Choose Your Parts Wisely

, ,

Original Equipment parts can reduce time required for repairs

Everyone involved in the process—you the customer, the shop, and the insurer—wants you to get your car back as soon as possible.  Several factors determine how long your car will be in the body shop for repairs.  The two biggest factors are:

  1.      the severity, nature, and extent of the damage to your car; and,
  2.      the availability of replacement parts.

I have found that the use of OE or Original Equipment parts can help speed up repairs.  Here are a few reasons why:

  • OE Parts Fit Properly.

A factory-made OE part fits properly. The technician can install the part quickly and correctly, moving on to the next operation.  It is often hit-or-miss whether a non-OE part will fit properly. When a non-OE part does not fit, the technician must either take more time to attempt to make the part fit or order another part.  Making a part fit can possibly compromise the quality of the repair and the final appearance of the vehicle.  Ordering another part can cause a delay of a day or more.

  • Salvage Parts Must Be Prepped and Fitted.

Vehicle manufacturers do not recommend the use of salvage parts.  Sometimes, however, the insurer specifies a salvage part for the repair. When this happens, the salvage part may need to be prepped before it is ready to be fitted to your car.  In other words, this part may need to be reconditioned, have small dents removed, and have the paint completely sanded. This causes delays.

  • Multiple Suppliers Increases Parts Delivery Timeline.

The use of multiple non-OE parts suppliers may slow the repair process.  Repairs commence only when all ordered parts have been delivered to the body shop. Sometimes the insurer will specify non-OE parts that must be sourced from one or more of their approved after-market manufacturers or surplus suppliers.  Waiting on deliveries from multiple non-OE parts suppliers can cause delays.

Know, too, that you have the right to ask for OE parts.  Most auto policies provide that the insurer will return your crashed vehicle to its pre-accident state with parts of “like kind and quality.”  In the same fashion of keeping their profits as high as possible, insurers generally propose the use of less expensive non-OE parts.  However, auto policies generally don’t exclude the use of OE parts, so don’t be shy about insisting.

Lastly, it’s important to remember, dealers routinely check the crash history of a vehicle to see what kinds of parts were used in its repair.  Your resale or trade-in value might be hurt if non-OE parts are used.

/by

5 Advantages That New Tires Give You

, ,

RobertRobert Molina writes insanely useful guides about the auto body repair process and what you need to know to make the process less stressful.  With more than 25 years of experience as an independent auto body shop owner, he’s on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook and raise the bar for quality collision and auto […]

Read more
/by

What is “pre-accident” condition? Are you entitled to OEM parts?

, , ,

RobertRobert Molina writes insanely useful guides about the auto body repair process and what you need to know to make the process less stressful.  With more than 25 years of experience as an independent auto body shop owner, he’s on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook and raise the bar for quality collision and auto […]

Read more
/by

The Insurance Adjuster Is NOT On Your Side

, ,
The Insurance Adjuster Is NOT On Your Side
The insurance adjuster’s job is to limit the amount of money they pay out as little as possible on each and every claim, so as to maximize the profitability of the insurance company.  Their goal is to settle your claim in a way that favors the insurance company they work for; this is what they get paid to do!  This means that the insurance adjuster is not on your side. You are not working together towards a common goal. Your interests are not aligned. He or she may act friendly, give you tips, and tell you that want to make sure that you’re taken care of as soon as possible. All of that is simply a tactic.  Don’t be fooled.

Insurance companies take every claim very seriously, you should treat your claim in the same way.  Here are some of the ways an insurance adjuster seeks to limit money they pay out on claims, and steer you to a body repair shop that will cater to their interests:
• Refusing to follow original equipment manufacturer (OEM) repair & safety specifications.
It is important to note that service, repair and safety procedures provided by the OEM are specifications, not recommendations. And, following the OEM procedures is the best way to achieve complete, safe, quality repair of your vehicle.  An insurance adjuster may disregard a published OEM repair specification or procedure, opting instead to pay only for the repair to meet some minimal, generic, or even superficial level of repair. 

An OEM certified body repair shop must perform 100% of the OEM-published repair specifications and procedures, which will restore the vehicle to factory standards and not void the manufacturer’s warranty.  However, a non-OEM certified body shop, which includes most of the chain and corporate owned body shops, doesn’t have this same standard nor accountability to the manufacturer, so they are willing to do the minimal, generic, or even superficial level of repairs as dictated by the insurance, instead of achieving 100% compliance with OEM-published repair specifications and procedures.   
• Refusing to pay for diagnostic testing.
Very often diagnostic testing can be used to resolve differences of opinions between the repair options recommended by an OEM-certified body shop and those proposed by a claims adjuster.  A customer can request and pay directly for diagnostic testing, the results of which may aid in any direct claim they pursue with their insurance company for baseless and unsubstantiated adjustment of their claim. Refusing diagnostic testing is often seen when either the outcome of that testing would substantiate higher claims costs to the detriment of the insurance company and/or undermine the repair opinions of the claims adjuster.
• Some insurance company’s only offer remote or virtual review of claims & supplements.
Going over the car together with your claims adjuster at a OEM-certified body repair shop is a good quality-control process to assure the estimate is thorough and accurate. Since COVID, many insurance companies have continued to rely on remote and virtual estimating and claims review.  When there is a large discrepancy in claim, you should strive to get a claims adjuster to conduct an on-site inspection at the body shop.
• Use of “preferred body shop” to avoid having to defend the repair opinions.
Far too often the claims adjuster has little or no factual basis for defending his position, and relies on an emotional response.  These responses can be along the lines of “that’s just what we feel is industry standard” or “we don’t think all of the manufacturer repair specifications included in the estimate are necessary” or “the labor rates are higher than industry norm”.  A truly independent and quality body shop will advocate for its customers and requests the insurance adjuster provide documented support for their position.  This request will then produce the evidence the customer needs in order to pursue direct claims with their insurance company.  In contrast to an independent body shop, there are many body shops, including most chain and corporate owned body shops, that partner with insurance companies in order to be recognized as a ‘preferred body shop’ and get increased business from the insurance company.  A ‘preferred body shop’ can’t afford (literally!) to bite-the-hand-that-feeds-them, they are no longer truly advocates for the best interest of the customer.  
Not all body repair shops are created equal, and you need to look “behind the curtain” before making a decision to use a shop recommended by your insurance company.

I know, first hand, that Collision Care Xpress, in Broward County, Florida is an independent body shop that works only for the customer, and not for the insurance company! Collision Care Xpress is not only OEM certified and employs OEM trained technicians, but the insurance claims adjuster is given detailed documentation to evidence damages and validate repair procedures and protocols; these are facts and not opinions given by this body shop to support the estimate line items, such as written documentation and specifications from the vehicle’s manufacturer.

/by

Is my insurance estimate too low?

, , ,

Is my insurance estimate too low?

You have received an insurance estimate for damages to your vehicle. After reading the estimate you think it’s too low. But don’t worry, it probably is.  99% of insurance estimates written are too low. Keep in mind that insurance estimates are preliminary. Insurance appraisers can only write estimates for damages that are visible – – “what they can see”.

When you bring your vehicle to a body shop, they will do a “tear down” and review your insurance estimate. A tear down means to remove parts damaged by the accident to expose any hidden damage.

If more damage is found a supplement will be sent to the insurance company.  I know that at Collision Care Xpress, they use a state-of-the-art computerized estimating system, as do many other body shops throughout the United States.  This type of estimating system uploads supplements, documents, and photos directly to your insurance company, saving time for you, the shop, and the insurance company.

/by