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I would like to know if anyone has had a similar experience with their insurance company

You will need to give more information. Exactly what did the insurance company do and what were the circumstances?

Many insurance companies require used or non OEM parts. That is how they increase their bottom line.

Oh, we didn’t notice that. Let us adjust it. My dad waits, and waits, and waits. 2 hours later they say sir, we regret to inform you there is damage to the frame we didn’t see.

Any reputable collision repair place with include in the initial estimate: "subject to hidden damage" that cannot be seen right off. If that was not in your repair estimate, then that is the fault of the people doing the estimate.

Many insurance companies now do their own estimates; better to get the estimate from a quality collision service center.

 

You will need to give more information. Exactly what did the insurance company do and what were the circumstances?

Many insurance companies require used or non OEM parts. That is how they increase their bottom line.


Any reputable collision repair place with include in the initial estimate: "subject to hidden damage" that cannot be seen right off. If that was not in your repair estimate, then that is the fault of the people doing the estimate.

Many insurance companies now do their own estimates; better to get the estimate from a quality collision service center.

From the Care Care Nut video, the summary is this:

• Rav4 accident at night resulted in major front end damage requiring towing to garage.
• Rav4 owner goes to garage next day to take photos, of which he sends to the insurance company.
• Garage does a detailed estimate to show customer and insurance adjuster (as usual SOP) in anticipation of insurance adjuster arriving for a closer examination of damaged vehicle and discussion with garage about repairs and costs before agreeing on repair claim work and costs/coverage.
• Insurance provider fails to send insurance claims adjuster as usual SOP and instead sends email to car owner and garage stating the repairs were approved and check is being sent to claimant.
• Garage says WHAT?! What repairs and what approval?
• The insurance provider bypassed the SOP and decided to evaluate the damage and repairs based solely on cellphone images provided by Rav4 owner. Their estimate for coverage is much less than the garage estimate.
• Garage argues against this process, wanting an adjuster to come into the garage to discuss the damage and costs. Adjuster arrives, takes some photos and leaves without resolving garage's issues with the claim decision.
• Garage discovers the adjuster lowers the claim cost even more.
• Video host/owner/mechanic of the garage (who is an expert in Toyota repairs) refuses to do the work based on the adjuster's claim costs are way too low and unrealistic for a Rav4 with so much front end and frame damage. Host is forced to refuse the repair based on economics, legal liability, and safety concerns.
• Car owner has damaged Rav4 towed to a garage the insurance provider found that was willing to do the repairs "assessed" and priced by the insurance provider's reckoning.
• End of video and what we know has happened other than the Rav4 owner was without his car for months, and repairs will very likely be substandard.

In a nutshell, the garage's argument is that the insurance provider failed to follow SOP by not actually inspecting the damage personally and discussing repairs with the garage before coming to any shared agreement about repairs and costs. The garage was not given the opportunity to include any "subject to hidden damage" addendums to the repair estimate and agreement. Per the garage's viewpoint, the adjuster filed the claim payoff based only on the car owner's photos and what the insurance company wanted to pay.

This is not unlike my experience with home insurance with NationWide involving water damage, except that an adjuster did show up but already had a check in hand pre-written with the amount they were willing to pay for repairs. I refused the check knowing this is an insurance scam to avoid paying for other damages determined afterward due to the water damage. It took 2 years to finally resolve all of this and get the money needed to pay for the repairs.

Thanks for asking!
Doc Boyer

 

When we had our 2014 Outback it needed the rear plastic piece replaced due to someone backing into us. The shop went through 4 parts ordering experiences until they were able to get something that fit and not damaged in transit to summarize the experience. Parts are not so readily on the shelf. Different from what I experienced pre covid.

 

We are with Allstate. They had a preferred place and we went there. They did their best I have no complaints. The interface person pointed out a car needing parts and no parts to be had so it sat there. That's the way it is today as Walter Chroncite would say.

 

I have read that all manufacturers have significantly lowered the number of replacement parts manufactured to reduce their costs. While back in the good old days, you could go to a salvage yard to shop for replacement parts, this has been taken over by businesses that do the salvaging for you. The problem is that many of those repurposed parts are much more expensive now.

This kind of reminds me about restoring old transmitters for HAM radio; anytime you buy one you need to buy two more for parts eventually.

There is truth to this--- especially in light of Covid---when I wrote How Auto Parts Hoarding for Toyota and Other Cars Could Become a Thing in 2022 and discussed my problems with getting parts for a 1973 Ford F100 I was rebuilding.

My kick about insurance companies is the part about coverage using the cheapest aftermarket and used parts on a repair. I do not remember any insurance agent saying to me, "By the way, in case of an accident, of which you are now fully covered, you can expect us to save money by using your coverage to buy crappy parts.

As you stayed, Cronkite had it summed up right.

Thank you for the input.