ASA releases article on market versus need for body repair

Members of the Automotive Service Association’s collision division operations committee have written an article about “Market vs. Need” that discusses auto body repair costs in relationship to insurer pay. The article was co-authored by Scott Benavidez, AAM, and April Hernandez, AAM, both volunteer leaders on the committee, and was written to ignite conversations about “Market vs. Need” within the collision repair industry.

"Every day I see vehicles that have been improperly repaired because repairers choose to repair by what they are told the market is charging versus what the manufacturer requires. This has become a consumer safety issue that affects the occupants of the vehicles as well as others they may encounter on our roads,” said Hernandez, owner of Hernandez Collision Center, Savannah, Ga.

“This is a topic the majority of shops, if not all shops, deal with on a regular basis,” said Dan Stander, ASA collision division director and co-owner of Fix Auto Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Colo. “Most shops have limited information and tools to cope with this problem. This is an excellent way to bring this issue to the forefront.”

A summary of the article will appear in the November issue of Auto Inc., or the full article can be downloaded now from the ASA website at www.ASAshop.org (click on Tools & Resources). 

“Each day, repairers discuss and negotiate with insurers what is needed to properly repair a damaged vehicle. In some instances, there are limitations imposed by insurers as to what they are willing to pay repair facilities to repair a vehicle based upon ‘what is fair and reasonable according to the market and market practices’ or based upon their lack of knowledge on proper repair procedures,” said Dan Risley, ASA executive director. “ASA’s collision volunteers are bringing this conversation to the forefront on behalf of consumers and repairers.”