What is “Steering?” 

 After an accident, you look to your insurance provider for advice. Understand that the advice they give you may not always be in your best interests.

Your insurer may try to pressure you into using a shop on their “preferred” network. These shops generally follow their standards of repair, which often includes use of cheap, imitation parts. This is known as steering. Even though every state has laws against doing this, It’s still common for insurance companies to use misleading statements and intimidation to direct their policyholders to shops that will save them money.

Here’s the problem. When insurers and shops use cheap parts and cut corners, YOU lose out. But you don’t have to settle with subpar repairs. It’s your legal right to have your vehicle restored to the condition it was in before the accident. Stand your ground against steering. Defend your right to a safe, high quality repair. Prepare yourself for these common statements you will hear from your insurance company, and know where you stand.

“That shop isn’t on our preferred network.”

We normally think being “preferred” means higher quality and better repairs. What this really means is the shops have entered into a contractual agreement in exchange for referrals for more work. The term “Direct Repair Program” is a general term that refers to these “preferred” shops. These programs are in place to save the insurance company money.

Often, these referred shops have been found to use cheaper parts, and to skip procedures that are needed to keep your vehicle safe. Don’t choose a shop that’s preferred by your insurance company. Choose a shop you prefer, a shop that looks out for your interests, not your insurance company’s interests.

“We can’t guarantee the work if you take it there”

This is a common, misleading statement. If you’ve chosen a trustworthy shop like Accelerated Collision Repair, we offer a lifetime guarantee on the work we perform. This isn’t dependent on an insurance company..

“The charges at that shop are higher, and you may be responsible for the difference.”

99 out of 100 times, the initial insurance estimate on repairs is inadequate. When our certified technicians perform an in-depth analysis of the damage, we can gather proof of what is necessary to properly and safely repair your vehicle. This is part of the process, and insurers will pay once the need for necessary repairs is proven.

Our job is to fully restore the safety of your vehicle, without using inferior parts, and without cutting corners. There are times insurance companies resist this approach. We do everything we can to protect the safety and resale value of your vehicles, and ensure that the necessary work is covered.

“Claims take longer to settle at that shop.”

In our experience, this may be true, but here’s why. Delays in your claims process often results from a strategy employed by insurance companies to delay and deny justified claims. Sometimes, they will even tell you, “we won’t be able to send somebody to that shop for several days, but if you use our preferred shop we will have someone there to start on it right away.”

This is just another tactic insurance companies use to circumvent anti-steering laws, and pressure you, the policy holder, to a network shop that will use cheap parts and skip procedures. Exploiting the sense of urgency that we have of getting back to normal.

“They’re charging for parts and procedures that aren’t necessary.”

Understand that in this statement insurers are trying to avoid fulfilling their obligation to you to restore your vehicle to pre-accident condition. The most worrying aspect of this is that using inferior parts and skipping procedures has been proven to compromise the safety of your vehicle, and speaks nothing about the loss of resale value on your vehicle.

Preferred shops often buckle to insurance company pressures to use inferior parts, whereas independent shops and certified technicians insist on repairs that fully restore the safety systems of your car.

These statements from insurance companies are used to intimidate or pressure you. If successful, they will scare you into going to a shop that cares more about the bottom line than they do about the interests of you, the customer.

Use this information to help equip you with the knowledge to make the choices after an accident that are right for you and your family. If you have any other questions, or would like to know more, give us a call at (828)734-4999, or send us an e-mail.