Crooked Car Insurance Company Practices

Insurance companies have begun buying or investing their monies into car repair businesses in recent years. Insurance companies that own car repair shops can result in the consumer getting bad service and substandard replacement parts. Many people in the car repair industry have complained of being pressured by insurance companies that own them to keep costs down, and if they do not, they risk losing referrals.

Vehicle owners also have rights when getting their cars repaired following a collision. This applies to regular maintenance repairs as well.

The Automobile Service Association (ASA) suggests that car owners ask insurance companies the following when shopping for an auto body repair shop following a collision.

Do I have to get three estimates?

This is a standard procedure among insurance companies, but in reality you do NOT have to get three estimates. This is only an option and NOT a requirement that puts the burden on the car's owner to get the cheapest price.

Can I choose any repair shop?

Yes. You have the right to choose any auto body shop you like, and any attempt to direct you to a particular shop should raise some suspicions. Many times, the dealership does not have an auto body repair shop, and the vehicle's owner is referred to one with whom they have a contract. It is not required that they have one.

How can I ensure that they are going to fix my car with quality parts?

Any parts used other than Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) car parts must be disclosed in writing by the insurance company. It is up to the owner to agree if the insurance company will install other market parts, rather than be pressured to use OEM parts. In some states, this disclosure is not required.

The ASA recommends the following advice for vehicle owners to maintain their car:

Always check your owner's manual for regular maintenance schedules. A good rule of thumb is to change the oil and filter once every 3,000 to 4,000 miles.

Check all fluids including brake, transmission, washer, power steering, and antifreeze. These fluids are necessary for the safety and performance of your vehicle.

Check tire pressure. Under-inflated tires can waste gas. This is the cheapest form of preventive and safety maintenance. Check tire pressure once a month.

My Car is a Lemon--Lemon Law Advice

If you bought a new car that turned out to be a lemon, there are lemon laws that were designed to benefit the buyer.

The following is some advice regarding that lemon you purchased in case you need to prove you case at a future time. These Lemon Law advices are designed to assist consumers to collect information they will need to prove that their car is a lemon.

Keep Copies

Safeguard all copies of documentation you have with regard to your car and its history. This includes all repair invoices, purchase contracts, written warranty, and owner's manual that came with your car.

Take Written Notes

Take notes on all conversations you have with your car dealer and its repair staff regarding your car and its "lemon" potential. Write down the time, date, and specifics of the discussion. This also includes in-person contact and phone calls.

Ask About Technical Service Bulletins (TSB's)

The manufacturer regularly sends out TSB's to alert car dealers of specific defects or necessary repairs in certain models. Be sure to ask about these TSB's, or your dealer might not disclose this information. Therefore, speak up and request that your repair technician write your request on the repair invoice.

Prepare a Timeline

If you have many repair invoices on hand, make a timeline to organize each repair attempt by date, the number of times you brought your car to the shop, and how many days overall your car has been out of service.

Do Not Get Discouraged

Repair technicians, car dealers, and others might tell you the problems you are having with your car do not qualify under the lemon law for any sort of relief. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! They are lying through their teeth to save themselves a buck or two. Only a licensed attorney who practices law in the state where you bought your car is qualified to make such a determination regarding lemon laws.

There are many forms of fraud going on nowadays. It is up to you to educate yourself on what is or is not legitimate. Hopefully, our advice will minimize your chances of becoming a victim of a crime of this form of consumer fraud.

FBI Surveillance E-mail Scam

Beware not to open e-mail attachments supposedly sent by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI has issued an alert regarding fake e-mails supposedly sent by their agency informing internet users that their net surfing and internet activities are being monitored. Furthermore, the e-mail tells online users that they been tagged for visiting illegal websites and they should open an attachment to answer questions.

The FBI has reported that "These e-mails did not originate from the FBI." Recipients of these e-mail solicitations should be aware that the FBI would never engage in the practice of sending unsolicited e-mails to the public this way."

The FBI is looking into this scam and wants people to know that opening attachments in unsolicited e-mails is risky business because these files many times contain viruses which can infect the user's computer.

Guard yourself from e-mail scams by following these simple tips:

• Never provide personal information to e-mail requests
  
  
  Do not give out confidential or financial information in response to an e-mail request. Reputable companies will never request personal or financial information over an insecure medium like e-mail. Any attempt to fool people into disclosing personal and financial information through phony e-mail messages is known as phishing. Be very careful because some of these messages are very official-looking. Con artists pretend to be well known companies when running their phishing scams. Do not become a victim to these perpetrators.


• Do not open unsolicited e-mail attachments
  
  
  Following this sacred rule will eliminate you as a phisherman's next target. If somebody unknown to you sends you an e-mail, then you should never think about opening an attachment in the e-mail. This is akin to opening Pandora's box. This means big trouble for you and your computer.


• Scam e-mail attachments that you do open
  
  
  If you open up e-mail attachments coming from friends, family, or business associates, be cautious and scan all e-mail attachments for viruses. Their computers may be infected, and they do not even know it. Self-replicating viruses can infect a computer and then send an infected e-mail attachment to everybody in the owner's address book. Simply put, some e-mail messages supposedly coming from your friends are nothing more than a self-propagating virus.

There are many forms of internet fraud going on nowadays. It is up to you to educate yourself on what is or is not legitimate. Hopefully, our advice will minimize your chances of becoming a victim of the crime of internet phishing.