If repaired by the insurance company’s preferred repair shop, the car pays the price

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

As a real estate agent, Joe Then travels a lot, going on viewings and meeting with clients. When Then is out and about, it’s hard to miss him in his bright green convertible.

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

The last thing he wants to do lately is stand out.

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

Then he didn’t slow down as he pointed out that everything he said didn’t belong in his car.

In May, Then met clients outside of Ft. Lauderdale when it was caught in a hailstorm. When he filed a claim with his insurance company, State Farm, Then said the claims department told him he could take his car to one of State Farm’s preferred stores.

“You have the option to take it to a repair shop of your choice, but if any of the repairs are not done properly, that is between you and that repair shop,” Then said the claims department told him.

State Farm has what is called a “Select Service Network”. He then drove his car to one of those stores, Gerber Collision and Glass on State Road 60 in Riverview.

He then received receipts from the repair shop that included painting and installing a new hood, a job Then said took months.

“Why should it take all this time five months to fix your car?” He was then asked, “If you say you can fix my car, then you are doing the job right.”

Then he said his car wasn’t the same. He showed all of his concerns to ABC Action News. One difference that was easy to spot was the hood. It used to open with a button inside the car, but now there are two buttons on the outside, so he’s worried it won’t stay closed.

“If you go over 65, 75 miles per hour, it shakes a little bit,” Then added.

He then said he contacted his claims adjuster at State Farm again.

“Nothing moves,” he said. “State Farm claims give you a way out. “They say we’ll let 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 does not require customers to use specific repair shops and does not guarantee the work.

Insurance experts emphasize that drivers need to know what they are entitled to under their policy.

“You really need to understand your rights up front,” said Mark Friedlander of the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute.

Friedlander said Florida law protects motorists, including their right to choose a repair shop.

“You have the right to receive a written, summarized estimate; “You have the right to inspect all replaced parts,” Friedlander explained.

He also said that if there are problems with the repair, the customer should call their insurance company.

“You need to contact your local insurance adjuster as soon as possible as your insurer is responsible for restoring your car to its original condition,” Friedlander said.

Gerber Collision and Glass did not comment.

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

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

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

While Florida law provides protection for drivers, you may be required to visit a specific repair shop if specified in your policy.

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