insurance company, that shop may have more "wiggle room" to offer you some incentives, such as allowing you to keep all or part of your deductible, or offering a complimentary rental car. Smaller shops with a smaller backlog of vehicles before yours can often have you back in your vehicle sooner. Be sure to ask about these things when evaluating shops for your business.
Ultimately, you are the one who is going to take your safety and your vehicle's condition the most seriously. You are the one who has to live with the end result. You need to choose the shop where you are comfortable leaving your vehicle. This means you have the right to shop around. As long as repairs have not started in one shop (even if the car is in the pre-repair disassembly state, known as the "teardown" stage), you even have the right to change your mind. By advocating for yourself with the insurance company, you can give yourself peace of mind that your vehicle will be repaired in a way that best suits your needs.
Reference: Arizona Revised Statute 20-468
Additional Sources:
Automotive Service Association of Arizona
Diamond Certified 