Repair by insurance company’s preferred shop leaves car paying the price

RIVERVIEW, Fla. — A Hillsborough County man thought he did everything right when he used the repair shop his car insurance company recommended, but said his car paid the price and ended up with additional damage.

As a Realtor, Joe Then spends a lot of time on the road, driving to showings and meeting clients. When Then is on the road, he’s hard to miss in his bright green convertible.

“You live once, and I just say enjoy what you can,” Then said.

Lately standing out is the last thing he wants.

“Look here, look how cheap,” Then said. “For me, it’s garbage.”

Then didn’t slow down when he pointed out everything he said didn’t belong on his car.

In May, Then met clients outside Ft. Lauderdale when he got caught in a hailstorm. When he filed a claim with his insurance, State Farm, Then said the Claims Department told him he could take his car to one of State Farm’s preferred shops.

“You have the option to take it to a shop of your choice, but if any of the repairs are not done right then that’s between you and that repair shop,” Then said the Claims Department told him.

State Farm has what it calls a “Select Service Network.” Then took his car to one of those shops, Gerber Collision and Glass off State Road 60 in Riverview.

Then has receipts from the repair shop which included paint and the installation of a new hood, a job Then said took months.

“Why would it take 5 months, all this time to fix your car?” Then questioned. “If you say you can fix my car, then yes, do the job right.”

Then said his car isn’t the same. He showed ABC Action News all his concerns. One difference that was easy to spot was the hood. It used to open with a button inside the car but now has two buttons outside, making him afraid it won’t stay shut.

“If you’re going more than 65, 75 miles an hour, it shakes a little bit,” Then added.

Then said he reached back out to his claim adjuster at State Farm.

“Nothing is moving,” he said. “State Farm claims gives you the runaround. They say we’ll have someone call you and no one calls you.”

A State Farm spokesman declined to comment but, when asked about the company’s “Select Service Network,” said State Farm doesn’t require customers to use specific repair shops and doesn’t guarantee the work.

Insurance experts stress drivers need to know what their policy entitles them to.

“You really need to understand your rights upfront,” said Mark Friedlander with the non-profit Insurance Information Institute.

Friedlander said Florida law protects drivers, including their right to pick a repair shop.

“You have a right to get a written summarized estimate; you have a right to inspect all parts that have been replaced,” Friedlander explained.

He also said if there’s a problem with the fix, the customer should call their insurance company.

“You need to contact your assigned insurance adjuster as quickly as possible because your insurer is responsible for getting your car back to its original condition,” Friedlander said.

Gerber Collision and Glass did not comment.

State Farm declined ABC Action New’s requests for an interview but sent another adjuster to look at Then’s car and offered him an additional $2,600 dollars. Then said he was not completely satisfied.

“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” Then said.

Then said he wants his car back to the way it was so he can put this in the rear-view.

While Florida law provides drivers with protections, you may be required to use a certain repair shop if it is written into your policy.

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