I Need Help with Allstate

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VolAgent: I previously had state farm for over 10 years prior to switching to allstate because a family friend knew the owner of the allstate agency. I have only been with allstate for about 2 years now. I have read my policy and I couldn't find anywhere it says allstate can use a "refurbished"/junkyards parts to repair my car against the manufacturer's recommendation. I have reported this matter to the state of illinois DOI and pending their investigation. In the meantime, as you correctly stated earlier, I may have an ax to grind at this point unless allstate granted my request as premium paying consumer. I will tweet, blog and use all social media that I can used to let it be known to whomever will listen to think twice before they embark on doing business with allstate. I sure will be taking my business somewhere else together with anybody that I know personally.

 

[Josh]

VolAgent: I previously had state farm for over 10 years prior to switching to allstate because a family friend knew the owner of the allstate agency. I have only been with allstate for about 2 years now. I have read my policy and I couldn't find anywhere it says allstate can use a "refurbished"/junkyards parts to repair my car against the manufacturer's recommendation. I have reported this matter to the state of illinois DOI and pending their investigation. In the meantime, as you correctly stated earlier, I may have an ax to grind at this point unless allstate granted my request as premium paying consumer. I will tweet, blog and use all social media that I can used to let it be known to whomever will listen to think twice before they embark on doing business with allstate. I sure will be taking my business somewhere else together with anybody that I know personally.

Might as well get started now. Again, the dealer is an independent repair shop, not the manufacturer. This is also standard business for a used car, replace body parts with used parts, not brand new ones. Have you asked Allstate to show you in the policy language where they can cover used parts instead of new parts?

 

[VolAgent]

Might as well get started now. Again, the dealer is an independent repair shop, not the manufacturer. This is also standard business for a used car, replace body parts with used parts, not brand new ones. Have you asked Allstate to show you in the policy language where they can cover used parts instead of new parts?

+1

The dealership is far from unbiased.

Perhaps it is irrational, but I do agree with you. I would prefer not to have salvaged parts if avoidable. But don't think for a second the dealership is unbiased.

Call Allstate, ask them to show you where in the policy it allows them to use salvaged parts.

 

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I totally understand that the dealership including the manufacturer are out to maximize their profits and protect their interest just as allstate is trying to minimize their loss and what they have to pay to repair my car. No one seems to be concerned about the consumer interest here. However, due to human nature, I will tends to agree with the repair shop in this particular case as they seems to be more concern about my family safety while this also happens to coincides with their bottom line interest because they will be selling a new parts in the process. I also think that the decisions by all the so called managers that I spoke with at allstate to let this matter get escalated to this point was a stupid decision and does not look good on allstate (PR wise). Lets not forget that allstate also has some recourse to recuperate some of the loses they will suffer from this case from the other third party insurance company that is partly responsible for the damage to my car. It just doesn't make any sense to me especially considering the total estimated cost of $14K to repair the car and we are just arguing about the $1500 difference between using a new 2012 parts and using the refurbished junkyards parts.

 

[hesse]

It is the insurance companies job is to get you back to the position you were in before the loss minus the deductible not to better your situation. You had a used car why should they have to put brand new parts on it to replace old ones?

if your car had been totaled out would you be whining that they're not buying you a brand new car to replace your used car?

 

[Josh]

I totally understand that the dealership including the manufacturer are out to maximize their profits and protect their interest just as allstate is trying to minimize their loss and what they have to pay to repair my car. No one seems to be concerned about the consumer interest here. However, due to human nature, I will tends to agree with the repair shop in this particular case as they seems to be more concern about my family safety while this also happens to coincides with their bottom line interest because they will be selling a new parts in the process. I also think that the decisions by all the so called managers that I spoke with at allstate to let this matter get escalated to this point was a stupid decision and does not look good on allstate (PR wise). Lets not forget that allstate also has some recourse to recuperate some of the loses they will suffer from this case from the other third party insurance company that is partly responsible for the damage to my car. It just doesn't make any sense to me especially considering the total estimated cost of $14K to repair the car and we are just arguing about the $1500 difference between using a new 2012 parts and using the refurbished junkyards parts.

You seem to be implying that it might not be safe to use refurbished parts. There is no evidence to support that claim. New parts could be defective as well. There is a reason why this is standard procedure and that's because it's the insurance companies obligation to repair your vehicle to original condition.

You can tweet and blog and facebook and everything til you find peace in the world, but it's not going to hurt Allstate. Any company of a certain size is going to have unhappy customers, especially when replacing parts with comparable parts vs new parts is standard business.


I did a little research (because I do actually find this stuff interesting as well). The courts have apparently ruled the key term is of "like kind and quality". That literally means if you have a car that's two years old and they want to put parts in it that are two years old, of the same kind and quality, they're well within their rights. Here is what the Illionois law says:

C) Like Kind and Quality.
No insurer shall require the use of replacement crash parts in the repair of an automobile unless the replacement crash part is at least equal in like kind and quality to the original part in terms of fit, quality and performance. Insurers specifying the use of replacement crash parts shall consider the cost of any modifications which may become necessary when making the repair.

Section 919



Your parts were used, they can get used parts. That's the law.

 

[F150]

first, its not a "salvaged" part from a junkyard, its a re-manufactured part that has been tested and passed.

I bet you anything, allstate has an endorsement that would have provided NEW materials and either your agent didnt present it to you or you chose not to spend the extra money.

You do NOT have a new car, dont expect NEW parts.

I bet your a guy who probally bitches that his rates are already too high, imagine if all cars got new parts, what do you think your rates would be?

 

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F150, you don't need to display your apparent ignorance here. You don't know anything about me and I don't appreciate your language. if you don't know how to articulate yourself without being insultive then your comment is irrelevant to this conversation. You can disagree with me without being insultive. If you are following the conversation with a comprehensive ability you would have understand my point. It is folks like you that gives insurance sales people bad reputation. I have been insured for over 25 years and I have three vehicles including my home owner policy with allstate. I don't think I should have to be compelled to sign a waiver before my car can be repaired by allstate. Read the entire story and lets have your intelligent comment if you are capable of making one.

 

[VolAgent]

F150, you don't need to display your apparent ignorance here. You don't know anything about me and I don't appreciate your language. if you don't know how to articulate yourself without being insultive then your comment is irrelevant to this conversation. You can disagree with me without being insultive. If you are following the conversation with a comprehensive ability you would have understand my point. It is folks like you that gives insurance sales people bad reputation. I have been insured for over 25 years and I have three vehicles including my home owner policy with allstate. I don't think I should have to be compelled to sign a waiver before my car can be repaired by allstate. Read the entire story and lets have your intelligent comment if you are capable of making one.

Point of fact, Allstate isn't requiring you to sign a waiver. The body shop at the dealership is.

I'm sure there are plenty of shops in town that would do it with refurbished/salvaged/used/whatever you want to call them parts without requiring a waiver. Were it Allstate requiring the waiver, things would be a bit different.

 

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VolAgent, but what about the fact that allstate won't guaranty the part outside of the 90 days warranty that the junkyards shop is offering. Would you be comfortable putting your loved ones in a car that are being fixed with parts that the manufacturer authorized repair shop won't guaranty? . I think the honest answer is very obvious.