The Rental Runaround
At least that seems to be the thought process behind Progressive’s latest tactic. Undoubtedly the most despised insurer in the industry these days (Allstate once held the title), Progressive has clearly sunk to an all-time low: attempting to collect from body shops for what it’s calling “excessive rental.” Although repairers aren’t obligated to pay for
An Incident at the Courthouse
Eighteen years ago, this stay-at-home mom got an auto body shop in her divorce settlement. Today, the story seems funny. Back then, not so much.
Do Database Times Really Matter?
Point CounterPoint
Insurers Take Back Door to Parts Discounts
Since when did one single vendor set the pricing for OEM parts? And since when did we, as shop owners, stop buying OEM parts from our trusted vendors and start buying them from insurers’ “preferred” vendors — who actually charge us more?
DRPs, Here We Come?
Our second month in business, we landed fleet work with two major car rental agencies. We used this same strategy when visiting our first three insurance companies.
9 Steps to Protect Your Shop from DV Claims
Post-repair inspectors, on average, see proper repairs one time out of every 100 inspections. Sloppy repairs are on the rise – and due to insurers forcing shops to carry liability insurance policies often exceeding $1 million, so are attorneys looking to hold shops accountable.
Held Hostage by Your Credit
I was flabbergasted the day my local Dodge dealer questioned my ability to lease a new Dodge Dakota for one of my shop employees. Turns out, all sorts of inaccurate, slanderous information can be put on your credit report – all without your knowledge.
On Your Terms
As of late, insurance companies have staunchly positioned themselves on the offensive, launching all sorts of new “customer-driven” programs to get them in good with the motoring/car-crashing public. Insurers being on the offensive, however, puts the repair industry on the defensive, forcing shops to react to whatever insurers throw their way. Problem is, being reactive
Get Your Head Out of the Sand
Unless an insurance company chooses the “repair” option in the insurance contract — making it fully liable for its repair choices — it has no legal right to be involved in the repair process.
The Return of Competitive Bidding
The time has come to examine the basis on which shops compete. To do this, you must first ask yourself: With whom am I competing? An insurer and its “phantom” shops or other actual shops in my local market?
