YOUR "CHOICE OF REPAIRER" IS NOW AN OPTIONAL EXTRA

​One Large Car Insurance Company has recently (and quietly) removed your standard ability to "choose your own repairer" and instead, are now offering it as a chargeable Optional Extra along with windscreens and Hire cars. We suspect the others are likely to soon follow.

This is a fine print option that you are likely to miss when you next renew your car insurance policy..

We've read the PDS and found the key points for you:


Already Implemented Changes:

• When you take out a new policy or renew an existing Comprehensive Insurance Policy with one of the large Insurance companies, what was a standard inclusion of “choose your own repairer” is now an “added extra option” along with windscreens and hire cars.
• If you want this option, you must manually select it or let them know over the phone.
• The default status is now you will not have your own choice of repairer and this cost is not calculated or included in your renewal, hence it will seem cheaper up front.

What does this means for you?

• This change is not being marketed in the media. The marketing approach instead is telling customers directly that they are getting "greater flexibility to help save money on their policies”.
• Premiums are now around 10-13% lower across the board for everyone because of this exclusion of choice and service.
• Online this will seem that this company is cheaper than their competitors however you need to ensure you are comparing “apples with apples” and getting the same value and inclusions from each company. 
• If you add the choice of repairer option back onto your policy since now it’s been taken away, this company will charge approximately 10% extra based on your total Premium, bringing you back to roughly the same price as last year.

Should I just let my Insurance Company repair my car using their “network of preferred partner repairers”? What would be the consequences in doing so?

• We recommend that you shop around for a car insurance policy that allows you to select your own repairer at no additional cost or penalty to you. It is your right to demand where and who your car is repaired by.
• We find this new change a form of bullying and a misleading tactic to seem like they are helping their customers when instead they are just directing more work to their aligned shops. 
• Insurance companies already dictate what they will and won’t pay for with every claim. Now they want to dictate who repairs your car.
• Add in a repairer that is strategically aligned to work for an Insurance Company into the equation and this becomes a 2 against you battle.
• When using an Insurance Company’s recruited repairer, you may experience a rushed job. Pricing pressure from Insurance companies may mean that labour rates are cut and parts may be authorised to be repaired or second hand parts used instead being replaced with new to save money.
• Attention to detail can then be lost as there is nobody managing it with your interests placed first. You may struggle to fight them if you are not happy with the work delivered or cave in all together because it’s all too difficult.
• There is always a considerable amount of back log of jobs with these Insurance company preferred repairers. Often you will wait an extraordinarily long time (many weeks) before your car is even assessed let alone repaired. 

Why should I take your advice?
For 22 years we owned and managed an Independent smash repairer, working on jobs for private clients and car dealerships for both daily and prestige super cars.
We never aligned ourselves with Insurance companies out of principle. They would (and still do), cut labour time down to save themselves money, allowing only the smallest of margins with little time to do a quality job.

This kind of work does not give personal satisfaction, let alone make for a successful and profitable business. High quality work cannot be rushed or cheapened at the expense of the customer. To make any sort of profit with Insurance companies, repairers need to have large quantity of work directed through their workshops by Insurance.
High turn over and extremely low margins in this industry is a cause for concern. Something has got to give and it most certainly will be at your expense.

What makes Auto Outsource different?
Our experience over the many years means we know how to respond to the coercive tactics that some Insurance companies are trained to use on their customers.
Recently, one of our customers was told she could not appoint a representative. This is simply untrue.
PDS states that you can appoint a broker to represent you and manage your claim which is what we often do for our clients no matter which Insurance company they use. 
This allows you to get on with your day and not have to deal with it or stress about what to say to get the right result.

• For not at fault claims, we can provide you with a like for like accident replacement vehicle at no cost for the entire duration of repairs until we drop your car back to you. This is regardless of any delays incurred by Insurance. You will not be left without a car or have to pay for one.
• This is a chargeable extra on your standard Comprehensive policy and most insurance companies will only pay (up to) $75-100 a day in hire car costs. This normally gets you a very small car not a SUV or a luxury vehicle which makes life again, difficult. You will have to pay out of your pocket first, then claim for reimbursement.
• The catch also is, this cover is usually only for 14 days. Then you are liable for the cost of the hire car thereafter no matter if the repairer is delayed, has problems getting parts or any other cause of delay.
• Some Insurance companies will not repair undamaged areas of your vehicle to create a uniform appearance. For example, if the incident causes damage to the right door panel, then they will only respray the right door panel. They will not pay to ensure the work is uniform and blended either side in a seamless repair.
• We can manage and repair other areas of your car at the same time as managing the Insurance repairs to lessen the time without your vehicle. Often we combine other paint and panel repairs at the same time as Insurance repairs as well as get the car log book serviced, new tyres fitted and any other jobs the client requires.
• Our service and management covers; a personal inspection of your vehicle, quality controlled work, pick up and drop off your car at home or office and management of our trades and suppliers. 
• All our work is insured and we provide warranty for all work delivered.

Should you have any questions or concerns about this Insurance change or any other issue, 
please contact us anytime by email or phone so we can assist you.