Insurance:

Al's Auto Body works with all insurance companies. We currently do direct repair for several insurance companies. For direct repair you make a claim with your agent and come to our shop. We write the estimate and take pictures of your car and transmit them to your insurance company. We then order the parts required for your vehicle and bill the insurance company directly. You do not have to go to your insurance company's claim officer for an estimate; ours is previewed, along with the pictures, at their office, saving you the time you might have missed from work to accomplish this. Call to find out if we do this for your insurance company. We do repairs for all other insurance companies and have an excellent reputation with them.

Your rights as a vehicle owner:

You have the right to have your vehicle repaired at a shop of your choice. You do not have to have your vehicle repaired at the shop or one of several the insurance company wants you to go to. You can use the body shop of your choice.

• You do not have to use the rental agency your insurance company directs you to. You can use the rental company of your choice.

Insurance companies use several half-truths to attempt to steer you to their contract shop, some of which are listed below:

You can go to the shop you want but if there are any additional charges you will have to pay them.

What they should say is; if the shop you wish to use charges a higher labor rate you will have to pay the additional amount.

They are hoping you "misunderstand" them to mean if they miss any thing on their estimate you will have to pay for the additional items. That is not the case. Your policy, or that of the person at fault is required to pay for all damage incurred by the accident.

I honor all insurance companies' labor rates, which are different for a lot of companies.

They may also tell you they do not guarantee the work from a shop with which they don't have a contract.

That may be true. - However, I guarantee my workmanship for as long as you own the vehicle. This insurance rule could be beneficial for you if you are member of the military & get transferred, though most problems will make themselves evident in short order.

The three-estimate rule was done away with long ago, however some older agents will still tell you they require it.

Insurance companies all have estimators or use independent estimators/adjusters. One exception to this standard practice might happen in the case of an estimate by a body shop, which is lower than a dollar figure preset by the insurance company, and may differ for individual companies. This is often occurs with a smaller, out of state insurance company, with no local offices or agents. If the shop's estimate is higher than their range, they will likely hire an independent appraiser to estimate the damage. They will accept a faxed estimate along with emailed photos and when you make a claim they will tell you up front if that is the case. I have the ability to fax estimates and email photos and we will be happy to do this for you.

• They may tell you they are too busy to make an estimate for repairs using the company estimator & that it may be weeks before they can get there.

This is usually not the case if they are paying for a rental vehicle but can & does happen when you have no rental or partial rental coverage. The State of Alaska insurance Commissioner likes to hear about claims like this.

They have also been known to tell you that if you want a rental vehicle you must have your repairs done at their contract shop.

This is not true. It is your vehicle, and you have the right to have it repaired wherever you wish, and rent a vehicle from the rental agency you prefer.