Allstate debunks email regarding calibration pricing agreement
Allstate says an email circulating that claims it has a pricing agreement with two tool companies for calibrations is false.
The email, sent to a repair facility by an Allstate employee, states that Allstate established agreements with asTech and Opus IVS for scanning and calibration services. It lists prices for different operations, including static and dynamic calibrations
“The information in the document is not accurate and does not reflect any contractual agreement,” a statement from Allstate to Repairer Driven News says. “The vendors are approved, not preferred, providers for our Good Hands Repair Network.”
Allstate also said that pricing in the document is not included in any current agreement with either supplier.
Brian Herron, Opus IVS president, said that both asTech and Opus IVS were listed as possible remote options for Allstate’s network in 2022.
asTech referred all questions about the email to Allstate.
Misinformation about a Farmers Guaranteed Repair Program partnership with Driven Brands caused confusion in June following the circulation of an email.
The document stated that a calibration and scanning pricing guideline was a “final allowable cost.”
Driven Brands sent out an amended document titled “ADAS Calibration & Scanning Pricing Guidance for Farmers GRP Partnership.” This document does not state that a price range given for 11 operations is a “final allowable cost.”
“We recently informed our network about non-mandatory pricing guidance for ADAS calibration and scanning services, effective July 1,” said Arlo Johnson, Driven Brands’ senior vice president, in an email to Repairer Driven News. “We apologize for any confusion caused by the initial communication, but the pricing framework is a voluntary, self-managed effort to support competitive alignment in the market and is not a mandated rate structure from Farmers.”
Operations listed on the document include, but are not limited to, seat weight sensor, steering angle, static and dynamic calibrations, and programming. The top price range for each of these operations matches the exact prices GEICO set in place in January for the operations as part of a standardized pricing agreement with asTech and Protech.
GEICO updated prices in January after originally announcing its agreement with asTech in July.
State Farm also rolled out its calibration requirements to Select Service repair facilities nationwide in January.
Repair facility professionals who work in the State Farm Select Service network, and ones who don’t, have told Repairer Driven News they’ve felt recent pressure from the insurance company about how to identify calibrations for a repair. They’ve also shared stories on how the insurance provider has asked shops to either meet State Farm calibration pricing or use calibration providers that will.
According to a State Farm email, facilities are free to choose their diagnostic tool and remote service provider; however, the amount billed for the calibration should not exceed the price State Farm would have paid per the part code table that it has established.
It adds that State Farm has identified local mobile/car-side service providers that will perform the calibrations at State Farm’s part code table pricing. It directs repair facilities to an Opus landing page as a way to find mobile/car-side providers.
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