Do I Have To Go To State Farm For Autobody Repair?
State Farm is among the most popular and reputable auto insurance companies in the country. If you hold an auto insurance policy through State Farm today and have recently filed a claim for auto body repair work, you may be wondering what your repair options are. If you have called State Farm already to file a claim, the company may have recommended an auto body repair shop to you, but do you have to use the body shop they recommend?
Choose Your Own Repair Shop
State Farm does not require policyholders to get auto body repair work done from any specific body shop. As a policyholder, you have the ability to shop around and select the body shop you want to use. This provides you with the ability to ask friends and family for recommendations as well as to read consumer reviews. In some cases, you may prefer to work with one body shop over another simply because they provide you with a faster time frame to complete the repairs.
Getting a Quote
While you can take your car to any body shop you choose, there are some factors to remember. State Farm will perform its own estimate and will make its own determination regarding the amount that will be paid out to repair your vehicle. If you take your vehicle to a body shop that charges you more than the amount of the claim, you will have to pay the difference in repair costs out of pocket. Further, if you are using rental car coverage to pay for a rental car while your car is in the shop, you may want to ensure that the body shop can repair your vehicle within a certain time frame. After all, you may not want to run out of rental car coverage before your own vehicle is repaired. Many times, the body shop that State Farm recommends will work with you with regards to the repair costs and the repair time to ensure your vehicle is repaired with minimal out of pocket cost to you, but other body shops may also work with you in this way.
If your car needs body work after an accident, you want to find the most reputable body shop to handle the repairs. State Farm may make a great body shop recommendation to you, but you are not required to follow their advice!
