Car Insurance Scams After Hurricane Michael – How To Avoid Them

PR Newswire iReach

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Compare-autoinsurance.org has issued a warning to all car owners affected by Hurricane Michael: Pay attention to car repair scam and work only through your trusted car insurance provider.

Hurricane Michael's brutal assault on Florida brought damage to an unprecedented scale. Entire communities were obliterated and even an Air Force base suffered catastrophic damage. Authorities in Florida are still assessing the toll of Hurricane Michael, both in terms of human casualties and structural damage. But one thing is for certain: the costs will be huge, topping more than $4 BN. The grimmest estimates say it will top $30 billion.

In the days before the storm hit, Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier estimated that roughly 500,000 policyholders would be impacted. This represents a nightmare for both insurance companies that have to reimburse their clients and for policyholders, who have to sit in line and wait for their claims to be processed.

But this trail of devastation may benefit one group: scammers. The so-called "Storm Chasers" are more than happy to "solve your claims" and "fix your car". They pose as repair shop representatives, insurance agents and even car dealers.

In order to avoid scams, car owners should do the following:

Pay attention to unsolicited inspections or car repair offers. Do not start working with people who were not hired or contracted to do a mechanical inspection or damage assessment. Be suspicious of anyone trying to sell a quick fix.
Do not make upfront payments. If the contractor asks for a down payment of more than 25% of the total cost, refuse it. A good contractor limits to 10%-20% maximum down payment.
Check the contractor before starting the work. Make sure to carefully analyze important details about the people about to hire for repairs. Check for offices, websites and customer reviews. If they fail to provide such info, then refuse to work with them.
Check materials. Make sure that the contractor uses quality, original parts, not some shady aftermarket parts. Inspect the materials before hiring.
Get a written contract. It is always recommended to have a signed, legible contract signed by those performing repairs. The contract must contain prices for labor and materials, repair procedures, and estimated start and finish dates.

"Having your car damaged is bad enough, but being scammed immediately after that is really devastating", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.