Customers often ask “Do I have to use insurance approved repairers for hail damage?”

The short answer is No!

As a consumer, you have the right to request that your vehicle be repaired at a shop of your choice.

Your insurance company may offer to relieve you of the burden of finding a repair shop by giving you a list of approved repairers. This is a tempting offer when you’re in a hurry and not eager to check out repair shops on your own. Many consumers don’t realize that the state insurance regulations around the country allow them to choose their own repair shops.

Although these shops may be fully qualified, they do have a business relationship with your insurance company. And by sending you to these shops, insurance companies are gaining control over their costs, such as regulating how much they can pay a technician, using used parts instead of OEM (new) parts, and mandating that you pay your deductible.

3 Reasons Why You Should Choose Your Own Auto Body Shop for Hail Repair

1. Deductible Coverage

The first main reason is that Direct Repair Shops (DRPs) are going to charge you your deductible no matter what! Choosing an independent shop can help ensure all hail damage is properly addressed, including dents the insurance adjuster might have missed.

DRPs have agreement with the insurance companies to perform repairs strictly based on the adjuster’s estimate. Unfortunately, adjusters miss damage more often than not. So the body shop can’t afford to lose any more money than what they’re already more-than-likely going to lose since the adjuster may have missed some things. 

In fact, about 99% of the cars we see have at least some damage that the adjuster has overlooked, which we typically send a “supplement request” to the insurance for so they will pay for the COMPLETE repair of the vehicle (since typically, people want ALL the dents fixed, not just a few of them :).  

As a DRP, they aren’t allowed to supplement in some cases, so they need that last $250, $500, or $1,000 to make a profit on the car.

2. Most DRPs don’t specialize in hail damage repair

Here is the second main reason I’d recommend not going to your insurance company’s direct repair shop: many times DRPs are “Body Shops,” meaning they specialize in working on the exterior body of the car. This includes painting, replacing parts, and using fillers to fill in holes.

Now, fillers and re-painting is not always bad, you just really need to make sure you’re going to a shop with a lot of experience and knows what they’re doing if you’re going to have fillers such as bondo put into your new car and are thus going to have it re-painted. 

Paintless Dent Repair is the preferred method to repair hail damage, and the easiest, least invasive way to fix it—something most direct repair shops aren’t expert in.

3. They’re probably not a hail repair specialist

Lastly, if your insurance company is paying for this repair, wouldn’t you want to have the work done by people who can make it appear as if your car never had hail damage? Why take a chance at having a body shop do the work and potentially de-value your car to the point you lose thousands of dollars when you go to sell it or trade it in down the road? In my opinion, I’d rather just have it done the right way the first time and save myself the headache.

Your insurance company’s direct repair shop may not be your best option because they may not have as much experience with hail damage as someone like StormWise, who are hail damage specialists.

Find top auto repair shops in your area

What you want to do is find the repair shop that does the best job for your car. That isn’t necessarily the one insurance companies would recommend because the approved repairers often cost less than independent repair shops.

In general, it’s a good idea to pick your place. Look at reviews and decide on your own what works best for you.

Insurance-affiliated repairers depend on insurance carriers for their business. In some cases, these shops may be more concerned with how much they’re costing your insurer than how well they’re repairing your vehicle. You could be at a disadvantage when you’re dealing with a car repair facility with primary allegiance is to the insurance company.

We have had many Insurance Companies ask us to become one of their preferred shops over the 23 years of business, but we choose not to.

Stormwise provides the  best paintless dent repair in Denver by hiring hire technicians that have 10 + years of experience in the business. We use new parts on all vehicles, and we can waive $500.00 of your deductible, plus getting you a rental if you do not have rental coverage!

We want you to be able to get around while we have your vehicle, offering complimentary valet services. If you don’t need a rental, even better! Because then, in most cases, we can cover up to $1,000.00 deductible. We have a full lifetime warranty on the preformed work.

We are here to assist you in making your claim, so you have a better understanding of everything.

Bottom line – there is not one insurance company out there that will not work with us due to not being on their pre-approved repairer list!