Importance of Picking a Cincinnati Body Shop

The city of Cincinnati has a population approximating 333,000 , and there are about 1.6 million inside the metropolitan area. Needless to say, there's a lot of auto traffic commensurate with the massive population, with the inevitable outcome that there will be car accidents in Cincinnati. At any time there is no shortage of auto owners requiring a Cincinnati body shop. to repair their automobile.

Now how do most local people choose a Cincinnati body shop? Well, since those involved in a Cincinnati car accident will be talking with their agent, in many instances they will patronize the repair shop advised by their insurance representative.

Insurance representatives are quick to recommend a auto body shop when a client is in need of car auto repairs resulting from an accident. But going with his recommendation is not always the best choice, and in a lot of cases, is a very POOR one. Here's why:

Insurance companies have a kind of network of repair shops within something called a "direct repair program." The company teams up with a auto body repair shop and has a contractual agreement with that body shop. The repair shop is under agreement to make vehicle repairs to customers sent them by the company. In return, the insurance company will "steer" their customers toward the body shop.

Additionally, the auto body repair shop will estimate the cost of car repairs using aftermarket parts. But that's not all - should a lawsuit result because of substandard vehicle repairs, the auto body repair shop is under contract to indemnify the insurer and shoulder liability.

Now you may well be thinking "So the Cincinnati shops in the program must write estimates utilizing aftermarket car parts. "Why should I care?" Well, you are going to find out why, and it may well shock you!

The term "aftermarket parts" describes car parts made by someone other than the maker of the automobile. They are typically produced in Taiwan.

Fortunately for your insurance carrier, these types of auto parts are less costly than OEM (original equipment manufacturer) car parts, thus saving the insurer money the result being greater profits. But sad to say, this is a case of "you get what you pay for" as the aftermarket auto parts are generally of lesser quality. They are more inclined to fail, resulting in further repair work being required, and at worst, can mean that the "fixed" car is dangerous to operate!

Given that there are legal concerns involved if auto repairs are done in a substandard manner, for what possible reason might a Cincinnati body shop even think about signing a legal contract with the insurance company? The answer is simple: they don't want to be forced out of business! Because it's a matter of the survival of their business. After all, if virtually all body work is sent by insurance company representative referrals, what does that mean for those shops who won't "sign on the dotted line?"

Suppose you require vehicle repairs and want to patronize a Cincinnati body shop that does not have a binding agreement with your insurance carrier. Your insurance carrier may well play "dirty tricks" to convince you that you made the wrong choice. For instance, they may purposely delay sending an adjuster to look at the damage for 2 or more weeks, or they may refuse to pay for repairs.

So does this make your life more difficult? Sure. However the alternative is to settle for their advice and end up getting a vehicle which is simply likely to fail sooner, or might even become a danger to yourself and others on the road.

So the bottom line is, don't just blindly accept the (perhaps bad) advice of your insurance company representative. Don't follow your agent's recommendation if the shop he advocates will use aftermarket auto parts. And if you hear your agent tell you "It will cost you more if you patronize that repair shop", "We won't guarantee the repairs if you go there", or "We can't give you a rental if you go to them" don't believe it - these are intended to dissuade you from getting your car fixed in a manner that may be more costly (for the insurer) but will result in a better repair job, and possibly a safer car.