04/30/2026
Yikes. In the last few weeks, we've heard multiple customers say that when they've called their insurance to turn in a claim, they were told about the need to take their vehicle to one of the insurance company's "preferred", "select" or "direct repair" shops. Often an insurance claim rep will state to a vehicle owner that any non-preferred shop may not warranty their work. Said shop may charge labor rates that are too high, or use repair/ replace procedures that would not be covered by insurance, and require customer out of pocket costs.
None of those warnings are totally false...BUT... any reputable, honest collision repair shop will warranty their repairs, put the customers satisfaction first, while also compromising with the insurance documenting all necessary repairs to deliver a safe, quality job.
What insurance won't tell you is that body shops on a preferred list have signed a contract with that company to be recommended IN EXCHANGE for saving the insurance on many costs involved in the repair process. There is nothing wrong with insurance recommending one of their shops to a customer. However, telling a customer they NEED to use said shop could be interpreted as an illegal practice referred to as "steering" and any guarantee of quality work may still be nothing more than words
Ultimately, the vehicles owner decides who repairs their car and that shop carrys the liability for those repairs, NOT the insurance company.
If you have any questions or require any repairs, Pyles Body and Paint is here to help you today. 😺
