Don't be steered into a bad decision by your insurance company, or the other party's company. Did you know insurance companys have ownerships in some shops? Ground Level Customs does not participate in any repair networks because of the concessions or stipulations in the contracts witch generally lead to lower cost, lower quality repairs. We are obligated to our customer, not the insurance company.
Insurance companys use carefully scripted phrases to intimidate customers into doing what they say. The reason they do this is the state does not allow insurance providers to "direct", "steer" or "refer" customers to a specific shop. Some companies even have bonus programs for employees that steer claims to network shops, so don't think they have your best interest in mind. The majority of these claims people have never seen a shop, nor have any knowledge of the shops work or staff. They just direct the claims to whoever they have a "deal" with so they hit a bonus quota.
Weather you chose us to do your repair, or another shop, don't be manipulated by the insurance companys "word tracks."
A few of the phrases insurance companys use, when you tell them you want to go to GLC or any shop not on there "list", are below.
"They are not one of our network shops and they are not on our list, we cant guarantee the repairs." We aren't on any insurance company's "list" we don't want to be. The insurance company doesn't warranty the repair work anyway, we do. If there is ever an issue with your repair the insurance company sends you to the repair center that did the work for warranty issues anyway. You are our customer and we offer a Dupont lifetime guarantee.
"If you use them, we cant get an adjuster out for several days, if you take it to our network shop we will have someone start on it right away." Most companys are required to appraise a vehicle in 72 hrs. We talk to appraisers almost every day, we know how little they have to do, and usually see a staff appraiser in a day or two.
"If you use that shop you will have to pay for your rental 'out of pocket'" This is not true. Some Insurance companys will try to force you into rental reimbursement, that means they want you to use your credit card, then send a check for (x) amount of rental days(which you should promptly refuse to do). Most companys have direct billing arrangements with rental companys, but they don't always disclose that. Remember that as a claimant against a company you have specific rights a policy holder may not have.
"they charge more than prevailing rate, and you will have to pay the difference in repair costs." The law states that that the insurance company will pay the costs of repairs and case law has already determined that labor rate differences of $2-$4 a hour in a given market area is reasonable and competitive. Sometimes when there are discrepancies in the repair cost because a carrier is trying to force us to do something that is not in your best interests we can assist you in filling the complaint with the State Department of Insurance. It is a simple form that we will fill out for you and e-mail it.
"Claims take longer to settle if you use them." Well we do look after everything for you, including making rental car arrangements and dealing with the appraiser. The only thing that takes longer is that they are sometimes slow to respond and they do not pay us as quickly as they pay there preferred providers.
These are just a few of the phrases they use to manipulate the customer into using a specific repair facility. Be careful it's your vehicle, your investment, you have the right to chose who repairs your vehicle.
We would be more than happy to assist you in the claims process. We work with about every company out there, more importantly we do not lose sight of who the customer is. We realize the investment that you have made in your vehicle, and we want to make sure the value of your investment is nor diminished through poor quality visible repairs. Most insurance companys play games based on the assumption you will not keep your vehicle very long, so they don't worry about using sub standard parts. While the insurance company may save $50 on a part, you could be losing thousands when it comes time to sell or trade your vehicle. If an insurer has used these parts on your vehicle we can provide the name of a company that may be able to file a diminished value claim on your vehicle, which could compensate you for the usage of these types of parts.
Stop in or call us, to ask what companys we recommend for auto insurance, we always prefer companys that have local agents that can meet with you face to face. We are not so keen on internet insurance companys. Beware, you get what you pay for. Yo do not realize the value of a good company until you file a claim.
