topic Re: My Car Insurance Company in Community Chat

My Car Insurance Company

Jordan2 — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 22:35:46 GMT

I'm sitting here seething! I took my elderly mother to the dentist on Tuesday. We were in there maybe 30 minutes. I come out to the parking lot and can see a car hit me while they were either backing out of the spot or going in to the spot on my driver's side. Needless to say they didn't leave a note and just ran off. I live in New York state and the law is you can have work done at a shop of your choosing. I go get an estimate from a shop I have dealt with before and got an estimate for $2,200. I bring it to my insurance company today and she wasn't pleased by the amount. She tells me they have shops that they deal with, they don't need a claims adjuster as the shop can do the work. She tells me another option is a drive thru, they give you an estimate and cut you a check so you can go where you want. I find out by my insurance company (not the local office) that I MUST go to the drive thru. I call my local office and she tells me that's not true. She calls only to find out if you can drive your car you have to use the drive thru as they don't have enough claims adjusters to go around! I feel like they are forcing me to do things their way, the drive thru and shops that work with them don't have my best interest at heart. They are liable to give me a check for less then the estimate the shop gave me, maybe looking to cut corners. I'm so disgusted at this point. I hope the person that hit me got a lot of damage to their car! Oh, yeah I got the impression she thought my estimate was padded!

Re: My Car Insurance Company

athenian — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 22:46:57 GMT

If you accept a check, look at the back. Often it says that your endorsement signature is an acceptance of this a final amount and the case is closed. Do not just sign it as there may be damage that isn't apparent yet. I would check with your state insurance dept. to see if you must accept their estimate at the drive through.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

millieshops — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 22:59:14 GMT

As I read the original post, I realized I've never read my insurance policy to see the requirements for estimates in case of an accident. I don't even know if that info is included.

Will look later on. I want to know.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Nuttmeg — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:08:04 GMT

Jordan, Thank goodness you or your mother were not hurt. The insurance business is a game. The companies do not make money by paying out claims.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

millieshops — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:13:39 GMT

OK- I just read this on the website for my company which has a Select Service Program: If you choose not to use a Select Service Provider, State Farm will arrange for an estimate that reflects current local prices.

To me that means I can have any one do the repairs as long as I'm willing to pay the difference between that estimate and the estimate from someone else I choose, assuming there's a difference.

Nothing was there about any claims adjusters and there was no info about how I'd get an estimate if I wanted to use my own repair shop. Hoping I don't have to find out!

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Nuttmeg — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:29:17 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
OK- I just read this on the website for my company which has a Select Service Program: If you choose not to use a Select Service Provider, State Farm will arrange for an estimate that reflects current local prices.

To me that means I can have any one do the repairs as long as I'm willing to pay the difference between that estimate and the estimate from someone else I choose, assuming there's a difference.

Nothing was there about any claims adjusters and there was no info about how I'd get an estimate if I wanted to use my own repair shop. Hoping I don't have to find out!

Your should look into the claim process, if you want to know ask your insurance co.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

NicksmomESQ — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 21:00:13 GMT

.You have the legal right to take your car to a repair shop of your choosing.The insurance company then must send an appraiser to review the damage at the shop & secure an agreed price with the shop!! They are also required to provide you with a rental while the car is in the shop!!

My sons car was totalled by a reckless driver a few months ago & that is how it was handled!! I made sure of it!! Your insurance company has the same obligation minus your collision deductible of course. If they give you a hard time escalate the matter to a Claims Supervisor & or the Claims Manager.Threaten to go to the N.Y. State Dept. Of Insurance!!

Good luck!!!

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Jordan2 — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:33:44 GMT

Insurance companies love you until you file a claim. They have been taking my home owner and car insurance payments for 2 years. Now I need to file a claim and they make it hard on you. This accident wasn't remotely my fault but I was informed my rates will go up. If I could afford it I would get the work done myself.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Kachina624 — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:36:35 GMT

I had about $6,000 worth of damage done to my car when I hit a deer on I-40, when the car was only 3 months old. I took the car to the facility USAA recommended, I don't recall being given any other option. This place did a superb job of fixing it. It was perfect; never had a moment's trouble with it.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

SilleeMee — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:44:52 GMT

I thought it was "illegal" for an insurance company to have their own repair shops. That's like wearing two hats.

They can recommend a shop. But telling you HAVE to go to a designated shop in order to be covered sounds wrong.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Nuttmeg — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 23:44:49 GMT

@NicksmomESQ wrote:
I live in N.Y.& I was a Claims Supervisor for 2 major insurance companies for many years.You have the legal right to take your car to a repair shop of your choosing.The insurance company then must send an appraiser to review the damage at the shop & secure an agreed price with the shop!! They are also required to provide you with a rental while the car is in the shop!!
My sons car was totalled by a reckless driver a few months ago & that is how it was handled!! I made sure of it!! Your insurance company has the same obligation minus your collision deductible of course. If they give you a hard time escalate the matter to a Claims Supervisor & or the Claims Manager.Threaten to go to the N.Y. State Dept. Of Insurance!!

Good luck!!!

Each state is different. In New Jersey, you have to carry rental reimbursement on a car or you pay yourself.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Marp — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 00:07:13 GMT

@NicksmomESQ wrote:
I live in N.Y.& I was a Claims Supervisor for 2 major insurance companies for many years.You have the legal right to take your car to a repair shop of your choosing.The insurance company then must send an appraiser to review the damage at the shop & secure an agreed price with the shop!! They are also required to provide you with a rental while the car is in the shop!!
My sons car was totalled by a reckless driver a few months ago & that is how it was handled!! I made sure of it!! Your insurance company has the same obligation minus your collision deductible of course. If they give you a hard time escalate the matter to a Claims Supervisor & or the Claims Manager.Threaten to go to the N.Y. State Dept. Of Insurance!!

Good luck!!!

Sounds like if you were so inclined you have found a niche business for yourself facilitating or guiding insurance claims on behalf of the insured.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

millieshops — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 00:51:48 GMT

@NuttmegI grew up in an insurance office - both my father and my older brother, so I'm pretty sure I know what the wording I quoted means. I answered phones for too many years not to have to learn the drill. But that was long ago and things do change.

I've never seen a company pay any kind of claim with just one estimate that came from other than one of their own adjustors or one of their own service providers.

I didn't remember reading in my policy how it would be done. Now that I've seen it in print, I'll be amazed if I'm wrong. Right now I'm just trying to avoid an accident that's my own fault, but when I call in to pay my premium soon, I'll confirm their procedure on the local level.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Mustang Shar — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 02:21:00 GMT

Please check with the office building management to see if they have security footage video taped. Just in case....

Re: My Car Insurance Company

itiswhatitis — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 03:04:26 GMT

@NicksmomESQ wrote:
I live in N.Y.& I was a Claims Supervisor for 2 major insurance companies for many years.You have the legal right to take your car to a repair shop of your choosing.The insurance company then must send an appraiser to review the damage at the shop & secure an agreed price with the shop!! They are also required to provide you with a rental while the car is in the shop!!
My sons car was totalled by a reckless driver a few months ago & that is how it was handled!! I made sure of it!! Your insurance company has the same obligation minus your collision deductible of course. If they give you a hard time escalate the matter to a Claims Supervisor & or the Claims Manager.Threaten to go to the N.Y. State Dept. Of Insurance!!

Good luck!!!

@NicksmomESQ, very true, but what you describe may only apply to New York State.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

itiswhatitis — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 03:05:20 GMT

@Jordan2 wrote:
I'm sitting here seething! I took my elderly mother to the dentist on Tuesday. We were in there maybe 30 minutes. I come out to the parking lot and can see a car hit me while they were either backing out of the spot or going in to the spot on my driver's side. Needless to say they didn't leave a note and just ran off. I live in New York state and the law is you can have work done at a shop of your choosing. I go get an estimate from a shop I have dealt with before and got an estimate for $2,200. I bring it to my insurance company today and she wasn't pleased by the amount. She tells me they have shops that they deal with, they don't need a claims adjuster as the shop can do the work. She tells me another option is a drive thru, they give you an estimate and cut you a check so you can go where you want. I find out by my insurance company (not the local office) that I MUST go to the drive thru. I call my local office and she tells me that's not true. She calls only to find out if you can drive your car you have to use the drive thru as they don't have enough claims adjusters to go around! I feel like they are forcing me to do things their way, the drive thru and shops that work with them don't have my best interest at heart. They are liable to give me a check for less then the estimate the shop gave me, maybe looking to cut corners. I'm so disgusted at this point. I hope the person that hit me got a lot of damage to their car! Oh, yeah I got the impression she thought my estimate was padded!

Check your State's Department of Insurance/Finance or something. This will tell you your rights.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Gram W — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 05:11:16 GMT

I live in upstate NY. My experience was as Nicksmom said. I had a deer run into my car and I hit a car when a young man made a left turn right in front of me. Each time I had to first have my insurance companies adjuster give an estimate for the repairs. I was told up front who the preferred repair shop was or I could go to a shop of my choice. If I went to the preferred shop my ins co would pay for all hidden repairs that the adjuster had not been able to see. If I went to my shop we would be given a check for the amount of the estimate and I would have to pay for the balance. My ins paid for a rental for 1 week. That was the repair time the shop had quoted. It was going past that time so I went to my agent. She said this was not acceptable according to their contracts with the designated repair shops. She made them pay for a car for the next 2 weeks as the delay was there error in time management. Deer damage was pd in full and I did not pay any deductable. This happened several years ago. I am still with the same national insurance company but my agency had to retire early to care for sick parents. I hope the agency I have now will be as helpful and upfront if I should ever need them. Good luck.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

drizzellla — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 11:50:23 GMT

I had the same thing happen. But the lady came into where I work and notified me that she damaged my car. I called my insurance company and they said just take it back to the dealer where I bought the car. The insurance company took care of everything. I even picked up the rental car at the same dealer. Just walked in with my damaged car, signed the rental agreement and walked out 5 minutes later with my rental car. They made it easy.

Re: My Car Insurance Company

KathyPet — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:14:37 GMT

I guess I don't understand why you have a problem going through the insurance companies drive thru. The people there are claims adjusters and they will look at your car and estimate the repairs. If the estimate they give you is less than the one you got from the shop you want to use you can discuss the difference. The insurance company is not going to pay your claim without seeing the damage and doing a estimate of their own. I have used my preferred repair shop a couple of times. The proper procedure is to have your insurance company provide a estimate first and write you a check. You hold onto the check and take the car to the shop you want to use with the estimate from your insurance company. I have never had a shop say they could not do the work for the insurance estimate. It sounds to me like you want the insurance company to fork over the amount that the shop estimated it would cost with no verification of the damage from the insurance company. That is not the way it works. How do you know that the repair shop you want to use isn't overcharging for the repair?

Re: My Car Insurance Company

Hayfield — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:33:35 GMT

I live in the state of Virginia. I hit a deer a few years ago and my insurance company sent the adjust out and told me which repair shop to go to, it was just a couple of miles from my house and a very reputable business. I got a rental car. They did a good job and my insurance company paid the repair shop directly. My insurance premiums did not go up. I don't think insurance premiums go up unless you have an accident and it's your fault.