SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM TANNER COLLISION CENTER
"Specializing in state-of-the-art repair and reconditioning of ALL vehicles"

OK, I know what I am going to say here may ruffle some feathers. It may even cost me a couple friends. Let me say right now, that this is stuff that isn't always written down, you know, those unspoken rules? Like any business, there are a lot of "unwritten" rules... the kind of stuff that can be denied-with-a-straight-face. But, I'm here to tell you that after many years in the business this is what I've seen and learned. In this business, we have three sides involved... insurance companies, repair shops, and the vehicle owners. Unfortunately, and all too often, anything goes as long as you don't get caught... and sometimes nobody is on the same side!

Am I saying that everyone is out to get each other? NO WAY! I want to clear up right off the bat is that like the 3 sides, there are 3 types of people in the game. There is the first 1/3 of the people that are honest and upfront. Typically, no one listens to them until it is too late. Then is the next 1/3 of the people, these are the ones that will cut corners. They take an educated gamble, and it will usually pay off. These are the people that really wrestle with their conscience, and will typically stay away from the really dangerous stuff in the repair process. When push comes to shove, they will let someone else make the decision to cheat, and keep their mouths closed.

Then there is the last 1/3 of the people involved. These are the deadly ones. Sometimes it is due to lack of experience and knowledge. Other times, they are flat out crooks. Insurance people who take kickbacks and bribes. Shops that will cheat on parts that MUST be replaced, and repair them instead. And the owners who will lie, cheat, and steal from both the shops and the insurance companies... believing the whole time that it is their moral right to get what they don't deserve.

This is not intended as an indictment of the business. We love what we do here, but we also know that there are problems. All I am trying to do is level the playing field for everyone in all three groups.

OK, with that said... let's take a look at basic question that come up with insurance claims and repairs. For our discussion here, I'm just going to catch the most common ones. If I went into detail, this would end up being an encyclopedia. If you have any questions not seen here, please contact us and we will be happy to help you if we can.

My question is: PROBLEM #1: THE INSURANCE COMPANY CANNOT MAKE YOU TAKE YOUR VEHICLE TO THEIR SHOP! PROBLEM #2: YOU DO NOT NEED 3 ESTIMATES! PROBLEM #3: THE INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT, AND WILL NOT, GUARANTEE REPAIRS! PROBLEM #4: OEM vs. LKQ vs. AFTERMARKET PROBLEM #5: I PAID MY INSURANCE, AND I DEMAND NEW PARTS ON MY 5 YEAR OLD CAR! PROBLEM #6: THEY WON'T PAY FOR THE SHOP ESTIMATE I GAVE THEM, AND THEIR ESTIMATE IS MUCH LOWER PROBLEM #7: THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS THE RIGHT TO SEE THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO REPAIR, VERIFY PROOF OF LOSS, AND VERIFY ALL SUPPLEMENTAL DAMAGES PRIOR TO THAT WORK BEING DONE PROBLEM #8: MY CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY WHAT IT IS WORTH PROBLEM #9: I DON'T LIKE THE SETTLEMENT OFFERED WHEN MY CAR WAS TOTALED, CAN I KEEP MY CAR? IF I CAN, DON'T THEY STILL OWE ME THE FULL VALUE? PROBLEM #10: MY AGENT AND I TALKED ABOUT RENTAL COVERAGE, BUT NOW THE INSURANCE COMPANY WON'T GIVE ME A CAR! PROBLEM #11: AFTER THE REPAIRS MY CAR LOOKED GREAT, BUT WHEN I TRIED TO TRADE IT IN THE DEALER SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED AND THEY ONLY WANT TO GIVE ME HALF THE TRADE-IN VALUE PROBLEM #12: IT WAS A MINOR FENDER BENDER, BUT NO POLICE WERE CALLED. DO I STILL NEED TO GET A POLICE REPORT? PROBLEM #13: WRECKER DRIVERS SCARE THE HELL OUT OF ME! I HEAR ALL KINDS OF STORIES ABOUT BEING RIPPED OFF BY THEM. WHAT SHOULD I DO? PROBLEM #14: I had some paint work done, and after 4 tries the shop still can’t match the color on a three year old car! What gives? PROBLEM #15: What is PDR? Is it the same as Paintless Dent Repair? Does it really work, because it sounds like some kind of gag product I've seen on TV?