Western Hills body repair shop owner frustrated with Allstate insurance

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The owner and operator of Western Hills autobody repair shop says he is so frustrated with Allstate insurance that he put up a sign outside his business saying he will not deal with Allstate because they are slow to settle claims.

Jim Collins says that while the pandemic really brought problems to the forefront, Allstate insurance has added to them.

“In my 53 years in the industry, the body shop business, I have never seen anything like this,” Collins said. “We’ve got vehicles that have been here for six months.”

Collins says his shop is already booked up until March 2023.

While there have been problems getting parts since the pandemic, Collins says finding technicians needed to fix cars is another challenge.

But Collins says the thing that makes him frustrated the most is when companies that his customers are counting on like Allstate slow the process down.

“The thing is when you have to deal, making 20-to-30 phone calls on one claim, then they have three, four, five different people contacting you over that claim, it [gets] frustrating and it’s overwhelming,” Collins explained. “So, we are just not going to deal with the company.”

The same scenario happened to an Allstate customer named Trey after he was sideswiped. He says he fought Allstate for six months.

The Ohio Department of Insurance told FOX19 that there have been 1,854 auto insurance complaints this year to date and 162 of those are related to Allstate companies.

Allstate provided this statement to FOX19 NOW: “Allstate pays the current market rate for repairs, which are set by the local market, and regularly reviews those rates based on local market conditions. Thanks.”

“I am just not going to do this anymore with this company,” Collins said. “Now if they change their attitude, I’m open. But I don’t see it happening.”

For now, he says, the sign stays.

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