Insurers often steer drivers towards their own approved network. In a non-fault accident you generally have more choice than you are led to believe. Here is how repairer choice actually works.
Do you have to use the insurer's repairer?
Most policies allow you to use a repairer of your choice, though some apply a higher excess or shorten a repair guarantee if you go outside the network. Read the wording rather than relying on what you are told on the phone.
Where the other driver is at fault, the repair is ultimately part of your loss, and a competent repairer of your choosing carrying out a correct repair is a reasonable position.
↑ Back to contentsWhat to check before you choose
Approval schemes exist for a reason, but the badge on the wall matters less than the questions below.
- Are the technicians qualified for the work your vehicle needs
- Is there a written guarantee on workmanship and paint
- Are manufacturer repair methods followed for structural work
- Is ADAS calibration carried out and documented after the repair
- Will you get a copy of the parts list and the final inspection
Why the choice matters
A modern car is a safety system, not just panels. Sensors, cameras, bonded structures and high strength steels all have specific repair requirements. A shortcut here is invisible on the day and expensive years later.
↑ Back to contentsFrequently asked questions
The insurance questions drivers ask us most
Straight answers on premiums, excess, write-offs and replacement vehicles, written by our Bristol repair team.
- Non-fault accident: what it means and what to do (UK guide)A plain-English UK guide to non-fault accidents: how liability is decided, your repair and replacement vehicle options, and the mistakes that cost drivers money.
- What to do after a car accident that wasn’t your faultThe exact steps to take at the scene, in the first 24 hours and in the first week after someone else hits your car in the UK.
- Will a non-fault accident affect my insurance? (UK)How a non-fault claim can show on your record, what happens to your premium and what to check with your insurer.
- Do I have to pay my insurance excess?When an excess applies after a non-fault accident, and the practical routes that can avoid paying one up front.
Your next steps
Based on what you have just read, these are the pages most drivers go to next.
Prefer to speak to someone now?
SAR Group is a repair-led accident support and bodyshop business, and your first point of contact after a non-fault accident. We are not an FCA-authorised claims management company: every non-fault case is handled through our authorised and regulated partner network.