Critical Info about Illegal Steering and Repairing Your Hail Damaged Vehicle

Hail Dent Surgeon is not affiliated with any insurance Direct Repair Program (DRP). These types of programs foster price discounts. And other concessions designed to save insurance companies money. Which often facilitate less than “high” quality repair service for your vehicle. Hail Dent Surgeon will NEVER sacrifice quality to return money and discounts to insurance companies with expectation of garnering future referral business. It is our position these types of arrangements only lead to cutting corners to save time repairing your vehicle. The result is a direct loss of repair quality. Don’t become a victim of illegal steering by your insurance company. Although illegal, these practices continue to exist in the insurance industry and can take many forms. Below outlines what you may encounter and what it may look like so you will be prepared.

Can an insurance company tell you where to get your car repaired?

1. The first example can occur when the insurance estimate paperwork identifies a repair facility. This is direct steering as many individuals feel compelled to take their vehicle to the listed facility. And by not doing so, the repair may not be approved by their insurance company. This is incorrect and misleading. By law, you have the right to take your vehicle to the facility of your choosing and not one named by the insurance company!

2. Many times after a large hail storm insurance adjusters will set up at a body shop (their DRP) to complete estimates and settle claims. This is another common practice as the adjuster introduces you to the manager of the body shop once the estimate is completed placing direct pressure on you to schedule the repair. Remember that body shops specialize in body and paint work and if you would like to explore paintless hail repair, you may be in the wrong facility. Take your time, ask around, check reviews, or consult a paintless hail repair specialist before scheduling the appointment. You are not required to make a decision on the spot!

3. More recently it has been observed that some insurance companies and or agents are sending their customers directly to their DRP (direct repair provider) for the initial Hail Repair Estimate. Please recognize that this is not a customary request for hail repair in Greeley CO and other cities. By sending you to a DRP for the initial estimate, you may feel compelled you must have that business complete the repair because your insurance company or your agent sent you there. By law, it’s your choice who and how your hail damaged automobile is repaired! Furthermore, insurance companies have their own estimators and adjusters who complete this task for you. They complete the “estimate of record” and settle your claim, not a DRP.

By law, you have the right to have your vehicle repaired by the repairer of your choice

4. Some insurance companies may attempt to steer and or intimidate you into believing that they will not guarantee the repairs if you have the vehicle repaired by someone other than one of their preferred shops (DRP). This is not only misleading but incorrect! Each repair business carries their own guarantees and warranties for completed repairs. Insurance companies cannot and will not guarantee and warranty work done by a repair facility. It is the repair business you choose that provides these to you and stands by the completed repairs.

5. Depending on the severity of hail damage, the insurance adjuster may write the estimate to repair by use of Paintless Hail Repair, conventional auto body repair, or by a combination of both. Although body shops are familiar with PDR (paintless dent removal), very few will have specialists on staff to consult. Body shops specialize in body and paint work. Even if the insurance adjuster has figured repair by means of auto body restoration. Many times paintless hail repair may still be feasible and successful. If there is any question as to the severity of damage, it is always advisable to consult with a Paintless Hail Repair specialist before making conventional auto body repair.

6. Another form of steering that can occur when taking your vehicle to the repair facility of your choosing is when you are informed you may be responsible for higher labor rates or repair costs. This is also incorrect! Your insurer will pay what is “reasonable and customary” charges for work done at the repair facility of your choice. Your obligation is limited to your deductible amount, period! The insurance company will pay the balance of final repair cost.

Paintless Hail Repair specialist Greeley CO and Surrounding Areas

When meeting with the adjuster to assess the hail damage to your vehicle, make sure he or she views your vehicle indoors and if possible under fluorescent or LED lighting. Estimating hail damage outside often leads to missed or overlooked damage due to variable lighting. Even today, roughly 90% of auto hail claims are under estimated for many reasons. In these cases, the repair business you choose will file a supplement on your behalf for your insurance company to approve. This occurs frequently as most estimates are under final cost of repair.

If you own your vehicle, you have the right to keep your claim settlement. Do not inform in any way you are not repairing the vehicle because a light estimate may be the result. Furthermore, you may never discover the under estimation since you are not repairing the vehicle. If you have received a settlement check from your insurance company and your vehicle has sufficient value, it is always best to repair the hail damage for many reasons.

The first is obvious, lost value of the vehicle to be realized upon sale or trade. Second, should future hail damage occur, you may need to provide proof the former hail repair was completed in Greeley CO and in any area. You may also need proof of repair to maintain continued comprehensive insurance on the vehicle. Lastly, if your vehicle sustains future collision damage, the insurance company may reduce the claim amount. By the settlement for hail repair plus your deductible due to present value of the vehicle, which is still hail damaged.

The result could leave you with thousands out of pocket. And possibly no car to drive if you cannot complete repairs. Therefore, it is always advisable to complete the hail repair. This is to ensure a fair settlement and if future claims become necessary. These are valuable lessons the majority of Americans learn later as 50-70% of insurance claims for auto hail damage are not repaired.