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Insured Repairs
The
motor vehicle insurance policy holder has the right to choose the
repairer who they wish to carry out the required repairs and is not
obliged to use only the insurance companies appointed repairer.
This has been agreed between the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and
the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
The only exception is where this, for commercial reasons, has been
made an express condition of the policy and has been written into
the insurance policies terms and conditions to which the policy
holder has been made aware.
Insurance companies arrange accident repairs to keep their own costs
down. Does keeping their costs down mean repairing your car cheaply?
What level of service and quality of repair will you receive? Will
original manufacturer parts be used or imitation parts? Will your
manufacturers warranty remain intact?
Imitation, or non-OE, parts may not fit correctly. They are
sometimes provided without surface, or rust, protection. Using non-OE
parts will invalidate your manufacturer’s warranty. After your home,
your car is probably the most valuable possession you own. You and
your family will travel in your motor vehicle at speeds up to 70
mph. Don’t accept any compromise in the quality of repair to your
car.
We
will manage your insurance claim, saving you a lot of time and
hassle and, we will choose a quality assured, tried and tested
repairer for you. You do not have to use the insurer’s repairer.
Your rights in this area were confirmed by a directive from the
Office of Fair Trading issued in 1993.
The
following is an extract from an article published in the Daily
Telegraph.
“Around 75% of all car accidents are controlled by insurers through
their call centres. They send policyholders' cars for repairs to
"approved" garages that they, the insurers, have chosen to be on
their networks. This enables insurers to dictate the level, quality
and cost of service to be provided to their own customers.”
“Consumers might think that insurance company “approval” means that
repair shops have the correct skills and equipment to undertake
proper and safe repairs. While it is true that repairers have to get
the right tick in the box before selection, little of that
information pertains to their technical skills and equipment. This
is simply not good enough in a world where cars and repair equipment
are becoming ever more complex.”
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