Collision Coffee Talk

Happy Thanksgiving Week. 
On this episode of Collision Coffee Talk we talk about: 
The reasons Progressive Insurance says they will not pay for paint and material expenses proven with invoice 
Why do we really do this job of Collision Repair 
General Motors Dealers across the USA are revolting over Caliber Collision locations inclusion in certified shop locators 
Hyundai makes deal with Crash Champions for warranty refinish work 
Sharp increase in workplace violence sparks discussion around HR training 
Death and Taxes are the two things you can’t avoid and GEICO is having a hard ti...

It's another rant filled episode of Collision Coffee Talk and this time she's not holding back. 
We'll talk about the VERY disturbing press release that came out from Boyd Gerber that provides some chilling insights to the future of repair. 
Insurance companies continue to make errors with policy application and it's presenting some slam dunk Bad Faith suits 
There is a new bully in town around total losses 
Industry Association brings a pillow to a gun fight in Vegas. 

The best part of any industry event is the amount of gossip and drama that unfolds. In the middle of everything, some interesting information was released. But the desert of Las Vegas was not the only place the industry gathered. The insurers were in Orlando, FL to discuss claims technology and process. 
In this episode of Collision Coffee Talk: 
Tesla Insurance Fails in Claims again 
Insurance Claims Training Leads to Bad Faith 
State Farm and Politics 
Is CCC In Trouble? 
OEs Continue To Deal Shops and Consumers Away in Certification Programs 
Literacy and OE...

It's industry tradeshow week so we're going to throw some shade and talk about some news in this weeks episode. 
State of Illinois Files Suits Against State Farm 
Bodyshops of Oklahoma sue the Department of Insurance and Governor 
Voice Activated Measuring 
Should Insurers Be Kicked Out of Industry Meetings 
The Bankruptcy Disrupting the Auto Industry 
Michigan Towing Laws Hit The House 
Are Insurers Out of Control? 

A trucking company, Waffle House, and the collision industry are connected in surprising ways, including a potential warning for the industry. 
We discuss concerns over specific terms in the State Farm Select Service agreement that have many worried. 
An insurer lost three lawsuits to a bodyshop due to their attorney’s reliance on ChatGPT for drafting documents, which proved incorrect. 
Additionally, Carlyle recently warned about credit risks that could impact Crash Champions and other MSOs in the sector.

We spent last week up in the Northeast visiting New York and New Jersey, but there was a few things of intrest and a claims conferecne to review. 
In this weeks episode we'll discuss: 
Liberty Mututal and Pre-Meditated Bad Faith? 
State Farm and Elitek Pricing Agreements 
Insurer Tech Conference 2025 
Alcohol and Collision Repair? 
We Launch a New Service That Is 100% Guaranteed To Get Us Sued! 
AAA Studies Nighttime Pedestrian ADAS

We have a lot to cover this morning in the industry! It was only a matter of time, but State Farm is facing multiple class action lawsuits over their use of AI in claims handling. How will this effect shops that also use AI tools to complete estimates and look up procedures? 
Tesla total loss issues and problems created with how they handle vehicles damaged and use of their owned charging stations. We also find cars all over the world that were sold through USA salvage auction providers. 
Other News: 

It's been a busy week for our industry. Lets talk about a few growing stories 
Automomous Car Gets Traffic Ticket 
AirPro Takes Another Court Loss 
Tesla Is Slapped By The California DOI 
State Farm Drops Labor Rates Across The USA 
Is ADAS a Financial Cliff For Investors

It's a long episode be we have some exciting things to talk about! 

Understanding "Sticker Shock" in Collision Repair 
DRP's Are Bad Faith 
Toby Chess is BACK! 
Rules and Regulations for RTA 
Claim Volume Takes HUGE Dip 
Shops Cross The Line In Supplement Handling 
We're Going on the Road!

You have got to hear the latest developments across the world of insurance, OEM and collision repair. Grab your cup, this one is a bit crazy!

GM Website Revels Deeper Issues with Certification and Locator 
The Consolidation Game Has Ended, or Is it Now Just Being Played With Independent Shop Owners 
Dramatic Changes On The Horizon For DRP Contracts That Will Effect EVERY Bodyshop 
3M Gives Award To Employee For Innovation 
Tesla Admits Problem After NHSTA Opens Investigation Into Door Handles 
Have an Insurer and TPA Entered Into A Premeditated Subrogation Collection Strat...

As Fall approaches, major developments continue in the Collision Repair Industry. 
Tesla faces new legal challenges, hackers target original equipment manufacturers, and Copart intensifies its stance against bodyshops and repairable vehicles. 
Meanwhile, Michigan has issued strong guidance to insurers regarding claim handling in a recent total loss case.

It’s Labor Day and we know it’s not just us who is working in the collision repair industry. This morning we’re going to tackle some uncomfortable topics and call out a few problems.
0:00  Welcome
5:19  DRP Fails Post Repair Inspection… Shocker
22:02  EV Sales Are Dumping
24:26  Michael Jordan Sued For NASCAR Text Messages???
25:37  OEs Stop ADAS Level 3 Production As Stocks Fall
27:58 Tesla Fails To Report Accidents, NHSTA Opens Investigation
33:32  US Government Defines “Crash” 
37:11 Ford Reports Most “engaged” Driver Assist Feature On Trips Less Than 20 min
40:37 Level 2 ADAS Regulation and Collision Repair
42...

Collision Coffee Talk: Insurance Claims, Mental Health, Tesla Fire, DRP Repair Issues, Industry News
• Collision Repair Industry Updates
• Insurance Claims Explained
• Mental Health in Collision Repair
• Tesla Fire Incident Discussion
• Direct Repair Programs (DRP) and Vehicle Safety Challenges
• Consumer Education: Blending in Paint Repair
• Bloomington Collision Center New Neighbor Announcement
• SATA's 100th Anniversary Celebration
• Fire Safety: More Than Just Tesla—Industry Highlights
• Homeowners Association Issues Affecting Collision Professionals
• Negative Equity Trends in Total Loss Claims
• Progressive Insurance Reports 34% Net Profit for July
• Market Conduct Studies and Rental Tracking Agreements...

It's no secret how we feel about legal issues and Bad Faith situations. You'll want to check out this interview and see how it effects collision repair. 
We're also going to talk about some of the comments left lately on past episodes.

Collision Coffee Talk: Are The Champion’s Crashing? ADAS Is Terrifying and Ransomware Attacks Increase  
It’s true, we are the best at what we do, and this week’s Collision Coffee Talk says it all. 
We’ll dive into the Moody’s financial downgrade of Crash Champions from stable to Negative. What does that mean, not just Crash, but for every MSO or DRP dependent shop in the industry. What are the outlooks and potential consequences of reliance on Insurance Companies. 
Also in this episode: 
ADAS Testing Is Terrifying (Get Link to Whitepaper Below) 
OEM’s Are De...

It was an interesting week in the world of Collision Repair. As we kick off the first full week of August, lets talk about a few things. 
The Absurdity of leaders in this industry 
Caliber Files For Intial IPO 
Is Journalism In Our Industry A Hoax? 
Tesla is hammered by a Jury in Florida and the DMV in California 
Are current pay models holding back the industry 
State Farm Allows Interns To Handle Auto Claims 
AI is officially for dummies, MIT releases a study. Yes AI makes you an idiot. 

All jokes and memes aside, it is now official from the US Government... Ford officially sucks at making vehicles. 
No reallly, they now hold the record for most recalls issued in a single year by any OE EVER and it's only July. Still plenty of them to raise that number to something that most likely no OE will ever take from them. 
But, how does that effect the way bodyshops approach collision repair, especially those that are Ford Certified Collision Centers? 

In other news, Association issues an apology and retraction, Math lessons from Mike Anderson and...

The Just Jack Award(s) Introduced 
Progressive Makes Class Worthy Legal Error with DV Letter 
OEs Going After Their Own Dealers?  
They Don’t Make Em’ Like They Use To! Late Model vs Classic Collision 
Replevin Cases Increasing On East Coast 
AI Lawsuits Increasing 

Welcome to Monday July 14, 2025 and Collision Coffee Talk. In this episode we cover 

It's late but it's here. 
In this episode of Collision Coffee Talk we'll Discuss: 
Using AI for Vehicle Repair Or Claims Communication 
Clownsultants Need To Know Their Role 
Driven Brands and State Farm Make Huge Safety Decision 
Auto-Owners Allows DRPs Total Loss Charges 
Toyota Steps in Legal Nightmare 
WA Insurance Commissioner Starts Board To Oversee AI Use in Claims. 

After a miss last week due to court, we're back and taking on some people and organizations in the industry head on. 
CCC is Canceling Customer Accounts 
I-CAR Does The Right Thing WIth Their Board... Sorry SCRS 
Progressive Claims #1 Insurer 
Hertz Is Scanning Cars For Damage At Airports 
MA Storage Lawsuit Favors Insurer

Overall a pretty peaceful week for us, but more jobs slashed around the industry even in associations. 
So we're asking, what do you want to see change? What are you upset about?  Fire off your issues! 
Ohh yeah, Aftermarket Parts continue to cause more problems and it's putting consumers lives in danger. 
Shelter Insurance is re-forming total loss units to bring bodyshops under control. Yeah, you'll get a laugh out of that one as well.

While it was a very... very slow week in the collision repair news world it was at least a strange one! 
Bodyshop liablity and Fentanyl claims 
New Jersey sents RTA bill to the floor 
Speeding by Make and Model?? 
Cargo ship carrying EV and Hybrids catches fire south of Alaska 
Mazda Recall is reminder to Estimators to check every time. 

As a news week it was slow, but that does not mean there isn’t a lot to talk about. Kristen dives in on some things that have been bothering her and the industry lately. 
CCC and Carfax Saga Continues
CCC and BMW Make Announcement 
Dangers Of An LLC 
Drive By Inspection Liability 
Direct Repair As a Weapon

It was a week of double takes. 
DRP shops complaining about DRP programs and CAPA complaining that they some people were making knock off copies of their certification. You really just can not make up that amount of comic irony. 

In other news; 
The former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Progressive dies in a Tesla crash 
Tesla seems to want to review shop estimates before the custome can see them or an insuer. 
More insurers asking for shop invoices 
Mercedes will consolidate US operations into Georgia 

Episode 35 is packed with anger and irony! 
What is happening with the Senate hearings questioning State Farm and Allstate? Why shops should NOT be sharing the video or making any comments. 
Why are adjusters so hard to deal with these days? 
Gerber has a hiring freeze and big plans 
Insurers continue to file lawsuits against bodyshops 
Tesla is really terrible at insurance claims 
Wisconsin releases a compliance tool to help bodyshops 

Take a week off and there is so much to catch up on! 
More MSOs Cancel Leases 
asTech Spiral Continues 
Teardown and Storage Laws
Why Insurers Say No  
OE Credibility 
OE Liability 
OE Defense 
What’s On The Shelf : PPG Pete The Painter 

It’s no secret that Kristen has a temper, but she has never been this mad with an insurer before. Stick around for all of this episode.

Shops Removed From DRP Programs 
OE (Tesla) Removing Shops For Insurers 
Report Calls For More OE Shops?? 
asTech Continues Problems 
Progressive Supervisor In BIG Trouble! 
Progress On RTA Bills 
P&M Inflation Continues 

You’re going to be shocked but we’ve got another State Farm Problem! 

It's a double dose of State Farm Drama this morning as we discuss their recent and sweeping labor rate regression along with some cases of MSO's being assigned claims AFTER customer selects independent bodyshop. 
Add to that a bodyshop executive is rumored to have been fired over Post Repair Inspections and the California Insurance Commisioner is eating and drinking his way around the world. 

The water is not the only thing rising around the collision repair industry this week. 

The Collision Collective is firing up. 
What's the real problem with SCRS Blend Study 
State Farm Takes New Low In Total Loss Handling 
Should Paint Companies Be Involved in Certified Collision 
California Keeps Attacking Shops 
Glass Association Files Anti-Trust Complaint Against Safelite 

Isn't always the way it goes. You take a few days off for Spring Break and the whole industry seems to implode! 

Kristen came back to an inbox full of emergencies and problems. Some of them will make you think it's April 1st not March 21st. 

In this episode: 
Who owns a bad calibration? 
Collision Collective 
Women in Collision 
Stolen Total Loss by Insurer 
State Farm Files Replevin Suit 
Solera is now 'Junk' 
AsTech opens their mouths again and it's not getting better 
Progressive settles BIG case 
Shelter...

This week: 
- Honda Cited For Privacy Violations Could Impact Certified Collision Programs 
- The Old Guys in Sports Coats Have Had Their Day, Don't Fit In Move Your Career and Business In A New Direction 
- Gerber Lays Out Financial Troubles That Really Are The Whole Industry 
- MSOs Are Sending Out Notice Of Non-Renewals On Lease Agreements 
- Do We Really Need More Techs? 
- Insurers Forget Past Lawsuit Losses With Current Total Loss Handling 

Good Morning!
Farmers Adjusters Beg State DOI to help them 
ADAS Legal Issues Present new Problems 
State Farm and the Tinder Box Date
Missing Total Loss Vehicles 
Safelite Settles $31 Million Fraud Case 
USAA Hit with $114 Million bad Faith Verdict 
California Shop caught in bait trap by the BAR 
Arkansas Attorney General sues Allstate 
Will Tariffs Affect Collision Repair? 

It might not be steering and it might not be Tortious Interference, but too many adjusters are engaged in practicing law without a license, lets talk about it. 
Also: 
- Paint Labor hours going in the wrong direction 
- Oklahoma Looking To Pass Bill to Stop bad rebuilds 
- STOP looking for easy buttons. It may cost you more than you can imagine. 

It is better to thought an idiot then to type and prove it! 

In this episode we cover the claims and public posting by Liberty Mutual Safeco and Allstate Adjusters. 

- State Farm AA rating changed to Negative and placed on credit watch! 
- Bodyshops and their Bills continue to march through legislation 
- Are bodyshops charging too much for 'teardown'?
- Are you talking to a human or AI when scanning a vehicle? 
- ADAS and Radar Compliant Paint 

The saga around asTech and their agreement with GEICO took a shocking turn on Monday February 24, 2025.

In an email sent to Repairer Driven News (RDN), asTech Senior Vice President of Marketing Kennedy Taylor stated information shared in a video by Mike Reynolds, Mobile Automotive Services Solution President in December of 2024 around a radio interview that also featured Chris Chesney, Repairify Vice President of Training and Organization was outdated due to a company policy change on November 5, 2024.

And it went downhill, very fast from there.

Read the full article from RDN:
https://www...

I was a slower than normal week in the news, but the things that popped up deserve some discussion. 

- Arkansas passes law that leinholders must be on all payments even rental 

- State Farm moves to eliminate OE glass from use 

- BOI is back on for shop owners 

- What is a Constructive Total Loss? Can an insurer total a car regardless of how much the repairs cost?

It’s Monday February 17, 2025 and we’ve got another content jammed edition of Collision Coffee Talk. The only NON-Sponsored podcast in the industry.

This week we cover:
- New insurance companies that face insolvency and liquidation.

- Allstate DEMANDS blog site Futurism remove article or make extensive “corrections” via change request format similar to auto repair estimates.

- asTech parent company Repaify files motion to dismiss lawsuit filed by another Repairfy holdings company, but former employees write in to tell his about missing Ferraris??

- Illinois collision association sponsored bill has majo...

Last week was an hurried episode due to class, but now she has all the time and a lot of people…. We mean things to talk about. 

- Why industry meetings miss the point of the math problem 
- Liberty Mutual employee post generates lots of questions for potential lawsuits
- Why Kristen picks on DRP shops 
- What’s happening the next few months with training