You just got into a car wreck, so you call your insurance company.
Your insurance company responds by informing you of the “preferred shops” on their list.
You then tell your insurance company Spectrum Collision.
Your insurance adjuster informs you that you should not send your car there because they are not our “preferred shop”.
You’ve seen the outstanding reviews and heard the excellent customer recommendations which puzzles you as to why your insurance company won’t let you go there.
1. Why does the insurance company use the phrase “preferred shop”?
It refers to the shops that give the insurance company the biggest discounts but NOT the customer.
– While discounts are good, not when it costs you quality
Example: Let’s say you just bought a brand new $90,000 car. You get in a wreck, but since you pay for insurance there is no need to worry, right? False! You find out that the insurance company and their “preferred shop” is repairing your brand new baby with cheap non-original parts because the trillion dollar insurance company has to spend too much money to repair your vehicle.
Don’t you pay the insurance company to repair your car?
2. What if shops give discounts to customers, will that place them on the “preferred shop” list?
No!
Repairing a vehicle can be very costly; that is why people have automobile insurance. So when you get in a wreck, the expense to you is typically the cost of your deductible. The insurance company takes care of the rest.
Here is how the “preferred shops” make money:
The insurance company receives a 5% discount on all OE parts and a $2/hour discount on all paint materials from the “preferred shops”. This means that shop is probably not going to put original parts back on your car. So, to make up for the loss in profits the “preferred shop” will list OE parts on your estimate and charge the insurance company for parts that may not make it on your car.
This process keeps theses shops on the insurance company’s “preferred shop” list.
We chose not to be on the insurance company’s list because we do not want the insurance company dictating to us the cheapest way to repair your car.
We know how costly repairs can be, so we try to help our customers save money any way possible without undercutting repairs.
3. My insurance company is pushing very hard for me to go to their “preferred shop,” but I do not want to. What do I do?
The insurance company can NOT make you go to their shops even if they threaten you.
IT’S AGAINST THE LAW
The law refers to this as steering.
What is steering?
Steps to combat your insurance company:
1. Call Spectrum Collision we can give you the best advice.
Phone: 251-583-6823
2. Call the insurance commissioner
– This is a FREE service. The insurance commissioner has the power to put the insurance company out of business if necessary
3. Tell the insurance company you pay their salary, and they are your employee
THIS IS AMERICA YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE YOUR AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR FACILITY