"No comment" on State Farm.
What initiated the recent purchase of my new MINI was an accident (not my fault, honest) that totaled my Beetle. Pix here.
Geico is my insurance company and I couldn't be more impressed with the ease, professionalism, and fairness of their claims process.

 

I just went through the same issue with State Farm regarding a bumper. The were replacing it with a refurbished bumper which is cheaper. I was concerned with this and talked to the body shop and he told me that if it was less than perfect he would not accept it and would talk to SF regarding getting a new one. The bumper is on and no issues other than holes were pre drilled but thats minor. I've been with SF for over 10 years for both Auto and Home and customer service was lacking so I am thinking about switching because my claims rep whos worked at SF for 30 years still couldnt do her job........and my Agent really didnt help. I did some research and thinking of going to Chubb. Here is their coverage info. Anyone who already uses them please chime in.

High Performance Coverage
What makes Chubb insurance ideal for the car you love? Broad and driver-friendly coverage. Here are some of the highlights:
Agreed Value Option. You and Chubb can agree on a value and lock it in for a full year. That's the exact amount you'll receive if your car is stolen or totaled in a covered loss. Never mind the "book" value. We even waive the deductible. No haggling, no depreciation, no deductible, no problem.
You choose the repair shop. With Chubb, you're not limited to certain repair shops or predetermined labor rates. Have your covered repairs done by your favorite mechanic or shop. Chubb will pick up the costs.
Original Equipment Manufacturer's (OEM) parts. To help preserve the value of your car, Chubb will pay the full cost of using OEM parts for covered repairs. Other insurers will often pay only for "generic" after-market parts.
High limits for Vehicle Liability and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage. With Chubb, you can help protect your assets with high limits not available from typical insurers. For example, we can offer up to $1,000,000 of vehicle liability limits - even up to $10,000,000 in many states - as well as $1,000,000 of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage.
Worldwide Liability Coverage. Carry at least $1,000,000 of auto liability coverage, and you'll automatically have auto liability coverage worldwide. Typical insurance policies don't cover you outside the United States and Canada.
Rental Car Damage Coverage. When you rent a car, you'll be automatically covered for damage to rental vehicles you drive and for other damage expenses the rental company may charge you, which can be substantial. There's no additional charge for the coverage and no deductible. Other auto policies typically cover only physical damage, usually with a deductible.
$5,500 Loss-of-use Coverage. If your car is disabled because of a covered loss, we'll pay the costs of renting a vehicle similar to your insured car. If a covered loss occurs more than 50 miles away from your nearest residence, we'll also cover meals, lodging and telephone expenses. There is no per-day maximum and no time limit.
No depreciation on replaced parts. Many insurers take a "betterment" deduction when brand new parts replace partially worn parts such as engines, tires, batteries or shocks. With Chubb, there's no such deduction, even if the replacement parts are better than your originals.
Airbag replacement. Any loss or damage to your airbag is automatically covered. That includes theft or accidental deployment. And there's no deductible.
Lock replacement coverage. If your keys are ever lost or stolen, we'll pay up to $1,500 to have your locks replaced. No deductible applies.
Chipped windshield repair. Most auto policies only pay to repair broken or cracked windshields. With Chubb, you're also covered for repair even if your windshield is just chipped. No deductible applies.
Lease Gap Coverage. If there's a total loss to your leased vehicle, this optional coverage will pay the difference between the market value of your vehicle and the amount you owe the leasing company. The coverage includes early termination fees and non-refundable security deposits. It means less out-of-pocket expense for you.
Corporate car personal extension. This option provides additional liability and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage for a company car that you or your family use.
Road Service Coverage. This option covers you for up to $75 of towing and labor costs if your car is disabled for any reason.



--Raj

 

The "Select First" or "Service First" program is BS. I had work done by one of these shops and they basically were fraudulant.....charged for work and parts not done/replaced. I complained to SF not sure what they did but I was pissed. When a shop is on this program they basically work for SF and not the customer, its a conflict of interest for the shops.

I had to get the car fixed again at a shop that wasnt pressured by SF.

 

I would say that "some" of these insurance companies strong arm repair shops by threatening to remove them from the preferred list if they don't bend to their will. That's how they keep rates low and profits high.

When I was shopping around for insurance, I called a local repair shop that has done work for me in the past for their recommendation. I was thinking about switching to Liberty because it would have saved me some money. They recommended that I stay with Erie Insurance.

 

Followup on my recent accident and State Farm claim...

All OEM parts were specified on the estimate. No refurbished, recycled, used, etc. parts were listed anywhere on the estimate.

They didn't even flinch on the body shop, which if I am not mistaken is not one of their prefered shops. The woman who did the estimate told me she pretty much assumed I would be going there since they are the perfered shop of the local BMW and MINI dealer.

When I spoke with the body shop, I told the guy that $1450 seemed pretty low to me. He stated that the woman who wrote the estimate was generally right on target.

So far...so good.