Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  16/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  ****************************************************************************************** Loss Date: 9-Sep-2022 11:00AM My daughter hit a curb with my *********. It was fixed fairly quickly without confirmation I could afford the cost. I had asked for the scratches on the bumper to be buffed out as I could only afford the $200 deductible. This request was disregarded and I have a bill for part of the new bumper despite the fact it was functionally fine. The bill is because there are betterment charges which I learned means insurance won't entirely cover if there is preexisting damage. I understand if insurance is involved there could be a delay getting the work done, which I expected. I didn't expect what looks like optional work to be done on the car that I would be charged for without confirming this with me and sending me a bill 3 weeks later. The invoices they sent did not reflect what I have paid ($200) or the 'buy down' my insurance *** pays. When I asked them about this they said their system can't generate an accurate invoice and it should've been *** that told me about the cost for the bumper. From what I can tell, *** found out about the cost after the work was complete. To me it seems par autobody did not communicate clearly and did extra work on the car as quick as possible to make extra money. However the car owner, the person buying the insurance, myself, was left out of the loop and sent a bill after the fact which is too late. I have not paid the $322 for the unnecessary bumper nor have i felt they understand any logic to considering speaking to before doing the work. ***********************************************************************************************

  Business response

  05/12/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/11/17) */ Thank you for reaching out so we can provide feedback on this concern. Every Insurance Claim is dealt with in the same manner. All claims and personal work orders are required to have a Repair Authorization read and signed before we do any work to a vehicle. We also provide a detailed copy of the estimate. Our repair authorization (***************) shows that deductibles, betterment, and GST may be collected on behalf of the insurance company if required. We really do pride ourselves on customer care and customer education and it's disappointing that our customer did not feel we were transparent. We also keep clear file notes with emails and general file information. We do also answer questions over the phone if required but do prefer email. In agreement with our accreditation through the insurance company, we are required to charge betterment (which is the depreciated value of a part that was damaged prior to the current claim). Portion of email sent to customer: I've attached our estimate for repairs on your *****. The parts we require to get your vehicle drivable again are in stock and readily available, so we are going to prioritize getting them here ASAP. *** could not relate a crack in the front bumper to your claim and have added a betterment charge to your claim. When a part needs to be replaced after damage from a collision, *** is responsible for the depreciated value of that part. Replacing a worn part, like a tire or a panel with pre-existing damage, with a new part is known as betterment. You will be charged the difference between the depreciated value and the replacement cost. We won't know the final amount until repairs are complete but wanted to make sure you had a heads up. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. We'll keep you in the loop as we get your ***** driving again. Thank you We have email documentation communicating betterment to customer throughout the repair process. We will attach this documentation for BBB to review. 9/16/22 - customer phoned and discussed betterment with us; the following is documented in the file of the phone conversation: NO way to avoid that betterment, some we can but this one due to how bad that bumper is we can't. We could repair the damage that was cause by the accident not replace it leave the other damage but then would have to charge a rf betterment... The first option would be best for customer so that she can have bumper repaired no damage and pay a betterment that cost a little more but would be fixed in full if that makes sense 09/16/2022 9:03:41 AM RECEPTION Message Sent To: Subject: RO#***** - Customer wants to avoid betterment on the bumper. Can we repair claim damage only and leave the big crack as is? Customer was also upset that the invoice stated $700 and balance to *** and in no place stated the third-party package policy information. Unfortunately, our system only allows 2 places for billing. As well, when we synchronize the file from the insurance company's estimating system, the file synchronizes back to how the insurance company initially set up the file. For example: if a customer's claim is set up with a $700 deductible and that deductible is waived after the claim is started; every time we synchronize the file, it defaults back to the original setting. We have communicated all file notes including all emails to the insurance company and we've been told the betterment stands and it is our requirement by the insurance company to collect it on their behalf. We make every effort for our customers to understand their insurance claim and it is very unfortunate that this is not the case. *******************************************************************

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