Are Insurers Infringing Upon Consumers’ Rights in the Repair Process?
Some insurers have begun asserting that they have an “interest” in the repair. Others are “electing to repair” policyholders’ vehicles without their consent. A look at two court cases might shed some light on whether they’re in the right.
Maine TV Station Spotlights Insurer Steering Against Body Shops
A TV news station in Maine, WGME 13, recently put the spotlight on steering with a special “13 On Your Side” report on how insurance companies are interfering with the relationships collision repair facilities have worked hard to build with customers. In the report, a female customer talks about how she was “bullied” into taking
Georgia Repairers Rank State Farm Best Insurer in State
Repair shops in Metro Atlanta were asked by the Georgia Collision Industry Association (GCIA) to give a performance letter grade to insurance companies on their claim policies, attitudes and payment practices. State Farm topped the list as the best insurer, while Nationwide was ranked the worst out of 10. To balance the score and arrive
Progressive Grabs No. 4 Spot Among Top Auto Insurers
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Progressive is now the No. 4 U.S. auto insurer, with a 7 percent market share, behind State Farm (18 percent), Allstate (10 percent) and GEICO (8 percent). The company’s shares now trade around $16 – about 10 or 11 times estimated 2010 profits – and are predicted to
Repairers, Insurers Debate Consistency of DRPs at CIC
Repairers vented their frustrations about the lack of consistency in direct-repair programs (DRPs) last week at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Washington, D.C., and the takeaway was that it would probably always be this way due to insurance companies’ competitive nature with one another. “There isn’t any consistency because every insurer has a different
PPG Says Continuing Education for Insurers Can Help Shops Market to Agents
PPG says it’s helping its CertifiedFirst Network collision center owners and managers build relationships with insurance agents through its Continuing Education Instructor Development Training (IDT) program. Four such programs have been held this year with another scheduled for Dallas, Texas, Sept. 8-9. PPG IDT offers continuing education necessary for insurance agents to maintain professional certification,
Progressive Relationship Improving, Say Repairers at Midwest Collision Forum
The working relationship between Progressive and collision repairers is improving. At least that was the general consensus among repairers who attended the 4th Annual Midwest Collision Forum in Columbia, Mo. Chris Andreoli, corporate claims process manager for Progressive, addressed the insurer’s new claims initiative and other concerns. According to one observer, most participants seemed to
Nevada Insurer-Owned Shop Bill Moves to Senate
On Tuesday, the Nevada Assembly passed A.B. 297, which would prevent insurance companies from acquiring or opening collision repair facilities and would place restrictions on pre-existing relationships between insurance companies and shops they own interest in, referred to as “tied shops.” A.B. 297 would make the relationship between an insurer and a tied shop like
Nevada Insurer-Owned Shop Bill Moves to Senate
On Tuesday, the Nevada Assembly passed A.B. 297, which would prevent insurance companies from acquiring or opening collision repair facilities and would place restrictions on pre-existing relationships between insurance companies and shops they own interest in, referred to as “tied shops.” A.B. 297 would make the relationship between an insurer and a tied shop like
Insurer-Owned Shop Bill Introduced in Nevada
A bill introduced in the Nevada Assembly is designed to prevent insurance companies from acquiring or opening collision repair facilities and would place restrictions on pre-existing relationships between insurance companies and shops they own interest in, referred to as “tied shops.” The bill, A.B. 297, would make the relationship between an insurer and tied shop