Insurance Question

[MJM]

So, some guy felt the need this weekend to drive 80 Km per hour through a stop sign and destroy my car this weekend and I feel like I can't get anywhere talking with my insurance company.

They want me to simply tell them a place on their list to take the car, and it will be fixed by whomever the collision shop contacts (or potentially wrote off). It's not as simple as that for me. I bought an extended warranty on my car, and according to Mazda any mechanical work must be done at Mazda, with Mazda parts, by a Mazda technician. Any have such a perdicament? Am I able to tell the insurance company that it has to be fixed at Mazda. I have no desire to lose the warranty I paid thousands extra to have.


Also, the following are the shops the insurance company guarantees. Anyone have comments about any of these companies? If you don't feel comfortable discussing them here, please PM me.

A-1 Auto Body
Airdrie Autobody
Arrow Carstar
Autobahn Carstar
Carcraft Okotoks
Cochrane Image Autobody
Concours Collision Centres Ltd. - South
Concours Collision Centres Ltd. - North
Courtesy Collision Repair Centre
Crowfoot Image Auto Body Ltd
Excel Carstar
Feliks Auto Body Ltd
GSL Chev City
GT Carstar
Hallmark Autobody Ltd.
Service/Imperial Collision Calgary North
Service/Imperial Collision Calgary South
Montgomery Auto Body & Paint
Northside Auto Body Limited. (service col)
Renfrew Chrysler Jeep Eagle
Service Collision Repair
Shaganappi Chev Olds
Southgate Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd
Stampede Pontiac Bodyshop
Superior Paint & Body Service Ltd
Telkor Collision
Universal Ford Lincoln Ltd.
Wrinkles Carstar
Varsity Chrysler Body shop

[MJM]

Originally Posted by fotze

That is a long name for a collision shop, is it german?

Fixed it for you. Guess the board wouldn't accept the format from the paste job I did.

[Bill Bumface]

Sorry, but this is what you get from buying an extended warranty. If the condition actually exists in your warranty that all mechanical work on the car has to be done by Mazda (which is BS. I sure hope they told you about that giant catch in their warranty) then you are in a difficult spot. Your insurance company likely doesn't want to pay to have your car sent back and forth between Mazda and the body shop several times (I'm guessing the damage is pretty extensive and this would be the case as some things need to be fixed at the body shop before mechanical work can be done and vice versa).

[HOOT]

Well to start hope it gets written off!

Second never buy an extended warranty that forces you to only deal with that company for all service and parts. I am actually shocked they can do this? I could understand they wouldn't want you to put in superchargers or tubros but if you wanted to replace your battery do you have to go to Mazda?

Have you phoned Mazda to see what they suggest? This can't be the first time this has happened.

[burn_this_city]

As the policy holder you can stipulate who fixes the car. Your insurance can only suggest shops, they cant force you to go anywhere.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Well to start hope it gets written off!

Second never buy an extended warranty that forces you to only deal with that company for all service and parts. I am actually shocked they can do this? I could understand they wouldn't want you to put in superchargers or tubros but if you wanted to replace your battery do you have to go to Mazda?

Have you phoned Mazda to see what they suggest? This can't be the first time this has happened.

Yes, I called Mazda and they suggested a shop (Eurocraft), which they use for their bodywork and indicated this company uses Mazda for all the parts and mechanical work. I think I may just take it there as I am able to select a shop that isn't on my insurance provider's list. Only catch is the insurance company will not guarantee their work for the life of the car like they will with the ones on the list. I called the shop though, and they said they guarantee their own work for the life of the car.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

As the policy holder you can stipulate who fixes the car. Your insurance can only suggest shops, they cant force you to go anywhere.

Can I pick a company on their list and request they use Mazda for all their mechanical work?

[cKy]

Burn this city is right... my gf works for ING insurence (Now intact) and she recommends going to Mazda to see which shops they approve. Then she went on a really long tangent and i dont feel like typing it. hahaha.

They (the insurence) cannot force you to goto a certain shop.. they can recommend one for you, but thats it. They can also send an appraiser out.

Can I ask which insurence company you use?

[HOOT]

Insurance companies are funny and I would be more inclided to follow their rules before your warranty rules.

OT: cKy does she work for intact in Victoria?

[Finny61]

Yes as said before the insurance companies have trusted collision shops they cut deals with, I would advise letting the insurance company who you want to take the car to and make sure they 'ok' it, they will likely be accommodating. Reason being if you just up and took it anywhere they could charge whatever they want and the insurance company is left to cover the bill, plus they tend to get a deal from the preferred repair shop (volume discount).

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Finny61

Yes as said before the insurance companies have trusted collision shops they cut deals with, I would advise letting the insurance company who you want to take the car to and make sure they 'ok' it, they will likely be accommodating. Reason being if you just up and took it anywhere they could charge whatever they want and the insurance company is left to cover the bill, plus they tend to get a deal from the preferred repair shop (volume discount).

I don't know if they get some kind of sweet deal from the shops. Basically the insurers are recommending body shops that they can trust the quality of work to meet a reasonable standard and not have too many complaints.

You can take your vehicle to whichever shop you please though; they can't dictate where the repairs take place as long as its a certified body shop.

[Finny61]

I don't run the books for insurers but I suspect they get a volume discount by referring clients, it only makes business sense. But yes your points are very valid too, in the end it's about trusted source and not just anybody.