WHY I ESTABLISHED A THIRD PARTY MOTOR VEHICLE RECOVERIES COMPANY?
Hi, my name is Francesco Primerano, I am the CEO and founder of First Title Recoveries.
Let me tell you what inspired me to establish a third-party motor vehicle recoveries company.
In February 2017 I was involved in a motor vehicle accident, where I was not at fault. My vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a panel shop of my choice. (For the purposes, non-disclosure let call this panel owner, Mr XXX). There I was greeted by the office manager and owner of the business, both very friendly and offered me a coffee and water, then assisted me in filling out a form, I was then asked who I was insured with. Thinking like many of us, I immediately contacted my insurance company to advise them of the accident.
After providing the insurance representative the details of the accident I was then told that they will be moving the vehicle to one of their preferred repairers……..Quite taken back and somewhat embarrassed, I asked Mr. XXX if he was a referred repairer of my insurance company,……..well I can tell you that did not sit very well with him.
I then curiously asked my insurance company, what makes their repairers better than Mr. XXX? (not knowing I was in the panel shop at that time) Their answer was: “our list of preferred repairers provides a lifetime guarantee on all repairs “. Again intrigued what that meant, I then asked: “what does that mean”? The answer was: “if there were any deficiencies in the repairs the panel shop will need to either replace or repair the problem”. “So the onus is on the panel shop is that right”. Yes, or we may send it to another repairer. I then asked if my policy allowed me to have my vehicle repaired by a repairer of my choice. With great hesitation, she excused herself to look at my policy details, and then yes. Being somewhat sympathetic to Mr. XXX, I terminated the call by advising the insurance company that I would call them back later.
Nonetheless, I thought to myself how many people would have been persuaded by their insurance company, in other words, steering them to someone who they have never dealt with before. Many would assume that the insurance company would only recommend repairers who were highly qualified, better equipped and provide better service. From what I have read and what has appeared on media channels there seems to be some controversy over those recommended repairers. Nevertheless, I felt somewhat intimidated by the shire fact that they were going to steer me away from my chosen repair. This only made me more convinced that others may have felt there was no other alternative.
Being a small business owner and having to experience the unethical and bullish intimidation from large conglomerates in the past, I could fill the frustration by Mr. XXX when listening to my conversation. I had no idea insurance companies were soliciting work away from panel shops especially ones that have been in business for more than 20 years as was Mr. XXX.
With that being said, after my phone conversation, Mr. XXX asked if I wished to continue with a claim through my insurance company or whether I wish to do a third party claim.
Clearly, this was all new to me, so let me now explain first what third-party claims are all about.
If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident and you are not at fault you can make a claim directly against the at faults insurance company without dealing with your insurance company. There are a number of panel shop throughout Sydney, Melbourne, and Queensland that offer this service. There is absolutely no cost or additional cost to you, nor is there any notes against your policy. How it works is that the panel shop or recovery agent is provided with an Authority to Act. This allows them to seek a claim number from the at-fault party and further confirms liability. Once that has been established and confirmed an independent assessor is appointed within 24 hours after the panel shop has prepared a quotation. Once it’s assessed the work can commence immediately or when it’s convenient for both parties. Additionally, if your vehicle is not drivable or when its booked for repairs you are provided with a loan vehicle at not no cost to you. It’s as simple as that.
After being explained the process, I decided to leave my vehicle at the panel shop and take advantage of the third-party recovery, why? Firstly I felt comfortable, knowing I was dealing with a repairer whom I have been dealing with for more than 10 years. Secondly, they too provided a lifetime guarantee on all work. Thirdly within 20 minutes of my stay, I was provided a loan vehicle equivalent to what I was currently driving. (Range Rover)
SO WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER THIRD PARTY CLAIMS?
Third Party motor vehicle claims is a means for panel shops to deliver a quality service at a realistic price for the work they do. It helps towards sustainable growth for those businesses wishing to expand and provide quality service without the need for short cuts or cutting corners. Remembering its not the insurance company that guarantees the quality of work, it’s the individual panel shop who eventually needs to satisfy the consumer.
Over the coming months, I will discuss topics such as fair and reasonable, quantum, your rights and why consumers should shop for insurance that allows them to choose a repair of their choice, car hire and keep away from doggy rental agreements, etc.