You researched the shops, read the reviews, and picked the one certified for your vehicle. Then a letter from the insurance company arrives, and suddenly your right to choose a body shop feels a lot less certain. The letter says you can pick any repair facility you want. It also says you may owe money, face delays, and need to let your car be towed to an inspection site you have never heard of.
That letter is real. One of our guests received it after choosing Nylund’s Collision Center, and they asked us a simple question: “Is all of this actually going to happen?”
This article walks through what the letter says, what Colorado law says, how the claims process normally works, and what you can do if a letter like this lands in your mailbox.
What the Letter Says About Your Right to Choose a Body Shop
The letter came from SF Insurance Co. after the vehicle owner selected our shop. In fairness, it opens by confirming your right to choose a body shop. It states that you “have the right to select the repair facility of your choice to repair your vehicle.”
After that sentence, however, the tone changes. Here is a plain summary of the main points:
| What the letter says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The shop “may charge more than what SF Insurance Co. has determined is payable.” | You could be billed for the difference. |
| Costs may include “unnecessary repairs” or repairs SF Insurance Co. “was unable to verify.” | The insurer reserves the right to dispute line items. |
| Supplements may not be paid if SF Insurance Co. could not inspect first. | Hidden damage found later could become a dispute. |
| “Please do not authorize tear down” before SF Insurance Co. inspects. | Repairs pause until the insurer looks at the car. |
| You must authorize the shop to release the vehicle for towing to an inspection site. | Your car may leave the shop you chose, then come back. |
| Failure to release the vehicle “could result in cost to you and delay to the repairs.” | Saying no carries a stated financial risk. |
| Payment will be based on SF Insurance Co’s estimate and supplements. | Any gap may become your personal responsibility. |
Reading Between the Lines
Our shop is named six times in the letter. Since the letter appears to be a form letter, another owner would likely see their own shop’s name inserted in the same places. We are assuming that, of course, since we have only seen the version sent to our guest. Notably, the letter offers no alternative shop. It simply attaches conditions to the choice you already made, which raises a fair question about how it affects your right to choose a body shop in practice.
In the video above, Robert Grieve and Eric Reamer read the full letter on camera and ask viewers a direct question: would this change your mind about where you take your vehicle?
What Colorado Law Says About Insurance Steering
Colorado has a specific statute on this subject. Under C.R.S. 10-4-120, insurers face several limits on how they handle repair choices. The paragraph read in the video, subsection (2)(e), states that an insurer “shall not use disincentives to discourage a beneficiary or claimant from using a particular repair business.” Its only stated exception covers warranty or guarantee of repairs.
The letter our guest received does not mention a warranty or a guarantee. Consequently, that exception does not appear to apply here.
The same subsection lists other limits as well. According to the statute, insurers may not:
- Require or forbid that repairs be done by a specified repair business.
- Tell a claimant that using a particular shop may lead to nonpayment or delayed payment.
- Intimidate, coerce, or threaten a claimant into using a particular shop.
- Misinform a claimant to steer them toward a particular repair business.
- Require a third-party claimant to use a particular shop when settling a property damage claim.
Colorado regulators have enforced these rules before. In 2010, for example, the Colorado Division of Insurance fined one auto insurer $71,100 over a deductible discount tied to its contracted shops.
Whether this specific letter crosses a legal line is a question for regulators or courts, not for us. We are a collision repair facility, not a law firm. This article is not legal advice. Still, every vehicle owner deserves to know the law exists before making a decision.
The Insurer’s Side of the Story
Insurers do have legitimate interests in a claim. Most auto policies give the company a right to inspect damaged property before paying. An insurer that pays for repairs naturally wants to verify the damage and the cost. Supporters of letters like this one would likely argue that it simply explains those policy conditions in writing, and that it affirms your right to choose a body shop in its first paragraph.
That position deserves a fair hearing. In most claims, though, an inspection at the shop you chose already serves that purpose. The question our guest raised is whether the overall effect of the letter discourages a choice the law protects. Reasonable people can read it differently, so we invite you to decide for yourself.
How a Normal Claim Works When You Choose Your Own Shop
Understanding the normal process helps you see why this letter surprised us. For most claims at our shop, the sequence looks like this:
- You bring your vehicle to the shop you selected.
- An adjuster from the insurer visits the shop to look at the damage.
- That adjuster writes a preliminary estimate based on what is visible.
- Our technicians disassemble the damaged area to find hidden damage.
- Next, the adjuster reviews the additional damage, either in person or through photos.
- Both the shop and insurer exchange supplements until the repair plan is complete.
That back and forth is normal. Sometimes the adjuster comes out more than once. In other words, the system already allows the insurer to inspect your vehicle without moving it anywhere.
Why Disassembly Matters for a Safe Repair
The letter asks you not to authorize “tear down.” That phrase sounds destructive, but it simply means careful disassembly. Collision damage rarely stops at the bumper cover or the fender.
Behind those panels sit energy absorbers, brackets, sensors, wiring, and structural rails. A modern vehicle may also carry radar units and cameras for its advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS. These parts often require calibration after a collision repair. Damage to any of them stays invisible until someone removes the outer panels.
Delaying disassembly does not make that damage disappear. It only delays the moment everyone learns about it.
Why Certification Matters to Your Right to Choose a Body Shop
Many vehicle owners pick a shop because it holds manufacturer certifications for their make. That choice has real safety value. Automakers publish detailed repair procedures that spell out which parts to replace, where to section, how to weld, and when to calibrate sensors. A certified shop invests in the training, tools, and equipment needed to follow those procedures.
An insurer’s estimate, by contrast, starts with what an adjuster can see from the outside. Supplements close that gap once technicians find the hidden damage and research the factory procedures. For this reason, a supplement does not automatically signal an unnecessary repair. More often, it reflects the difference between a quick visual estimate and a complete repair plan.
When you exercise your right to choose a body shop, you are really choosing whose repair standards will govern your vehicle. Organizations such as I-CAR train technicians on these procedures because modern vehicles leave little room for shortcuts. High strength steels, aluminum, and bonded structures all behave differently in a crash than older designs did.
As a result, the shop you select shapes how your vehicle protects you in the next collision. That decision deserves protection, and it deserves to stay yours.
What an Insurance Inspection Site Means for Your Repair
The most unusual part of the letter is the towing requirement. According to the letter, you would need to authorize the shop to release your vehicle for towing to an inspection site. SF Insurance Co. says it will pay for the tow both ways.
The letter does not say where that site is or who operates it. It also does not explain what happens there that could not happen at the shop.
Here is what we can tell you from experience. We first started noticing this style of letter around 2020. Since then, our guests have received many of them. In all that time, not one vehicle has actually been towed from our shop to a separate inspection site.
Even so, the threat of a tow raises practical concerns:
- Added time: Two tows and an off-site inspection add days to the repair.
- Rental costs: Many policies cap rental coverage by the day and in total, so delays can push you past those limits.
- Extra handling: Every tow and transfer adds another chance for further damage.
- Uncertainty: Without a named location, you cannot evaluate where your car would go.
How to Protect Your Right to Choose a Body Shop
If you receive a letter like this, you do not need to panic. Your right to choose a body shop remains in place, and the letter itself says so. You do, however, need a plan. Consider these steps:
- Read the whole letter carefully. Note every sentence that mentions cost to you, delays, or towing.
- Share it with your shop right away. The shop usually does not receive a copy, so your service advisor may not know it exists.
- Ask the insurer questions in writing. Email creates a record that phone calls do not.
- Keep copies of everything. Save the letter, emails, estimates, and photos in one folder.
- Review your policy. Look for the inspection and appraisal provisions so you know your obligations.
- Contact the regulator if needed. Colorado consumers can file a complaint with the Colorado Division of Insurance if they believe an insurer handled a claim improperly.
Questions to Ask the Adjuster in Writing
Specific questions tend to produce specific answers. Try these:
- Where exactly is the inspection site, and who operates it?
- Why can the inspection not take place at the shop I selected?
- How many days will the tow and inspection add to my repair?
- Will you extend my rental coverage to cover any delay you cause?
- Which repairs on the current estimate do you consider unnecessary, and why?
- Do you follow the vehicle manufacturer’s published repair procedures when writing your estimate?
Clear written answers help you, your shop, and, if necessary, a regulator understand exactly what the insurer intends. They also show the insurer that you know your right to choose a body shop and plan to use it.
Your Right to Choose a Body Shop Is Worth Understanding
Choosing a repair facility is one of the most important decisions after a collision. A certified shop with the right equipment and training directly affects how your vehicle performs in the next crash. That is why the right to choose a body shop matters far beyond paperwork.
The letter in this episode does confirm that right. Then it lists costs, delays, and conditions that may make a vehicle owner second guess the choice they already made. Whether that amounts to a disincentive under Colorado law is not our call. Your reaction to it, however, is entirely yours. Knowing the law, the normal claims process, and the right questions to ask puts you in a stronger position to defend your right to choose a body shop.
So we will ask the same question we asked in the video. Would this letter change your mind about the shop you chose? Leave your answer in the comments on the video, and tell us why. Real experiences from real vehicle owners help everyone make better decisions.