Nobody likes accidents—but they can happen. From small dents and scratches to hail damage due to bad weather. The whole point of purchasing auto insurance is to be protected against financial loss.
However, there is another benefit to having auto insurance, and it’s convenience. Insurance providers will handle the entire process of a claim, thereby letting you continue with your daily routine as if nothing happened.
But what if we told you that such a convenience could turn against your best interest? The purpose of this article is to analyze the reasons why you should obtain an auto body estimate before contacting the insurance company.
The Price of Convenience
In the words of Ted Hughes, “Nothing is free. Everything has to be paid for. For every profit in one thing, payment in some other thing…”
Although it is tempting to delegate the entire repair process in the hands of the insurer, the end result might not be to your complete satisfaction. Why? While it’s true that insurers work with fully qualified workshops, in practice, they are also trying to reduce costs as much as possible.
Cutting costs usually means choosing the “cheapest” estimate. In other words, your vehicle will be repaired by the body shop offering the lowest price. Businesses working with insurers understand that and focus on speed and cost reduction instead of quality.
Now, let’s be brutally honest. We are not saying insurers do not care about the quality of repairs. What we are saying is that cost is their main concern, not quality.
The Importance of Quality
“If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
No one will care for your vehicle more than you do. That said, will you let the insurance company choose the repair shop or will you choose the one you consider the best?
Just think about it. Damage from a collision or from a hailstorm usually requires a competent auto repair shop to restore your vehicle to a “like new” condition. The level of quality offered by expert body shops generally means that their services are more expensive than the average workshop. The quality has a price.
The point is your perspective as a vehicle owner is in direct conflict with that of the insurer. Your main concern is quality, not costs.
Why is quality so important?
Choosing a skilled body shop has a huge impact on the quality of repairs, which in turn translates to other factors such as:
- Aesthetics: No matter if you own a BMW or a Honda Civic, aesthetics are always important. Do you really want to drive a two-tone vehicle?
- Resale value: You may not care about aesthetics, but others do. If you don’t want to see your vehicle resale value drop, you need to keep it in optimal condition.
- Hidden damage: Arguably one of the top reasons to choose the repair shop yourself is to be sure no hidden damage is left behind. Insurers choose repair shops that avoid issuing overly high estimates.
Choosing the Best Repair Shop
Alright, you are convinced it is better to accept the challenge of choosing the auto repair shop, what is the next step?
- Locate reputable body shops: Our suggestion is to look for reputable auto body shops. Carfixt provides a free, no-obligation estimate that is invaluable to save you time with such a task. Our service connects you directly with licensed and insured shops in your area.
- Get comprehensive estimates: It is time to get those estimates. Remember to ask the repair shop owner for a comprehensive estimate that ensures a top-quality repair. If you decide to use Carfixt’s free service, all you do is click the “Get Estimates” button on our website.
- How many estimates do I need? This is a common question. Our suggestion is to acquire a minimum of one to two estimates from reputable body shops.
- Choose the best repair shop: Once you have completed reviewing the estimates, you will need to choose one. Our recommendation is to look at reviews on Carfixt after submitting your job details into the portal. Read customer reviews and comments before confirming the estimate. Follow your instincts.
Deciding What is Best for You
During the entire article, we talked about how important it is to get an estimate before contacting the insurer, mainly to guarantee the quality of the repair. However, there is another aspect worth mentioning – the deductible. Insurance companies work with statistics, risk statistics to be more precise. Each time you file a claim your risk increases. In simple words, the renewal cost of your insurance policy will be higher. How high? Depending on the insurance company, the premium could increase as high as 40%.
What does this have to do with estimates and deductibles? The answer is pretty obvious.
You have to decide if paying repairs out of your pocket is preferable to filing an insurance claim. For example, your deductible is $500 and the repair estimate is $800. If you file a claim, you will only pay $500. Is it worth the risk increase? That’s the question you need to ask yourself. And that’s another great reason to obtain estimates on your own. You will be safeguarding your insurance policy rates.
Conclusion
Auto repairs can be expensive when performed by qualified technicians. Allowing the insurance company the power to choose the repair shop may not be the best solution. It’s definitely worth taking the time to choose the workshop where your vehicle will be repaired. Doing so will provide huge short-term and long-term benefits.
