Geico won't pay hourly rate

[FRSandro]

Jurisdiction

California

So Geico called me telling me the body shop won't bulge charging $20 per hour over what Geico is willing to pay. Geico agent called me asking me to find another shop or pay the difference. I found another shop. However the first body shop incurred costs already tearing down the car and ordering parts. Geico isn't willing to pay for that, and so the shop won't release the car to be towed.

It would have taken Geico 5 min to call the shop and ask for their rates before the shop started the tear down.

I have comprehensive insurance 100/300/100 and no claims in the last several years. All the body shops say Geico should have raised their rates and it was actually hard to find a cheap shop.

What's my recourse?

 

[zddoodah]

Is the insurer mentioned your insurer or another driver's insurer -- i.e., are you making a claim against your own collision coverage or against another driver's liability coverage?

I have comprehensive insurance 100/300/100

FYI, comprehensive coverage covers damage to an covered vehicle other than as a result of a rollover or impact of a covered vehicle with another vehicle or object, so it wouldn't have any application in a situation in which there is body damage. Also, comprehensive coverage does not have policy limits. The "100/300/100" refers to limits of liability coverage, and your liability coverage has no relevance to repairs to your own auto.

 

[mightymoose]

So who authorized the shop to begin repairs?
Typically that would be you, and done by signing various documents.
The shop would typically send it's estimate to the insurer before anything gets done.
Did somebody get ahead somehow?

Your cheapest option at this point might be to allow the first shop to continue and pay the difference. I would be very hesitant to have another shop finish what someone else started.

 

[adjusterjack]

Is the insurer mentioned your insurer or another driver's insurer -- i.e., are you making a claim against your own collision coverage or against another driver's liability coverage?

Yeah, need to know that before this goes any further.

 

[FRSandro]

Is the insurer mentioned your insurer or another driver's insurer -- i.e., are you making a claim against your own collision coverage or against another driver's liability coverage?



FYI, comprehensive coverage covers damage to an covered vehicle other than as a result of a rollover or impact of a covered vehicle with another vehicle or object, so it wouldn't have any application in a situation in which there is body damage. Also, comprehensive coverage does not have policy limits. The "100/300/100" refers to limits of liability coverage, and your liability coverage has no relevance to repairs to your own auto.

My wife hit a truck tire carcass in the middle of highway 101. Tire came flying out of nowhere. She's lucky it didn't hit the windshield.

Truck wasn't identified. I thought that it would mean hit and run/uninsured 3rd party, but no. Anywways here in CA is a no fault accident.

 

[FRSandro]

So who authorized the shop to begin repairs?
Typically that would be you, and done by signing various documents.
The shop would typically send it's estimate to the insurer before anything gets done.
Did somebody get ahead somehow?

Your cheapest option at this point might be to allow the first shop to continue and pay the difference. I would be very hesitant to have another shop finish what someone else started.

I chose the shop and Geico adjuster agreed to it, by sending the tow truck to it. They traded phone calls. Shop called me asking me to authorized the tear down as requested per adjuster. That's all that I signed.

Repairs hasn't started. Still waiting from parts from Italy - ordered by the shop. Hood, bumpers, headlights, are all off the car. I suppose the shop will charge me for the time to do that.

That's the cheapest option? That will mean $1000.00 extra after paying $500.00 deductible due to no fault of our own. Oh lord.

 

[FRSandro]

Yeah, need to know that before this goes any further.

I suppose is a claim against my own collision coverage. We hit a truck tire on the middle of the road. Damage was to the hood and electronics - there's a bunch of radars for collision warning and auto-driving mode.

 

[zddoodah]

Anywways here in CA is a no fault accident.

Huh? California is most definitely not a "no fault" state.

It sounds like we're talking about your insurer and you're either making a claim against your collision coverage or your uninsured/underinsured ("UM/UIM") motorist coverage. Do you have UM/UIM coverage? If not, then you must be claiming against your collision coverage, which means you'll be paying a deductible.

That will mean $1000.00 extra after paying $500.00 deductible

Huh? If your deductible is $500, why would you pay $1,000?

Also, what kind of car is this that you have to get parts from Italy?