Your insurer can't pick your body shop in Arizona: what the law says

What steering sounds like on the phone

Nobody says the word steering. It shows up as friendly advice with a small warning attached. These four lines come up again and again.

Some of it is a real convenience pitch, and some of it is pressure. Either way, the choice stays yours.

• “We can't guarantee the work at that shop.”
• “They are not in our network, so it will take longer.”
• “You may have to pay the difference if you go there.”
• “We can get you into our shop this afternoon.”

What to say back

You do not need to argue. One clear sentence ends the conversation, and a note on the file ends it for good.

If the pressure keeps coming, write down who said what and when. Arizona has a state insurance regulator that takes complaints from drivers.

• “I have chosen Raintree Auto Body, 8120 E Raintree Dr in Scottsdale. Please send the assignment there.”
• Ask them to note your choice of shop on the claim file.
• Ask what your policy says about parts and about rental car days.
• If it does not stop, ask for a supervisor by name.

Network shops and what a DRP is

A network shop has a deal with the carrier. You may hear it called a direct repair program shop. It agrees to set prices and cycle times, and it gets sent work.

That can work out fine. It also means the shop answers to two people, and only one of them pays the bill.

We are not in any carrier's network. We work with all major carriers, and the only agreement we have is the one with you.

Supplements are where the real work is

The first estimate is written from the outside of a damaged car. The rest shows up at teardown, when the panels come off and someone can see the structure.

That new damage goes back to the insurer as a supplement. Most of the delays people complain about are supplement delays, not shop delays.

• We photograph the hidden damage and write the supplement for you.
• We send the maker's repair steps with it, so the ask is backed by the people who built the car.
• We push for genuine parts. Your policy can still decide what gets paid.
• We tell you what the insurer approved and what it turned down.

The car is already at another shop

This happens a lot. The tow truck took the car to a storage yard, or an adjuster booked it into a network shop while you were still at the scene.

You can still move it. Nothing has been decided until you sign a repair authorization, and even after that most shops will release a car that has not been touched.

Call your insurer, tell them the new address, and call us. We arrange a tow to our shop for cars coming to us for an estimate or a repair.

• Ask the current shop whether any work has started
• Ask about storage fees before the car sits another day
• Give both the insurer and the shop our address in writing
• Take photos of the car before it moves again

Leased and financed cars raise the stakes

If you lease, the leasing company owns the car. A repair with the wrong parts can come back as a charge when you hand it in.

If you finance, the lender has an interest in what the car is worth. A weak repair costs you again at trade in time.

Both cases point the same way. Use a shop certified for your make, and keep every page of the paperwork.

FAQs

Can my insurer refuse to pay if I use my own shop?
It still owes what your policy covers. It may pay its own rate on some lines, which is what the supplement conversation is for.

Do I need to get three estimates?
No. That is an old habit some carriers still ask about. Most write their own estimate anyway, and your policy sets the rules.

What if the crash was my fault?
You still choose the shop. The repair goes through your own collision coverage and you pay your deductible.

What if the other driver's insurer names a shop?
Same answer. You own the car, so you decide where it gets repaired. Give them our address and they will send the assignment.

Does using your shop void any guarantee?
No. We back our own workmanship with a limited lifetime warranty, for as long as you own the car.

Do you handle the claim paperwork?
Yes. We deal with the adjuster, the estimate, the supplements and the parts approvals, then keep you posted.