If your vehicle needs repairs, you have every right to refuse your insurer’s offer, and this will not prevent you from being covered.
On the road, unfortunately, we can have a few minor problems. Running out of gas or engine, getting a flat tire, finding the window of our vehicle broken, or having to call a tow truck in the event of a fender bender or accident… These are all situations that can happen to anyone and require the intervention of our car insurance. And when the vehicle needs to be repaired, drivers are all faced with the same dilemma.
Indeed, insurance companies always encourage you to go through an approved garage. An approach that has several advantages: there is no need to advance the costs, the administrative procedures are simplified and the professionals are selected to be trustworthy. The latter have also signed an agreement with your insurance, which obliges them to limit prices thanks to a price list. In return, the company allows it to increase its clientele and its reputation.
But since 2015, nothing requires you to go through an approved garage to repair your car. So, if you know your mechanic well and want to entrust your vehicle to them, know that the principle of free choice is in force. You can therefore do all the repairs you want at the mechanic you have chosen yourself, even if it is not on the list of garages approved by your insurance.
“Any insurance contract taken out under Article L. 211-1 mentions the option for the insured, in the event of damage covered by the contract, to choose the professional repairer he wishes to use. This information is also provided, under conditions defined by decree, when the claim is reported.” specifies article L.211-5-1 of the Insurance Code. Furthermore, reimbursement must not be delayed either.