Cincinnati Body Shop - Tips for Selecting One

There are approximately 1.6 million people in the Greater Cincinnati area, and roughly 1 / 3 of a million within the city per se. With a city the size of Cincinnati, there comes the inescapable high traffic volume, and with it the resulting car accidents in Cincinnati. Therefore, a portion of that population will be looking for a Cincinnati body shop. to fix their vehicle.

So let's say one has been involved in an accident - how does he go about deciding on a Cincinnati body shop? Well, since those involved in a Cincinnati automobile accident will be talking with their agent, most often they'll patronize the body shop recommended by their insurance representative.

Insurance agents are quick to suggest a repair shop when a customer is in need of automobile car repairs resulting from a vehicle accident. However, it could turn out very badly for the client if he takes his auto to the body shop his insurance agent has recommended. Let me explain:

When your insurance representative steers you toward a Cincinnati auto body shop, it's going to be a auto body repair shop within his company's "direct repair program." The company teams up with a repair shop and has a contractual agreement with that repair shop. The shop is under contract to make repairs to clients sent them by the company. The insurance company's part of the agreement is to steer their customers toward that body shop.

Often the body shop is required, under the contract, to write all quotes working with aftermarket auto parts. And the auto body shop will also be required to carry all liability for vehicle repairs and indemnify the insurance firm from any lawsuit the customer may bring.

Now you may be wondering "So the Cincinnati shops in the program are required to write estimates utilizing aftermarket auto parts. Just what does that mean to me?" The answer is "LOTS!"

The term "aftermarket parts" refers to car parts produced by someone other than the maker of the vehicle. Most of the time these kinds of parts are made in Taiwan, or at least someplace outside of North America.

They are much less high-priced than the car parts made by the automobile manufacturer (to the delight of your insurance company) and using them means you insurance company will have to pay out less in claims. But unfortunately for you, they are typically substandard to components produced by the manufacturer of your auto, or his designated vendor. Car repairs with these types of auto parts may well result in a auto that may be dangerous to drive, or at the very least is more likely to fail.

Knowing that they have to use substandard car parts in order to save the insurance firm money, why would a Cincinnati body shop choose to enter into the insurer's direct repair program to start with? Simple: because they want to stay in business! Because it's a matter of the survival of their business. Because most people requiring body work will follow their insurance company's suggestion, the collision shops not in the direct repair program aren't likely to get much business

Suppose you will need vehicle repairs and would rather patronize a Cincinnati body shop other than that recommended by your insurance agent. Your insurance firm may well play "dirty tricks" to convince you that you made the wrong choice. One strategy up their sleeve is to put off sending out their adjustor for up to a couple of weeks or longer.

Does this result in a hassle for you? Sure. But it's worthwhile when the alternative is to go to their "preferred" auto body repair shop and have to suffer the potential problems.

So the bottom line is, don't just thoughtlessly accept the (possibly poor) advice of your insurance representative. Find out if the shop you're taking you automobile to uses aftermarket or salvaged car parts, and if so, look elsewhere to get your car fixed. And if your insurance representative says something like "They won't agree with our appraiser", "We're not able to work with that body shop", or "We won't warranty the repair when you go there" be aware that these and other similar statements are misleading at best, and at worst, outright falsehoods!