• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Take My Counsel

Finding Answers to your financial questions.

  • Home
  • Insurance
    • Auto Insurance
    • Auto Settlement
    • Insurance Adjusters
  • Law
  • Claims & Settlements
    • Injury Claims
    • Insurance Claims
    • Accident Settlement
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Claims & Settlements / Insurance Claims / Insurance Estimate Lower Than Body Shop

Insurance Estimate Lower Than Body Shop

January 5, 2021 by Martins Leave a Comment

Insurance Estimate Lower Than Body Shop

Insurance Estimate Lower Than Body Shop – Must You Go With Body Shop Suggested By Insurer

You just came out of a car accident, and you need some time to take in all that has happened. After resting for some weeks, it is time for you to deal with the insurance company, and you have an estimate. The problem is, the insurance estimate is lower than the body shop estimate.

What do you do? After an accident, it is common thing for you to get a repair estimate from your insurer, but the estimates you get from your insurer shouldn’t be your complete or final estimated cost. The insurer will pay the body shop a reasonable amount if you decide to fix the car or restore it to its previous condition.

Insurance Estimate Lower Than Body Shop

insurance estimate lower than body shop

After receiving the first estimate to get your car fixed, your vehicle gets assembled. However, not all damages that occurred on the vehicle will be seen, but it will be easy to identify the damaged parts when the car is disassembled or taken apart.

After identifying all necessary parts that need fixing, you can be rest assured the price to fix your car will be altered. You will find out also that prices in body parts change, too, because parts prices a body shop gives you might not be the same price if it comes directly from a supplier.

All of these factors combined to affect the price of fixing a car, and if there is a price increase, it will be covered by the insurance company.

Am I Mandated To Use The Body Shop Referred By My Insurance Company?

The straightforward and simple answer to the question above is NO. Most times, insurance companies and repair body shops have a contract where prices are negotiated or reduced.

The discount offered by the body shop is always ten percent lower or lesser, but where the insurance company saves money is in the insurance claims adjuster’s efforts in cutting down the cost of repairing a damaged vehicle.

Since the insurance company and the body shop agree, they will unite because they share the same car insurance information and data. Since there is a lowered price agreement between the insurance company and the body shop, and the insurance company keeps taking cars to the body shop for repair, it is a win-win situation.

What Happens When Repairs Are Higher Than Estimates?

In some cases, body shops charge amounts that are slightly higher than the estimate. If you have gotten an estimate from a body shop, the body shop can bill you ten percent higher than indicated in the estimate.

For instance, you received an estimated two thousand dollars to fix your vehicle, but the final estimate might be around two thousand five hundred dollars. It will not exceed that figure.

Will the Insurance Company Send Check To The Body Shop Or Me?

Most insurance companies will not send you the check because there might be rules already in place to send the check to the body shop. This is a way of ensuring that repairs are truly done on the damaged vehicle instead of using the check for something else.

When processing a car damage claim, the insurance companies offer you the option of picking your own body shop to fix your damaged vehicle or stick to the one that suggests. However, it will be good to keep in mind that the insurance company will make it difficult for you to pick another body shop over theirs.

Settling for your own body shop might warrant you to jump some hoops, push some buttons, or get several appraisals. In the end, every insurance company aims to make money off their policyholders.

As a policyholder involved in a car accident, you are within your rights to ask questions about anything that doesn’t make sense. It will be better to stay on top of your insurance company and discuss any condition or suggestion you do not feel comfortable with.

You should always trust your gut and ask for help from an attorney if you find anything confusing. Getting good advice will help you get a good estimate to fix your damaged vehicle.

Related Posts:

  • Can I Fix My Own Car With Insurance Money - Do I Have To?
    Can I Fix My Own Car With Insurance Money - Do I Have To?
  • Car Not Fixed Properly After Insurance Claim - What Can I Do?
    Car Not Fixed Properly After Insurance Claim - What Can I…
  • How Many Estimates Should I Get For A Car Accident
    How Many Estimates Should I Get For A Car Accident
  • Home Insurance Adjuster Estimate Too Low - What To Do Next
    Home Insurance Adjuster Estimate Too Low - What To Do Next
  • Should I Show My Contractor My Insurance Estimate - Is It Advisable
    Should I Show My Contractor My Insurance Estimate - Is It…
  • Is It Worth Claiming On Car Insurance For A Dent - Yay Or Nay?
    Is It Worth Claiming On Car Insurance For A Dent - Yay Or…
  • How Long Do I Have To Repair My Car After An Accident
    How Long Do I Have To Repair My Car After An Accident
  • Who Is Responsible For Rental Car In An Accident - Facts You Should Know
    Who Is Responsible For Rental Car In An Accident - Facts You…

Filed Under: Insurance Claims

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Takemycounsel is a blog that provides financial, insurance, loan, bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, business advice.

Recent Posts

  • MyHTSpace WFMR – How To Signup And Login
  • Macy Credit Card Online Activation, Security Code and Phone Numbers
  • Toys R US Credit Card Payment, Features, Pros & Cons
  • Spectrum Bill Pay – How to Pay Spectrum Bill
  • MyMedicalPayments – How to Pay My Medical Bill Payment
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT