Most car insurers today provide you the facility to get your car repaired at authorised garages, which are in the network of the insurance company. Network garages are identified by insurers based on their ability to provide:
- Fair and honest service
- Transparency in pricing
- Services or repairs as per the agreement with the insurer
- Service costs that are in alignment with the initial quotes
- Well-trained staff who are keen on doing the repair work efficiently
- A quick and easy procedure for raising complaints
Cashless claims at network garages – How it works
The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 mandates that all vehicles plying on Indian roads should be protected with at least a minimum insurance, i.e., the third-party liability insurance. This insurance protects the car owner from losses due to death, injury, or property damage to third-party. Apart from the standard cover for motor vehicles, insurance providers also offer cashless facilities for the settlement of claims.
Under the cashless insurance cover, the car owner can choose to get his vehicle repaired at a service station that has a tie-up with the insurer. In this scenario, the customer is not expected to pay for the repair work upfront; once the repairs are done, the insurance provider will settle the expenses with the garage.
The process of cashless claims follow the path specified below:
- When the insured car is damaged in an accident, it is taken to a network garage for repair.
- An inspection of the car is performed, followed by the issuance of an approval for cashless claim settlement.
- The service centre then performs the repair work on the vehicle and provides the bills and other relevant documents to the insurer. The evaluation of bills and documents are performed by the insurer in a thorough manner.
- After all the necessary evaluation, verification, and investigation, the bill amount is paid by the insurance company to the garage.
- The customer is required to bear the compulsory deductible, voluntary deductible, and the depreciated component of the claim.
- In case it has been found that the car has been damaged beyond economical repair, the insurance company will offer to pay the customer the existing market value of the vehicle. This value is calculated based on a few factors, such as the car’s mileage, general condition, and age. You can request for this amount to be reconsidered if you think your vehicle is worth more than the amount offered.
What are car insurance deductibles?
In car insurance parlance, a deductible or excess is the amount of money that the car owner pays towards the repair of the vehicle, before the policy provides the rest. There are many who consider that opting for a greater amount as deductible is an effective way to reduce car insurance premiums. However, you should ensure that you are able to afford the deductible, as you will be required to pay this amount in the unsettling situation of an accident.
Deductibles are classified into two categories:
- Compulsory deductible – This is the amount that insurance companies mandatorily deduct on every claim that is made by a customer. The payout for claims are made after reducing this amount from the total claim value. Compulsory deductible does not provide any discounts on premium.
- Voluntary deductible– This is an optional amount that is deducted from the claim value. This amount is based on the choice of the car owner at the time of purchase of the policy. It is a relatively larger amount when compared to the compulsory deductible. Voluntary excess is the deductible component that can bring about a considerable reduction in the premium of car insurances.
Understanding how the choice of deductibles impacts your overall contribution towards the policy is important for availing the right coverage at an optimum price. Selecting your deductible amount should be guided by your confidence as a driver.
In case you are an experienced driver, with a good history on the roads, you can opt for higher voluntary deductibles to bring down the cost of your policy. This is based on the assumption that you would not often be in a situation where you would raise claims and be liable to bear the deductible amount.
What is the depreciation element of the claim?
Depreciation is effectively the loss of value of the vehicle as it ages. As the car incurs wear and tear with time, the value of the vehicle also diminishes. The rate of depreciation is directly proportional to the Insured Declared Value of the car. For instance, the depreciation for a car that is 1 year old is 5%, while that for a 10 year old vehicle is 50%. So, as the car ages, its rate of depreciation increases and the amount offered by the insurer for the car will decrease progressively.
Depreciation is applicable to all car parts, except those made of glass. The rate of depreciation for plastic parts, rubber, air bags, and batteries is 50%, whereas the value for all fibre components is 30%. Depreciation is the part of the claim that is mandatorily borne by the car owner at the time of a cashless claim. To avoid paying this amount in the event of a claim, the car owner can opt to purchase a Zero Depreciation add-on cover. However, he/she will be required to pay a greater premium each year for this added coverage.
Benefits of choosing network garages
Opting for approved workshops to get your vehicle repaired after an accident has multiple advantages:
- The entire process of repair and claim settlement proceeds in a more efficient manner at a network garage. Approved garages have close ties with insurance companies, and this results in more effective communication and lesser delays.
- Some of the cashless car insurance policies cover the cost of moving your vehicle to the nearest approved repairer if it cannot be driven after an accident.
- When you report an accident to your insurer, they will engage an assessor to inspect the damages incurred by the vehicle. If the service centre that you choose is not an authorised workshop, the assessor may take longer to report as the garage would not be on his daily rounds.
- Some cashless insurance policies provide you a courtesy car while yours is in the garage for repair.
What happens when you choose a garage outside the insurer’s network?
Mr. X had purchased a motor insurance policy that would not support cashless claims. Although he was a confident driver on the roads, he once incurred damages to his vehicle in an unprecedented collision. At the accident spot, he was anxious to get his car to a service station for repair. Since he was not equipped with a cashless claim facility, he decided to get it towed to a nearby garage and get it back on the road at the earliest. However, he endured a lot of obstacles in his attempt to get the repair work done. Additionally, he had to face the consequences of certain terms that were laid down by the insurer that left him at a disadvantage.
So, here are some points to remember when choosing a service centre outside the insurer’s network:
- You are entitled to your choice of garage for damage repair of your vehicle and the subsequent insurance claim.
- However, if the garage is not an authorised one, you may have to bear higher excesses as the repair will not be guaranteed by the insurance company.
- You insurance provider may also not provide you a courtesy car if you select a garage outside their network.
- Additionally, your insurance provider may not pay you the complete cost of repairs.
- Before commencing the repair work on the vehicle, it is advisable to send the quotes from the garage to the insurer for approval. This will avoid hassles later, at the time of reimbursement.
Top insurers who offer cashless claims at network garages
Some of the prominent insurance providers with a wide network of partner garages are listed below:
- ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd. – Help is just a stone’s throw away when your vehicle is insured with ICICI Lombard’s auto insurance policy. With a widespread network of above 5,600 authorised garages, you can benefit from cashless repair services in most cities in the country.
- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd.– If you own a cashless car insurance from Bajaj Allianz, you can get your car repaired at any of the 1,500 preferred workshops on their list. Additionally, you can avail a hassle-free claim settlement process in an expedited manner.
- HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co. Ltd.– HDFC ERGO Motor insurance provides you private and commercial vehicle insurance with cashless facilities at more than 3,400 authorised garages in the country. Their plans also offer you optimum coverage at reasonable costs.
- Reliance General Car Insurance– The car insurance policy from Reliance General offers you the flexibility to choose a customised insurance coverage for your vehicle. They also provide cashless claim facility at more than 2,400 garages across the country.
- Tata AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd. – Tata AIG provides car insurance that offers enhanced protection to your vehicle, with a bouquet of 12 add-on covers as well. They have a wide network of authorised garages that undertake repair work efficiently and settle cashless claims in an expedited manner.
