You had an accident and your car need to be repaired. If an insurance company is involved, expect them to steer you to one of their approved collision repair shops.
You don’t have to go there. You get to choose which repair shop prepares the estimate for the insurance company and does the work for you.
“It’s really important that you use a shop that can create an accurate estimate and articulate your needs to the insurer. The shop should work for you in this regard,” said Kevin Brasler, executive editor at Checkbook.org.
“Insurers typically try to cut costs, and sometimes they do that by cutting corners,” Brasler said. “By taking your car to a great shop, you’ll have mechanics in your corner that can argue with the insurer about what needs to be done. And can argue correctly that you’re getting all the work you need and that the parts that are being used are the best parts for your car.”
More Info from Checkbook.org about Auto Body Shops. (This story includes the Consumerpedia podcast Finding an Auto Body Shop That Will Do a Bang-Up Job.
Checkbook is an independent, non-profit, subscriber-based consumer rating and education service. As a courtesy to Northwest Newsradio listeners, you can use this special link (until Nov. 30, 2022) to get ratings for 90 auto body shops around the Puget Sound area.