CARSTAR Corporate recently alerted its network shops of an issue with PartsTrader in which labor times for body and refinish are being removed from State Farm estimates after the estimates have been run through and received back from PartsTrader.

The note reads as follows:

Recently, it has come to our attention through feedback from our Insurance Relations Committee, our Ohio ADO and other stores in the Midwest markets that there is an ongoing issue with State Farm and the PartsTrader parts supply process. Stores are reporting labor times for body and refinish are being removed from State Farm estimates AFTER the estimate has been run through and received back from PartsTrader.  Please be sure your repair facility and estimators are double-checking the labor times on all estimates run through PartsTrader. If the labor times have been removed, they will need to be re-added to the estimate.
 
Both State Farm and PartsTrader are aware of the issue and are working on the fix. That fix is scheduled for Q1 2014. Until the fix is tested and in place, it is vital to double-check all estimates for proper labor times. The insurance team is closely monitoring the situation and is talking regularly with the management teams at both PartsTrader and State Farm.