Direct Repair Programs

Direct Repair Programs or DRPs, what are they?

An Insurance direct repair program (DRP) is the generic name used to describe insurance companies’ network of preferred repair shops.

Typically the insurers set guidelines for the repair of the vehicle. The insurance company then looks for repair facilities willing to adhere to these guidelines. Layton Carcare is on many Direct Repair Programs, but not all of them because, like any other type of insurance, no service provider is approved by all insurance companies.

Is a DRP like a Medical HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)?

With your health insurance or HMO, you may sign an agreement to only visit the care providers listed by your health insurance company. 

But Auto insurance is not like health insurance! 

You have the choice of who repairs your car!  In fact, only you can decide.

Is a Non-DRP shop better or worse than a DRP shop?

Using a Direct Repair Program Shop doesn’t mean that because they participate in the insurance program, they do poor or excellent work. A problem may arise if the shop does not complete excellent work because it is trying to please the insurer by keeping costs down and may skimp on repairs.

Likewise using a shop that is not on a particular Insurance company’s Direct Repair Program is no guarantee that you will receive great work either!

Who is the customer?

It’s a matter of who the customer is.  If the shop is working for you as the car owner, you are far more likely to get good repairs.  A list of things to look for could include:

• Ask the shop the simple question who do they work for?  At Layton Carcare we work with all Insurance Companies, but clearly, we work for the vehicle owner.
• Do they have training?  Ask for certifications like I-CAR and ASE.
• Do they have the proper equipment?  Ask for a shop tour!
• Ask about their warranty.  Insurance companies will say that they stand behind the work of their DRP Shops.  But call on an insurer to make good on one of these guarantees and you could get a lot of double-talk about how this isn’t the insurer’s problem, and to take any issue up with the repairer. Besides, the repair shop is the one actually guaranteeing the repair work.
• Ask for a referral from your friends and neighbors. Someone who has had work done by the shop before is always the best referral source!
• Ask for a referral from your insurance agent. We have many agents that refer to our shops even though we are not on their own DRP lists. Why? Because the agent is local and knows which shops are reliable. The insurance claims office DRP referrals may come from an out-of-state call center or from an operator reading from a provided list.
• The warranty is primarily provided by the repairer, not the insurer. As the vehicle owner you will live with the repairs long after you may have moved to another insurer!

A final thought!

We tell every customer who visits us that if the insurance company ever recommends procedures that compromise the safety of the car we will discuss it with you.   You are our most valuable asset!

You are the customer!  So remember…..

It’s your car and only you can decide who works on it!  You can choose LAYTON CARCARE!

Call Layton Carcare in Layton, UT today to schedule an evaluation for repairs (801) 593-9200.