How To Bill Insurance For Body Repair

Fraud in collision repair is all besides common in the industry. While most body shops play past the rules and work difficult for their customers, at that place are some that are out to have advantage of customers' lack of knowledge about the repair process and how information technology should piece of work. As an insurance amanuensis or adjuster, you can assist customers avoid getting scammed by providing them with some unproblematic information. When customers are tricked into insurance fraud, it hurts the insurance company – which ultimately affects the insurance rates of every customer! When customers are empowered enough to avoid suspicious and irreputable repair shops, anybody wins.

Beneath we have listed some of the most common types of fraud in standoff repair, then you can assistance guide customers away from these hazardous traps!

Tow Truck Scams

We've talked about this before in our mail service about Automobile Towing 101, just information technology's worth mentioning again: customers should be extremely cautious of tow trucks that show up at the scene of an accident, unsolicited. This is a tactic used by illegitimate towing services to scam them and their insurance company out of money! These fraudsters testify up on the scene when customers are still frazzled from an blow, in demand of help, and use their disorientation against them! These types of scammers may attempt to charge them bloated fees, towing them to repair shops that will proceed to add fee-upon-fee to the final invoice.

This leads united states naturally into…

Inflated Damage Estimates

Whether customers were towed to an untrustworthy shop or they accidentally stumbled upon one of their ain, be on the picket for inflated damage estimates. Some less-than-reputable repair shops volition attempt to adds costs onto a customer's repair bill, hoping that the driver and their insurance visitor never notice. This can include costs for services never rendered and parts that were never installed! If you feel that an approximate seems high, be sure to expect it over and make sure that nix seems out of place or suspicious.

Burial the Deductible

Some repair shops will offer to coffin deductibles in the price of the repairs, then the insurance company foots the entire bill and customers don't take to pay a dime. This might audio tempting to some, simply customers should exist aware that sneaky and dishonest repair shops are usually scamming anybody involved. That's what makes them sneaky and dishonest! While they're charging the insurance company the toll for new parts, the customer is actually receiving cheaper or junk parts that could cause them major problems downwards the road! Customers shouldn't adventure it. If someone is offering a deal that sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

Airbag Fraud

Accidents happens, airbags deploy, and that means that they will need to be replaced. Fraudsters will attempt to install a used or stolen airbag into a car – which they volition take paid very little for – and and then charge the insurance company for the amount of a brand new airbag. This is every bit sneaky as it tin be dangerous! If customers want to be cautious, they tin can inquire to run into the airbag (factory sealed) or bank check their invoice to run into which manufacturer it was purchased from.

Another form of airbag fraud is related to something we already discussed: inflated impairment estimates. Some shops will attach a deployed airbag to the front of the steering wheel, trying to create the illusion that the airbag was deployed when it was non. They then charge the insurance company for the installation of a new airbag, tucked into your overall judge. Whether you're the customer or the insurance agent, be enlightened of what's added to an estimate and be certain that everything seems correct!

How Can Customers Avoid Fraud in Collision Repair?

• Encourage your customers to trust their instincts. If a shop seems dirty and disorganized, information technology might be ameliorate to motility on. Customers should piece of work with shops that are professional and orderly.

• Tell your customers to enquire for a written estimate before the work begins. If they have any questions about the services included on their bill, let them know that you – every bit their insurance agent or adjuster – can exist a resource to them.

• Only work with repair shops that are accredited with the ASE and other reputable organizations.

Equally an insurance amanuensis, encourage your customers to get an estimate from an honest store, like Schaefer Autobody.