Car Insurance Repairs?

Question

Do I have to go to insurance co. approved repairer, or can I return to main dealer, where car was bought, to get repairs done?

Answer 1

Check with your insurance company.  Many, like GEICO have guaranteed repair shops where you don't need to get another estimate and many times include dealerships.

Answer 2

In the U.S.you can get the car repaired at the shop of your choice. The insurance company can try to refer you to one of their "approved" shops, but they can not force you into doing that.

Pick a shop you want and if need be the shop will negotiate a repair price with the insurance company. The whole process is pretty easy.

Answer 3

Insurance companies cannot make you have your car repaired at one of their approved repairers.

Providing there is not a great difference in the estimates between the two repairers then the choice should be yours.

If your chosen repairer is more expensive then the insurance company may ask you to pay the difference.

Some insurance companies may try to dictate where your car should be repaired but this is probably because they are receiving a back-hander from the repairer!

I have known instances where insurance companies have insisted that their approved repairers do the work even though their estimates were higher than other repairers! (back-handers or what?)

At the end of the day it is your car and you should therefore have the right to decide who repairs it.

Answer 4

Their approved garage.  Silly really - my Toyota ended up at a Volvo dealers for bodywork and hubbys Volvo ended up at a Saab garage for his!! Go figure!!

Answer 5

Your rules may differ, but in Washington State, we can go to any shop for estimates and repairs. And we only need go to one.

Answer 6

Yes, you can take your car to where ever you want, after all it is your car.

However, once you have submitted your estimate for repairs the insurance company will more than likely send one of their engineers out to agree the estimate and authorise the work.