AUTO BODY
Insurance Co. Information
You Have the Right to Choose:
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North Carolina has very strict "Anti Steering" laws. These laws prohibit insurance companies from bullying people into using the shops that they have an exclusive relationship with.
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You may ask: "Why would the insurance company try to steer me to a particular Repair Shop instead of Oakley Auto Body?"
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Answer: To save the insurance company a little money. The insurance companies "preferred" shops pay a price to be on their list. This price comes in the form of cuts in labor rates, parts price discounts, and/or other cost savings for the insurer.
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North Carolina General Statute 58-3-180
"No insurer or insurer representative shall recommend the use of a particular motor vehicle repair service without clearly informing the claimant that (i) the claimant is under no obligation to use the recommended repair service, (ii) the claimant may use the repair service of the claimant’s choice, (iii) the amount determined by the insurer to be payable under the policy will be paid regardless of whether or not the claimant uses the recommended repair service, and (iv) that the insurer or insurer representative has, at the time the recommendations are made, a financial interest in the recommended motor vehicle repair service. No insurer shall require that the insured or claimant must have a damaged vehicle repaired at an insurer-owned motor vehicle repair service."
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For most of us, our car is a large financial investment, second only to our homes many times. So don't be sold down the road to a slip shod corporate shop, who's working largely on behalf of the insurance company.
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A few insurance companies are now refusing to pay the $55 per hour labor rate, demanding a discount of the labor rate by more than 10% at times down to $48 per hour. So we've made the difficult decision to refuse these demanded discounts. Why is it a difficult decision? Because we do care about our customers, and if you happen to be insured by one of these insurance companies, they pass this cost on to you. As a business we can no longer justify giving a few insurance companies significant discounts on labor. In these instances, we strongly encourage our customers to contact the insurance company directly and insist that they be re-reimbursed for the underpayment amount. If the company refuses to reimburse, then insist on a reason in writing. We have yet to find an insurance company who will go on the record in writing to explain their reasoning for the underpayment.
Don't Be Coerced Into Accepting Substandard Work:
Don't Worry About It, We Do This Every Day:
Don't let the Insurance Company cause you any undue anxiety. We deal with this stuff every day. If you choose Oakley Auto Body, we'll take care of you just as if you were our own family. We'll do the work of communicating with your insurance provider and keep you posted on the progress. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions at any point during the repair process.
What Insurance Company Do We Reccomend?
We recommend North Carolina Farm Bureau for Auto Insurance, and we're fairly certain that most other reputable, non-corporate Collision Repair shops if asked would agree. NC Farm Bureau has remained, for many years, the most reliable and reasonable Auto Insurance Company to deal with. There are other insurance companies such as USAA, Nationwide and others who can be reasonable as well, just remember that it is your choice who repairs your vehicle. The insurance companies have become adept at steering customers to their "Preferred" shops and this may not be in your best interest. Read a couple of reviews and ask around before you decide.
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We'd also, if asked today, recommend against using National General and/or Integon Auto Insurance. Though there are fine people who work for these companies. These companies have developed a reputation for being especially unreasonable to deal with. This is especially true regarding fair labor rates, with a consistent underpayment amount of around 13% that they force our customers to pay.