Let’s face it. The goal of any good business is to make money whenever they can, and also save money too. This in particular is a delicate balancing act put on by insurance companies. But they do not do this with complete greed in mind, like so many of you would like to believe. Keeping their costs low is huge boon for you the insured as well, because it helps to keep premiums down. One way insurance companies implement cost cutting measures is by recommending that the people they insure use the direct repair companies with which they are associated. These companies  are under contract with the insurance agencies, which allows the agency some perks that they don’t get from a non-contrac Read entire post...

Once again, the old battle of good vs. evil rears its ugly head, but this time it’s in the collision repair industry. When you get into a car accident, and you need to repair your vehicle, who do you go to? Do you use your own “guy,” or do you go to one of the shops suggested by your insurance company, which is called a direct repair shop. The reason this is such a hot topic is because the insurance companies have basically taken the freedom of choice away from the vehicle owner. If you use one of the direct repair shops recommended by the insurance company you will get perks that you will not receive from a non-contracted repair provider. One major bonus is that the parts and repair y Read entire post...

Came across an interesting article the other day in Collision Week. They talked about how the IIHS doesn’t endorse the use of aftermarket parts. Read more below: By Collision Week The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says it does not recommend the use of aftermarket structural parts because there is no system in place to guarantee that they would perform the same way the original parts would in a crash. David Zuby, chief research officer for the IIHS, was quoted in Consumer Reports Thursday saying, “The vehicle structure is part of a complex system designed to protect people in crashes, as well as hold up the engine. There’s a lot of engineering that goes into Read entire post...

You’ve had an accident and now you need to get your vehicle repaired. What do you do? Whether you are a claimant or an insured, you need to report the accident to the insurance company.  When you speak to them, they will recommend one of their Direct Repair Shops. Do you have to use a Direct Repair Shop? 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. However, if by chan Read entire post...

From the other side of the tracks Stumbled across a blog post on a great discussion board I’ve been participating on, much to either the delight or dismay of the other participants, as I apparently do not fit in. But that’s ok. I love a good debate. Back to the blog post. AutoMuse® points out a recent news item up in Connecticut where the Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, wants to pass legislation to make sure consumers cars are repaired correctly and safely and demands that insurance companies do not harass or push consumers to use their “DRPs” or preferred shops. Consumers deserve to choose where a car is repaired. No insurer should straightjacket or corral c Read entire post...

Getting unbiased opinions on how to get your vehicle repaired after an insurance claim is often hard work. Between the insurance company pulling you one way and the body shop telling you to go another way, you often feel like you are playing tug of war. AutoBodyFAQ.com hopes to dispel some of the uncertainties and give you some real world scenarios on dealing with the stressful experience of getting your vehicle repaired to pre-accident condition. Hopefully we can answer any questions you might have that we haven’t already covered in our extensive FAQ. Read entire post...