Farmers Insurance Cautions Vehicle Owners on Windshield Replacement Scams
National News • August 10, 2004
Driving with a cracked or broken windshield puts both drivers and their passengers at risk.
In fact, insurance companies in some states are required by law to waive the deductible for damaged or ...
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Subject: RE: RE: Glass replacment fraud
Posted On: August 12, 2004, 3:09 pm CDT
Posted By: Dan
Comment:
The following comments are the opinion of 'Dan Fisher' and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of this website or any of its affiliates or subscribers, the insurance industry or any other glass shop owner or employee.
I don't particularly feel sorry for the insurance industry in relation to auto glass insurance fraud. I feel that the insurance industry fat cats, who are not in touch with what really constitutes being someone's 'agent', are responsible for the tremendous rise in auto body and auto glass claims fraud. When I started in this business in 1976 there was no such thing as 'networks' or 'TPA's. Our company had a one on one relationship with nearly every insurance agent in 26 counties in southeastern North Carolina. These agents were allowed to care for their insured's needs from within their own office without the restrictive handcuffing that today's so called agents are forced to deal with. If an insured had a broken windshield, that person did what was expected. He called his insurance agent, and was able to trust his agent to send a qualified and reputable company to replace that windshield. The glass shop would send an invoice to the agent's office, and the agent would remit payment to the glass shop. Now our world has evolved into the mess that it is today. The poor insured calls his agent, who in turn is forced to refer the agent to a TPA, who in turn sends whoever offers the cheapest price, regardless of that company's installer's experience. An insured is more often than not, likely to get an installer who has a year or less experience in replacing windshields. Certification certificates and merit badges do not a qualified installer make. Insurance agents of old were able to choose the services of a proven professional. A shop with whom he had a relationship and was able to trust. Not today. Agents, or should I say premium collectors, have little say in the care of these people who pay their premiums and believe that the agent can help them in time of need. Insurance fraud? Yes, but it is self inflicted. The insurance industry burries its head in the sand when it comes right down to it. They punish all the honest shops by browbeating us into profitless discounts, while ignoring the real problem, which is that insted of fighting the fraud where it exists, they want to fix it by insisting that we are all crooks and that they should be in charge of the pricing. Can you say "fox in the hen house"?
Subject: RE: RE: Glass replacment fraud
I don't particularly feel sorry for the insurance industry in relation to auto glass insurance fraud. I feel that the insurance industry fat cats, who are not in touch with what really constitutes being someone's 'agent', are responsible for the tremendous rise in auto body and auto glass claims fraud. When I started in this business in 1976 there was no such thing as 'networks' or 'TPA's. Our company had a one on one relationship with nearly every insurance agent in 26 counties in southeastern North Carolina. These agents were allowed to care for their insured's needs from within their own office without the restrictive handcuffing that today's so called agents are forced to deal with. If an insured had a broken windshield, that person did what was expected. He called his insurance agent, and was able to trust his agent to send a qualified and reputable company to replace that windshield. The glass shop would send an invoice to the agent's office, and the agent would remit payment to the glass shop. Now our world has evolved into the mess that it is today. The poor insured calls his agent, who in turn is forced to refer the agent to a TPA, who in turn sends whoever offers the cheapest price, regardless of that company's installer's experience. An insured is more often than not, likely to get an installer who has a year or less experience in replacing windshields. Certification certificates and merit badges do not a qualified installer make. Insurance agents of old were able to choose the services of a proven professional. A shop with whom he had a relationship and was able to trust. Not today. Agents, or should I say premium collectors, have little say in the care of these people who pay their premiums and believe that the agent can help them in time of need. Insurance fraud? Yes, but it is self inflicted. The insurance industry burries its head in the sand when it comes right down to it. They punish all the honest shops by browbeating us into profitless discounts, while ignoring the real problem, which is that insted of fighting the fraud where it exists, they want to fix it by insisting that we are all crooks and that they should be in charge of the pricing. Can you say "fox in the hen house"?