Approved Repairer
When your car has been damaged in an accident your insurance company will recommend that you use an approved repairer. This will be a business that the insurance company has investigated and agreed special rates with. The insurer has to pay for the cost of the repairs to your car and therefore they want to make sure that a proper repair job is done, protecting both their interest as well as yours – their client.
What if you want to use your own repairer? Most companies will ask you to obtain a quote for the repair, some may request two quotes. Where an insurer allows you to use a repairer of your own choice you may have to pay a penalty. The penalty may be in the form of a higher excess. Some insurance companies will only allow you to deal with an approved repairer as this is the only way they can guarantee the repair job.
The cost of car repair is extremely high and this of course has a negative effect on the price of insurance. The number of imported cars on our roads has increased dramatically and the parts need to be imported, pushing up the cost. The insurance companies have warned against the temptation to use pirate parts – it could endanger your life and if your car is still under warranty the use of pirate parts will invalidate your warranty.