The Delay Game: What Body Shops Can Do When Insurance Companies Stall the Repair Process

Every body shop in America knows the game. A vehicle comes in, repairs are started, supplements are submitted—and then radio silence. Emails go unanswered. Phone calls go in circles. Payment timelines stretch from days to weeks. All while your customer is growing impatient, your technicians are in limbo, and your shop’s cash flow is bleeding.

Insurance companies know exactly what they’re doing. Delays are a tactic—intentional or not—to wear down shops and avoid paying what’s owed promptly. But just because they’re playing games doesn’t mean you have to sit on the sidelines. Here’s what every shop needs to know about how to respond, escalate, and protect your operations.

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🔧 1. Know the Law in Your State (and Use It)

Even though insurance regulations vary by state, every state has some version of “Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Acts.” These laws generally prohibit insurers from:

Failing to acknowledge and act promptly on communications

Not attempting good faith settlements when liability is clear

Delaying claim payments without reasonable cause

👉 Action: Document every delay. Keep a timeline of when you submitted the supplement, when you followed up, and how long it took for a response. Use this data when communicating with the carrier—or the Department of Insurance (DOI).

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🧾 2. Put It in Writing – Every Time

Verbal follow-ups don’t cut it. Every communication should be written and timestamped. Use email or a shop management system that logs messages.

👉 Action: After two attempts to reach the adjuster, escalate via email to the claims supervisor or carrier claims department. Include previous timestamps and note your intent to file a complaint if delays continue.

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🧠 3. Educate Your Customer – They Are the Policyholder

The shop isn’t the one with the insurance policy—the customer is. Insurance companies are far more responsive when their insured is breathing down their neck.

👉 Action: Inform your customer about the delays and encourage them to call their claims handler. Provide a call script if needed. When they start applying pressure, things often start moving faster.

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⚠️ 4. Use a Delay Disclosure Form

Create a simple document your customer signs that outlines delays caused by the insurance company. Include:

Dates and details of unanswered emails or delayed approvals

Impact on the repair timeline

Additional costs due to storage, rental extensions, or shop disruption

👉 Action: This document can later be used in DOI complaints, litigation, or simply to add pressure on the insurer to act.

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🧨 5. File a Complaint with the State DOI

Every consumer—and shop on behalf of a consumer—can file a complaint with their state’s Department of Insurance.

👉 Action: Use your delay log and emails as evidence. Make it about how it affects the consumer, not just your shop. Delays in safety-related repairs? Delays in returning a vehicle to a family with one car? That’s leverage.

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💰 6. Charge for Delays

You are not a free storage facility, and your techs don’t work on IOUs. If delays result in measurable shop losses, charge for it.

Storage Fees after a reasonable grace period

Admin Time for repeated follow-ups

Repair Interruption Fees if delays cause rescheduling of labor or reassembly

👉 Action: Add these line items to the supplement with clear notes and backup documentation. If denied, escalate or include in your rebuttal letter.

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🔄 7. Use Your Rebuttal Muscle

You already know: what they deny isn’t always what they owe. Get ahead of denials with strong, professional rebuttals. Back them up with OEM documentation, state laws, and industry standards.

👉 Action: Have a rebuttal template ready for common delay denials. “We didn’t get the supplement,” “We’re waiting on internal review,” or “We’re understaffed” aren’t valid excuses.

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🔍 8. Bring in a Public Adjuster (When Appropriate)

If payment delays are significant and you’re in a state where public adjusters can assist with property damage claims, bring one in to apply pressure and represent the customer’s financial interest.

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💥 Final Word: Shops Set the Tone

Insurers delay when shops allow it. When you treat delays as unacceptable—and document, escalate, and apply consistent pressure—you take back control of the repair process. You're not being difficult; you're being professional.

The faster we all stop tolerating this nonsense, the faster the system improves.