Being in a wreck is stressful. Among those stresses is having to choose a repair shop. Most insurance companies will recommend repair shops for you to choose from, but you have a choice of where you want your car repaired - recommended or not.
Certifications
You might see that some shops have certifications. That means their technicians have been trained by the manufacturer to know how to properly repair that specific model of vehicle. If your recommended shop is not certified in your vehicle make, you might want to take a look to see if there are any shops nearby who are.
What a recommendation means
When your insurance recommends an insurance company, that means they have an established relationship with that shop. These relationships help make the repair process easier for the customer and allows insurances to recommend shops they trust.
The recommended shops also typically meet the insurance company’s deadline to repair the car quickly and keep costs low. However, faster is not always better.
A recommendation does not mean this is the only shop your insurance will work with, but it’s important to ask about how
Does ‘recommended’ mean ‘guaranteed’?
In many cases, the insurance company will guarantee the repairs made to your vehicle as long as you own it. Should the repairs not hold up after a certain period, the repairs can be fixed at no additional cost to you.
Still looking for answers? See our FAQs here.