What is an approved bodyshop or approved repairer?
In the UK accident repair industry, an approved bodyshop or approved repairer is a vehicle repair centre that has been formally endorsed by either a vehicle manufacturer or an insurance company to carry out repairs to specific quality and safety standards.
Manufacturer-Approved Bodyshops
A manufacturer-approved bodyshop is authorised by a car brand (such as Audi, BMW, or Ford) to repair vehicles to factory specifications. These bodyshops:
- Use genuine OEM parts
- Follow the manufacturer’s official repair methods
- Employ trained and certified technicians
- Have the specialist tools and equipment required for specific models
Insurance-Approved Repairers
An insurance-approved repairer is part of an insurance company’s contracted network. These repairers:
- Meet the insurer’s standards for workmanship, turnaround, and cost
- Often handle the claims process directly
- Provide a repair guarantee, typically valid for as long as you own the car
- Offer reduced labour rates and high discounts to insurers in return for a high volume of work
Insurers often recommend their approved repairers for cost saving, and in some cases are quite forceful in the use of their own network. However, UK law allows you to choose your own repairer.
Is Allied Automotive an approved repairer?
Let’s take a look at what makes a workshop and ‘approved repairer’.
✔ Do we use OEM parts? Yes
✔ Do we follow manufacturers repair methods? Yes
✔ Are our technicians trained and qualified? Yes
✔ Do we have specialist tools and equipment? Yes
✔ Do we provide work guarantee? Yes
✔ Are we part of trusted repair networks? Yes
X Do we have contracts in place that mean we need to put through high volumes of work (often at the expense of quality) to make a profit? NO
X Do we let insurers push us around and cut corners on your vehicle to save the insurer money? NO
X Are we then, considered by definition an ‘approved repairer’? NO
X Do we want to be considered an ‘approved repairer’? NO!
In Conclusion
An approved bodyshop is supposed to provide confidence that accident repairs will be carried out safely, professionally, and to a recognised standard. In many cases, they do. However, any insurer telling you that ‘non-approved’ repairers cannot provide the same, and in many cases, better, service and repair quality, is not telling the full story. Customers are really starting to see that approved repairers are rarely they best option for their repairs, and insurers are now using any tactic they can to keep their repair network busy. We recommend you do not let your insurer dictate where you take your car – whether it comes to us or another independent, you will likely get a better standard of work, a more personal service and overall a better experience.
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