In what will most likely sound like a familiar story to collision repairers, members of the National Alliance of Paintless Dent Repair Technicians (NAPDRT) are accusing Farmers Insurance Group of limiting consumer and collision repair facility choice by now directing its DRP shops to sublet PDR jobs exclusively to two national PDR firms, PARS and Dent Wizard.
NAPDRT found out about Farmers change in policy after obtaining a letter from Farmers to its Circle of Dependability (COD) direct repair shops. The letter named “national COD vendors PARS and Dent Wizard as the primary contact for customers in scheduling PDR, even if conventional repairs are determined to be the customer’s best option." The letter went on to say, "In the event conventional repairs are necessary, PARS and Dent Wizard will sublet those repairs to a COD facility when one is available in the market area and the customer agrees COD is still their best choice.”
“The direction of all ‘catastrophe and storm-related losses’ to PARS and Dent Wizard as the primary contact for customers in scheduling PDR and conventional repairs places limitations on the consumer and the collision repair facilities and impedes the relationship between consumers and collision repair shops and independent PDR vendors,” said Tommy Clayton, president of NAPDRT.
NAPDRT says it’s encouraging Farmers Insurance Group to contact the association to discuss this program and that it will continue to monitor the issue.
More information:
• National Association of Paintless Dent Repair Technicians
