When You Have To Make A Claim
Your worst-case scenario – your beloved, trusty car has been in an accident. You’ve no transportation, and no way to be sure you’ll ever get her back in running condition. But, you’ve insurance, so everything should be ok, right? You calm down and call your agent. But then they tell you that it’s the claims department you need to call. Now you begin to worry again. What’s the ideal way to deal with a claims department?
Before you get too worked up, take a breath. These days, submitting a claim to your auto insurance bureau is really not that painful a process. Most companies have developed efficient, fair processes for handling claims. It saves them money, and good customer service helps them keep the premiums flowing in.
Agencies usually develop relationships with body shops and other repair shops in your area. They’ll know who does good work for an honest price. Your insurance company will ask you if you have a particular shop you’d like to work with, but it’s usually best to go with their suggestion. If it is a shop they’ve a relationship with, they might be able to take care of the entire process by phone.
Usually, your claim will be processed without much involvement on our part. The repair shop will work directly with the company in terms of quoting repair costs and getting the insurance company’s authorization. All they may need from you is a signature so that they have the ability to go to work on your car.
But even with all of these conveniences, it still pays to be careful and protect yourself. Make sure that all of the necessary repairs are part of the repair order; sometimes there are deeper problems beneath the surface. Make sure that the repair shop has done everything necessary to find those deeper issues. Once the work is done, inspect the automobile carefully before you drive it off the stop lot. It is much harder to bring it back and convince the shop and the insurance company that a problem was there when you picked the vehicle up.
And speaking of being a discerning customer, remember Cheap Auto Insurance pays for itself. If you saved a few dollars on your monthly premium and you spend days and weeks arguing with your insurance provider over the claim and the repair, what have you really saved?
There are some agencies that outsource claims to a third party. This is especially true if the damage to your vehicle is significant and a decision to replace rather than repair is made. These third parties make their pay by keeping the cost down. If you’re in this situation, prepare yourself for their ploys. Know the value of your vehicle in the area you live. There are several online resources that can help you or you can talk to the loan department of your banking institution.
Take heart though when submitting a car insurance claim. Most agencies have straight forward claim processes and will be more than helpful as you work through a difficult time. If you don’t get the great service you anticipate, vote with your feet and take your business elsewhere.
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