It’s not unusual for insurance companies to have contracts with body shops. I guess the big question is do you have to take it to them. You can take your car to anyone you want; you do not have to use the insurance company’s body shop. It’s in the insurance companies’ best interest if you use “there” body shop.
Claims adjusters may try and sway you from using a body shop that is not a DRP for them. They may make up excuses as to why they can’t send an adjuster out to look at your car. These are tactics used to make you or intimidate you to use their body shop. They make it easy for you to use their body shop and hard if you want to use someone else. You use whomever you feel comfortable using, if it’s a DRP, great. If you have a good relationship with a body shop because you have teenage drivers, use them. You use whomever you wish.
Table of contents
- The Benefit of using the insurance companies body shop
- What you don’t know about using the insurance companies body shops
- Filing a claim with your own insurance company
- You do not have to use the body shop the insurance company wants you to use.
The Benefit of using the insurance companies body shop
Lifetime guarantee on repair
Most if not all insurance companies will guarantee the repair for life, by life we mean for as long as you own the car. Of course, the flip side is the body shop must provide a lifetime guarantee, not the insurance company.
It’s like hitting the easy button.
Some insurance companies make it super easy for you to get a rental car, drop your car off and you are on your way. It all sounds great; however, some insurance companies will take your car apart at their facility to write an accurate estimate. If you decide not to use the body shop the insurance company recommends, your car may come back in pieces.
Supplements are fast.
After your vehicle is being taken apart, they can write a supplement on the spot and go ahead and fix it without waiting for approval (not always the case)
Insurance Companies like to make it as easy as possible for you to get your car fixed. This makes the process of claims handling much faster and more efficient for the adjuster. More efficient means the adjuster can handle more claims, more claims for one adjuster means they don’t have to hire as many.
What you don’t know about using the insurance companies body shops
They have contracts with body shops. In some cases, they may have a predetermined labor rate. The labor rate will be much lower than what is normally charged, so the insurance company saves money at the expense of the body shop. The insurer may tell you that if you don’t use their shop, the repair won’t have a lifetime warranty. The truth is most body shops have a lifetime warranty on their work anyway.
Aftermarket parts
Some insurers will consider a car not new if it has more than 8,000 miles on the odometer and this qualifies it for the insurance companies’ policy that states they can use aftermarket parts. This means your new car to you is getting aftermarket parts installed, lowering the value. One way to combat this is to speak with an independent body shop. They usually fight for you, much like an attorney does in a personal injury case. They want your future business, so they want to take care of you.
Using aftermarket body panels to fix your car can be a cost-effective solution compared to purchasing original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind:
Some problems with Aftermarket parts
Quality
Not all aftermarket parts are created equal. Some may be of comparable quality to OEM parts, while others may be of lower quality. Research and read reviews to ensure you’re getting a good product.
Fitment
Aftermarket panels may not fit as perfectly as OEM parts. You may need to adjust or modify them to fit your vehicle properly. It’s essential to have them installed by a skilled technician who can make any necessary adjustments.
Warranty
Check the warranty provided with the aftermarket parts. Some may offer a warranty that covers defects, while others may not. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of the warranty before making a purchase.
Safety
Ensure that the aftermarket panels meet safety standards and regulations. Subpar parts may compromise the structural integrity of your vehicle in the event of a collision.
Resale value
Using aftermarket parts, especially if they are of lower quality, can potentially decrease the resale value of your car compared to using OEM parts.
Overall, using aftermarket body panels can be a viable option for repairing your car, especially if cost is a significant factor. If the insurance company is paying for it, I would insist on OEM parts or even used OEM parts.
Used Parts
Used parts will be written as well as aftermarket parts. The good thing about used parts is that they are OEM. The bad news for the body shop is that they will have to strip, fix, or straighten a used part before it can be used, however the insurer may only cover the cost of the part, not fixing it. If they do cover the fix, it will be at a much lower rate. The body shop ends up losing.
Using used body panels to fix a car has several potential advantages:
Cost Savings
One of the most significant benefits of using used body panels is cost savings. Used parts are typically much cheaper than new ones, which can significantly reduce repair costs, especially for older or less valuable vehicles.
Availability
Finding used body panels for older or less common vehicles may be easier than locating new OEM or aftermarket parts. Salvage yards and online marketplaces often have a wide selection of used parts available.
Environmental Benefits
Reusing existing parts reduces the demand for new manufacturing, which can help decrease the environmental impact associated with producing new parts. It’s a form of recycling that can contribute to sustainability efforts.
Original Fitment
Used OEM parts will generally have the same fit and finish as the original parts on your vehicle, ensuring proper alignment and compatibility. This can be especially beneficial for maintaining the structural integrity and appearance of your car.
Historical Authenticity
For classic or vintage cars, using original used body panels can preserve the vehicle’s historical authenticity and originality, which may be important for collectors or enthusiasts.
However, there are also some potential drawbacks to using used body panels, such as potential wear and tear, limited availability for certain parts, and the possibility of needing repairs or refinishing.
Most OEM car manufactures have woken up to the fact insurers use aftermarket or used parts so in some instances such as bumpers, they will do price matching. Some OEM parts dept will match everything on an estimate, you just fax it over and they send you OEM parts for the same price. A good body shop can do this or knows about it anyway.
Body Shops are not necessary the bad guys here.
They have signed contracts with insurers to fix cars. They must do what the adjuster of the insurance company says. Business in the body shop industry is tough to survive in, having insurance contracts or DRP’s is a way to stay alive. They adhere to what the regulations of their contract states.
Body shop Repair Time
The way some insurers save money is cutting the repair time down. This does not affect you at all, it affects the body shop. You must manually enter the time for repair. Say a quarter panel has a large dent in it, you enter 5 hours body time in Mitchell, the insurer will enter 2.5. If you are a DRP you can argue, if you are not a DRP you can refuse to do the repair for the time they want it done in.
Replace time!
Body Shops like it when the insurance adjuster writes to replace items rather than to repair, you can manually change the time. It’s automatically set in the software and that’s what they pay. It doesn’t matter if it takes the body shop 10 minutes to replace a fender or 5 hours, they get paid the same.
Paint time!
Paint time is a time used to pay for whatever it takes to paint the part or parts and blending panels if needed.
- The actual paint
- Tape
- Disposal hazard
- Car cover, etc.
Supplements
Supplements are damage that was missed during the estimate or hidden damage. Some damage cannot be seen until your car is taken apart for repair. When taking your car apart and they find damage that was not initially written on the estimate they do a supplement. Supplements handled at a non DRP can take a little longer to get done. The body shop must show the damage to the adjuster, then he decides to repair or replace it. At a DRP they may go ahead and write the supplement and do the repair.
Filing a claim with your own insurance company
Let’s say you had an accident, but it was not your fault. The at fault party’s insurance company is someone you have never heard of before. You may not feel comfortable dealing with them for the repair on your car. If you have full coverage insurance, you may file a claim on your own insurance and let your company work for you. After all, that’s why you pay for insurance.
Your insurance company will in turn go after the at fault party’s insurance company for the damage done to your car that they paid for. They may even waive your deductible and get that back as well.
Your insurance company works for you, that’s why you pay them. They may fix your car the way you want it fixed at the body shop you want it fixed at with no fuss. If your insurance company does not want to work for you, you can always fire them, you can’t do that with the at fault party’s insurance company.
- How to pick a good body shop after your car accident
- Do You Have to Use the Body Shop the Insurance Company Recommends
- Do I Need My Car Checked After an Accident if I don’t see any damage?
- Holiday travel and accidents
- How to File a Bodily Injury Claim
You do not have to use the body shop the insurance company wants you to use.
You can use whomever you wish. The insurance company may try and make things hard for you, but you need to use someone you can trust. Independent body shops will fight for you when it comes to fixing your car correctly, they want your future business. Correctly fixing a car from a consumer’s point of view may include using OEM parts. OEM parts from my experience fit better than aftermarket parts. Aftermarket parts may not be exact which would make you have to spend extra time to fit them, time the insurance company will not pay the body shop for.
DRP’s are great for people who just want their car fixed and back in service, what you don’t see is how the insurer may shortchange the body shop to fix your car. You can take your car anywhere to get fixed after it has been involved in a car accident. You don’t have to use the body shop the insurance company tells you to use.