Auto Hail Repair

If you live in an area recently hit by a hail storm severe enough to cause dent damage to your vehicle, this is a common question if you carry comprehensive insurance coverage on your vehicle and want the hail damage repaired. Superior Dent Solutions is an auto hail repair shop located in Austin, TX, and we are NOT a DRP—a direct repair provider. What does this mean?

Direct Repair Provider VS Independent Repair Shop

Direct repair shops are auto body shops or paintless dent repair shops that are contracted with your insurance company in order to be placed on their “DRP” list.

Why would an auto body or paintless dent repair shop want to be a DRP?

When an insurance company partners with a shop, the insurance company sends the shop business. This cuts back on the shop’s advertising dollars and ensures a steady flow of business.

What is the difference between a DRP and an independent local auto body/paintless dent repair shop?

Insurance companies usually choose big box repair shops/franchise shops to partner with for a few reasons.

• One reason is because they have multiple locations in multiple cities.
• Secondly, they are usually corporate-owned, and the business model is primarily based on quantity, not quality.
• DRPs often use aftermarket parts instead of original manufacturer (OEM) parts. These parts are mass-produced to work on a myriad of vehicles. As a result, they tend to be of lower quality and rarely fit as well as they should. 
• Finally, labor is cheaper.

Some common DRP shops in the Austin area are Gerber Collision Center, Caliber Collision, Austin Body Works, Crash Champions, Maxwell Ford, and Jeffs Auto Body Repair.

Common Steering Tactics Insurance Company Use

Insurance companies will do everything in their power to send you to one of their DRP shops, they will even employ scare tactics to make you believe that you have no other option. This is all very illegal.

The insurance company sends you to a specific shop for an initial adjuster estimate.

Once you get there and they give you the estimate, the shop tries to tell you that you have to get your repairs done there. They will tell you whatever they can to make you believe THEY are your only option. Insurance companies get very busy with claims when a big hail storm hits your area. Sometimes, they will send their customers to their “Direct Repair Facilities” instead of sending out an adjuster. When they do this, it is an easy way to get you into their pocket.

Remember, DRP shops work for the insurance company to get the best deal so they can pay out less, make as many repairs as possible quickly, and keep a tight grip on the entire hail repair process.

Common scare tactics used in this scenario:

• Insurance won’t cover the repairs if you don’t use them.
• You won’t get a lifetime warranty if you go elsewhere.
• “This is just the process.”

When you file your claim, they start the steering process.

This is when you are most vulnerable. You are already flustered and not sure what your next steps are. Remember, the auto hail repair shop you use to repair your vehicle is your choice. It is called steering, no matter what your insurance company, insurance adjuster, or DRP shop tells you.

For example, this comes directly from State Farm’s website.

“You can choose any shop you like to repair your vehicle’s damage. But if you go with a shop that’s in the State Farm^® Select Service network, you could save time and effort.”

Common scare tactics used in this scenario:

• Insurance won’t cover the repairs if you don’t use them.
• You won’t get a lifetime warranty if you go elsewhere.
• They provide the highest quality and most experience.
• This will make the process faster.

Insurance companies know it’s illegal but steering is still a common practice.

Insurance companies call DRPs many names, but they are still DRPs.

Each insurance company has its unique way of convincing you to use one of its preferred shops. They call them many different things, but in the end, they are all just shops that have agreed to get more business in return for a discounted cost.

State Farm = State Farm Select Service^®

Geico = Auto Repair Xpress

AllState = Good Hands Repair Network

Liberty Mutual = Guaranteed Repair Network Shop

Farmers = Guaranteed Repair Shops

Esurance = E Star Repair Facility

Know Your Rights

You choose who repairs your vehicle, not the insurance company.

Conclusion: Independent shops work for you. DRPs work for the insurance company.

Research before hiring any auto body shop or paintless dent repair shop.

Expedite the Austin Auto Hail Claims Process

2024 Austin Updated Hail Claims Process

The Superior Dent Solutions team has created this guide to help customers file their hail claims with their insurance company, get their vehicles repaired faster, and get back on the road.

We all know Texas is a hot spot for damaging hail storms & every storm is different regarding the hail claims process. After a few weeks of repairing vehicles from a particular storm, we like to share what works best for our customers.

1. Call your insurance provider and start the claims process. If you need assistance, we are happy to help. We can set up a 3-way phone call with you, your insurer, and one of our team members.
   • Progressive – 1-800-776-4737
   • AllState – 1-800-255-7828
   • GEICO – (800) 841-3000
   • AAA – 1-833-806-7833
   • Esurance – 1-800-378-7262
   • Farm Bureau – 1-800-226-6383
   • Farmers Insurance – 1-800-435-7764
   • Liberty Mutual – 800-225-2467
   • Shelter – 1-800-743-5837
   • State Farm – 1 (800) 782-8332
   • USAA – 800-531-8722
2. Questions asked and information you will need.
   • Name
   • Policy number
   • Date of birth
   • Date of occurrence (storm)
   • Where was your vehicle when it was damaged? 
   • What is the size of the damage? 
   • What panels are damaged?
   • Was there any glass damage?
   • Is the vehicle drivable? 
3. Identify your paintless dent repair shop of choice.
   It is up to you where you take your vehicle to repairs. Some insurance companies will imply that you need to take your vehicle to a shop that is within their “preferred network.” This is a practice referred to as “steering.” This is not a legal practice and it is well within your rights to choose the shop you trust. Superior Dent Solutions guarantees all repairs with a lifetime warranty. We have 25+ years of experience and work with ALL insurance companies.
4. Information you will want to ask for from the insurance company when you file your claim.
   • Claim number.
   • Rental car verification code.
     • Ask the agent to set you up with a reservation with a car rental agency.
       • Enterprise – Option 4 – Option 2
       • Hertz
     • Your insurance company should give you a verification code. We will need this information to make sure a rental car is available. 
5. You will be assigned an adjuster to handle your claim. Within 24-72 hours, you will receive an email from your assigned adjuster.
   • **To expedite the repair process, you can choose to forward the email you receive from your assigned adjuster to your Superior Dent Solutions representative. Once we receive this information, we can send the adjuster pictures and schedule a time for them to come by the shop to look over the vehicle and provide an estimate to repair the damage.
   • You can wait for the adjuster to get ahold of you to schedule the estimate. You can have the adjuster meet you at your location or at our shop. Just give us a call with the date/time and we will block a time at the shop for you and the adjuster.
6. Reserve a rental car or if your policy doesn’t cover a rental, request a complimentary loaner from us.
   • If you have rental coverage. After a big hail storm, rental agencies get busy and rental vehicles get booked fast. We are happy to do this for you or you can do it yourself, whatever is easier for you. We will call the rental agency and ask for the next available rental. Give them the verification code provided by your insurance provider. Sometimes rentals take 5-7 days to reserve. Once we have this information, we will call you. We will meet you at the car rental agency to pick up your vehicle and take it to our shop for repairs. If you have decided to make the reservation, just give us a call and provide us with the details.
     Enterprise Locations
     Enterprise 4352 I-35, Austin, TX 78745  (512) 462-9009
     Enterprise – Airport Location – 3819 Presidential Blvd, Austin, TX 78719 – 737) 484-3896
     Enterprise – 319 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704 – (512) 472-1373
   • If you need an SDS loaner. Superior Dent Solutions has a fleet of complimentary loaner vehicles available for our customers. If you need a loaner while your vehicle is in the shop, we will get you in line to borrow one of ours. Get in line now!
7. Vehicle inspection by the insurance adjuster.
   Option 1: Schedule for an adjuster to look at your vehicle at your home or office.
   ***Option 2: Drop off your vehicle at the shop to be inspected. We regularly have adjusters come by the shop to inspect vehicles and provide estimates. You are welcome to stay for the estimate or you can drop off your vehicle and we can go through the estimation process with them.
   ***This is beneficial for 3 reasons.
   • Before the adjuster arrives, we can thoroughly inspect and identify each panel under our LED light panels and mark the damage.
   • You will save time by knowing ALL of the damage has been identified. If the adjuster misses damage while inspecting your vehicle at your location and we find additional damage once it’s in the shop for repairs, we will not need to submit a supplement request to cover the additional damage found.
   • Once the estimate has been created and approved, we can immediately get your vehicle in line for repairs. If you rented a vehicle from Enterprise or are borrowing one of our loaners, you can leave your vehicle with us for repairs.
     

Superior Dent Solutions just recently played hooky to make a commercial to run on Fox25 of Oklahoma City. Can’t wait?? Watch it above!

Transcript from commercial:

Superior Dent Solutions – OKC’s full-service paintless dent repair center. Superior Dent Solutions provides a clean, seamless repair that keeps your car’s original color without using new paint or chemicals. This month, we’re partnering with Veterans for Life to make a difference in the lives of our heros. For every auto hail repair, we’ll donate $100 to local veterans and first responders struggling with PTSD and substance abuse. Call Superior Dent Solutions or Schedule Online for your FREE ASSESSMENT!

Oklahoma City’s Best Paintless Dent Repair Shop

Why Superior Dent?

• Free hail damage assessments at your home or our shop.
• We pay your deductible up to $1000.
• Lifetime warranty on all auto hail repairs.
• Best customer service!
• Insurance claims assistance.
• All August – for every hail repair, we donate $100 to Veterans for Life!