DRPs, Here We Come? If We Want Our DRPs, Insurers Need to Respect Us
After a short period of kowtowing to insurers, we came to our senses and realized that if we want our DRPs, insurers need to respect us. Enter: our “house rules.” Part 2 of a year-long series.
Will Insurers Eventually Purchase All Parts Directly from OEMs, Eliminating Shop Profits on Parts?
I’m going to play the devil’s advocate and say, ‘Yes, but only if we continue in our present path of doing nothing to stop them.’ We wouldn’t even be discussing this problem if all shops realized that the repair contract is between you (the shop) and the vehicle owner. Contrary to common, but misinformed belief,
Barking up the Wrong Tree: Contact Your State Attorney General with Insurer-Related Complaints.
Because state insurance departments are merely taxpayer-funded bodyguards for the insurance industry, you need to contact your state attorney general with insurer-related complaints.
Insurers Don’t Control Pricing
“That’s almost like asking, “How much does a Chevrolet Tahoe cost?”
North Carolina Body Shops Rate Insurers
North Carolina insurance companies that pay for OEM parts and avoid high-pressure tactics faired far better in the 2004 Body Shop Survey of Insurers than those using steering tactics and strong-armed adjusters.
Insurer-Owned Shops: Anomaly or Trend
er relationships?”– Johnny Reyes, operations specialist, Pacific Collision Center, Inc., Placentia, Calif. Question answered by: Charlie Barone Among the greatest concerns of body shop owners in the United States is the possibility of a developing trend toward insurance company ownership of body shops. While the advancement of the Sterling/Allstate venture appears to be rapid in
When Does Insurer Steering Become Illegal?
Every day, insurers tell customers: "They’re not on our list of shops." "We can’t guarantee their work." "We may not be able to help you as much as we’d like if you take your car to that shop." Fed up, a few shop owners across the country have gathered evidence that insurer actions are depriving them of their right to compete and have filed tortious interference lawsuits. The result: multimillion-dollar settlements.
The Word Track an Insurer Uses to Influence a Vehicle Owner to Go to a Preferred Shop
We have a list of five companies here …” Sound familiar? Like … oh, let’s say … the word track an insurer uses to influence a vehicle owner to go to a preferred shop? But what if the roles were reversed? What if, instead, it’s the word track a shop owner uses to influence a
Are Insurers Above the Law?
“Until insurance companies have to play by the same rules as all other industries, collision repairers and vehicle owners will continue to have conflict with them. How can insurers’ exemption from antitrust laws be changed or eliminated? – Mike Hogan, body shop manager, Tulley Buick, Nashua, N.H.
A List of Five Suggestions from Repairers to Insurer
1. Hire people with experience instead of college kids who’ve never been around cars.
2. Stop steering and stop lying.
3. Pay for necessary operations and materials to properly repair vehicles.
4. Don’t take so dang long to approve supplements.
5. Accept the fact that it costs money to repair an accident, and quit trying to cut corners.