Precision Auto of Hilton Head LLC

10/29/2025

02/27/2017

10/16/2016

Don't Get Pushed to "Preferred" Auto Body Shops

When an insurance company is paying for repairs, it often tries to steer clients to its "preferred" list of body shops. Insurance companies control these collision repair facilities by promising them steady work in exchange for corner-cutting and kickbacks up to 5% on parts. This control may encourage some body shops to "back charge," or build in extra costs to cover areas not covered by the insurance company.

South Carolina state laws allow consumers to choose their auto body shops, even when an insurance company is paying for the repair. But insurance adjusters will still coerce clients toward the "preferred" shops using a variety of tactics to discourage them from going elsewhere, the insiders say. For example, the adjuster might say if you go to a shop that's not preferred, some costs won't be covered, or the non-preferred shop won't guarantee the work, while the preferred shop will.

What sets us apart from the rest is that we work for the customer exclusively, not the insurance company. The Island's only independent body shop, Precision Auto of Hilton Head.