What you will already likely know is that insurers have their preferred volume Repair Centres and will try hard to steer you into them. Using these Repair Centres can often mean that you will not receive a personal and attentive service, and depending on your policy, the finer details may imply that non-genuine parts can be fitted to your vehicle, affecting its residual value, about which you can do nothing.
So, before contacting your insurers, call The Bodycentre first. We can advise you of your rights, your next steps, and how to navigate your call to your insurers.
If you have ever been in an accident and needed to claim on your insurance, you may have been advised that you ‘must’ use the Insurers Approved Repairers. This is not correct, the truth is, legally, it is your choice where your vehicle is repaired and there are very few policies that restrict you completely.
At the point to making a claim, you will be encouraged and sometimes pressured into taking your car to the Insurers Approved Repairers. The reasons given to you are usually as follows:
“We will not support your claim”
“You will have no guarantee”
“You will not receive a courtesy vehicle”
“Authorisation of your repairs will take longer”
“You will have to pay extra”
All of the above is incorrect and is exactly why you might like to nominate your own trustworthy repair centre, such as ourselves.
The Bodycentre communicates electronically with ALL Insurers daily and have established some great relationships with your Insurers’ Engineers.
Repairs are authorised, usually within minutes or 48 hours maximum.
The Bodycentre provides a lifetime guarantee on all work carried out, supported by the Manufacturers guarantee for any new parts fitted.
Only genuine parts will ever be fitted to your vehicle.
Courtesy vehicles, both manual and automatic, are offered at no additional cost if you have courtesy car cover.
Our estimating platform is the same as all repairers; evidence of damage is supported by the images that we take, and the insurance engineers will authorise us in exactly the same way as insurance-approved repairers. The only exception is, The Bodycentre does not have to pass on large discounts to your insurers. This ensures that profit is retained, which can be reinvested in training and technology. It also means we can ensure that our technicians have the right amount of time to repair your vehicle perfectly and to manufacturer standards.
You will always receive a professional service and extremely high standards of workmanship, frequent updates throughout the repair process, and a courtesy clean to your vehicle prior to collection.
No matter the age, make, or level of prestige, our standards are exactly the same, no matter what vehicle comes through our workshop.
The right to choose your own repairer is protected under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and recognised by the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulations.
These laws ensure that insurance companies cannot dictate where you get your car repaired. In simple terms: your insurers cannot force you to use their recommended bodyshop.
If you would prefer to use a local independent bodyshop, such as The Bodycentre, or one that you trust, you have every right to do so.
This Act also gives you the right to challenge your insurer if they argue that your chosen repairer is more expensive than their nominated repairer.
Insurance companies often have contracts with certain repairers, allowing them to keep costs down, which in turn means you are probably not always getting the best quality repairs.
Insurers negotiate lower repair costs, which sometimes means cheaper parts or rushed repairs. It simplifies their process, making it easier for them to manage claims, and some Insurance Approved Repairers may prioritise cost over quality, using non-genuine parts or not performing a full repair.
If your insurer tells you that using your own bodyshop will result in additional costs or delay, CHALLENGE THEM. They may claim ‘you will have to pay extra, the work will not be guaranteed, the process will take longer, and you will not receive a courtesy car’.
While some policies do include clauses about excess charges for non-approved repairs, this should be made clear upfront when you take out the policy. Even then, you can still use your chosen repairer; you just need to be aware of any financial implications.
If your insurer refuses to cooperate or tries to delay your claim unfairly, you can file a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service, which exists to protect consumers from unfair treatment by insurers.
If you decide to use us rather than your Insurer Approved Repairer, we only require 2 steps from you:
– Give us a call – As soon as you have had an accident, call us first so we can unbiasedly advise you of what your next steps are before contacting your insurers.
– Obtain a Claim Reference Number – Once you have contacted your insurance company and stood your ground with your desire to have your vehicle repaired by us, ask them for the claim reference number, which you can then pass onto us. At this point, we are able to take over the claim on your behalf and deal with your insurer until completion.
Following this, it will then be up to us to complete the following:
– Complete a repair estimate – Providing it’s safe to do so, either drive your vehicle to us or we can arrange recovery so that we can complete an accurate estimate to pass onto your insurance company. At this point, we will negotiate with your insurers to get you the best possible outcome.
When dealing with an insurance claim, remember, it’s your car, your choice.
You are not legally required to use your insurers’ recommended repairers, and you have the right to choose the repairer that you trust.
While insurance-approved repairers can be a convenient option, they are not always the best for quality or customer service. If you prefer to use The Bodycentre, you are well within your rights to do so – just be prepared to push back if your insurer tries to say otherwise.
Knowing your rights means you can make the best decision for you and your vehicle, ensuring a proper repair is carried out without unnecessary compromises.
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