If a Direct Repair Shop does not complete the repairs before the rental period approved by my insurance company, who is responsible for rental fees? Always check with your insurance company as to who is responsible for rental fees in any unexpected circumstances. Usually, if you have taken your car to a Direct Repair Shop on your insurance company’s program, then either the insurance company or the repair facility is responsible for all rental fees. This is NOT the case if you have chosen to take your car to a shop off their “approved” list. Again, always speak with your insurance company and find out what their policy is. Read entire post...

Whether or not you are entitled to a rental car is stated in your insurance policy. Generally, for only a dollar or two extra each month, you can add coverage for rental car reimbursement, which provides a rental car for little or no money while your car is in the repair shop or if it is stolen. Check your policy for specifics. The insurance company is generally only obligated to cover the rental car for the amount of time it takes to repair the car. Read entire post...

Most insurance companies take the labor hours divided by a set formula according to their company guidelines. Every insurance company will be different but it is typically an average of a 5 hour word day. For example, if the estimate calls for 45 hours total labor, divide 45 by 5 and your estimated repair time is 9 business days. The majority of repair shops do not have weekend hours.  This repair time can be delayed by parts on back order, additional repairs that require supplements or other unexpected factors. Read entire post...

What is expected before the vehicle is brought to the shop if it is drivable? What if the vehicle is non-drivable?  Estimate has to be written and accepted, parts will need to be ordered by the shop and the car scheduled to be brought into the auto body shop for repairs. If the vehicle is non-drivable, it will need to be towed to the repair facility. Read entire post...

Like scouting for a plumber or a mechanic, the reputation of the body shop is an important factor to consider. Always ask for references from your insurance company. They don’t deal with inferior service providers because they have a vested interest in the vehicles being repaired properly. Another thing you can do is ask your mechanic. If he has been around the area awhile you can bet that he knows who the best body shops are and which ones to avoid. A good reference is priceless. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau about a particular shop.Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and I-CAR are training and certification associations for the collision repair industry. Look for th Read entire post...

Do I have to use a Direct Repair Shop recommended by the insurance company? No. In the end, the choice is yours. The insurance company may tell you that the shop of your choice is not on their “approved” list of shops and that they may not be able to efficiently handle your claim due to your selection of a certain shop, but do not be intimidated by this. It is your right to choose whatever shop you want to repair your vehicle. If by chance you pick a bad shop, and they mess up your repairs, it is you against the body shop. The insurance company is only liable to pay for the original repair, it will not warranty how those repairs are made, whereas if you had gone to one of the ins Read entire post...

When you first contact your insurance to set up your estimate and review your policy, ask the insurance company about their Direct Repair Program and what type of warranty they give on repairs done at one of their facilities and, if applicable, will the warranty transfer out of state. Normally the insurance companies will back the warranties of the shops on their “approved” lists. Read entire post...

Does my insurance company offer me a direct repair program through a local body shop and how does the process work in dealing with a direct repair shop?  Some auto insurance companies use a Direct Repair Program to provide repairs for their policy holders. In a Direct Repair Program, a collision shop and an auto insurance company complete a contract to provide repairs for the insurance company’s claimants. This is how a Direct Repair Program works: You are involved in an accident and contact your insurance company, or the insurer of the at-fault driver. The auto insurance company then refers you to a network of conveniently located repair facilities that offer a limited lifetime war Read entire post...

After evaluating the damages to your vehicle, your insurance company has the option of repairing your vehicle, replacing your vehicle, or reimbursing you for the vehicle’s actual cash value (ACV). Actual cash value is the amount your vehicle would have sold for on the date of the accident. Your insurance will elect to replace your vehicle or reimburse you for the ACV in those instances where the vehicle is economically impractical to repair. A vehicle is considered economically impractical to repair, or a total loss, if the cost to repair the vehicle equals or exceeds the vehicle’s ACV on the date of the loss. In many instances an insurance company will total a vehicle if the ap Read entire post...

No, the final choice is yours but if the insurer wants to use non-OEM parts and you decide to use more expensive OEM parts, you may have to pay the difference in cost. All depends what is stated in your policy. Read entire post...