Which insurer is best?

Insurance company performance has recently been assessed by those responsible for repairing accidentdamaged vehicles and getting them back on the road.

The fifth annual ‘Survey of Insurers’, conducted by the Collision Repair Association (CRA), highlights insurers who focus on quality rather than just price, rating 15 companies around New Zealand based on speed of resolution, price and overall service.

For the fifth year running, niche provider Medical Assurance has topped the overall results table, with Vero/AMP in second. Third-placed AA/SIS was one of two big movers, up eight places from 2012. In the opposite direction, AMI slipped seven places from second spot last year to just below the industry average. Zurich remains anchored to the same spot as last year at the bottom of the rankings.

Overall scores continue to fall – the 2013 average stands at 2.80 (on a scale of one to four, from poor to excellent), having dropped from an average of 2.87 in 2011 to 2.84 last year.

CRA general manager Neil Pritchard says he attributes the lower scores to “even less financial fairness”, saying repairers are finding business “increasingly tough, faced with higher costs, lower pay rates and a shrinking market”.

“Generally, insurers still fail to acknowledge the increasing cost pressure repairers are under,” says Mr Pritchard. “CRA members are obligated to stand behind the quality of their workmanship, which means investing in training and equipment. As the industry is unregulated, we can’t speak for non-members.

“At the end of the day, our job is to protect the interest of our repairers and their ability to give consumers the best outcome. What consumers should be reminded of, is that they not only have the right to choose who insures their vehicle – and this survey aims to aid that decision – they also have the right to choose who repairs it if it’s damaged.”