I wonder if they will do the same to the other party in the lawsuit?This sounds like very good news.

Who stands to benefit the most in an investigation of DT by the FBI?

Who is in the best position to provide information regarding possible insurance fraud to the FBI?

What else would the FBI be investigating, especially providing notice in advance of the investigation prior to a raid to seize documents, unless they aren't worried about records being altered because they already have info from.....whom? (see question #1)

Remember, the SEC would be doing investigations if we were talking anything to do with securities investigations, not the FBI.

Tell me Hal, what's worth more to an insurer...to lose a major low priced player that may be defrauding insurers, or keeping that company in the game to keep playing the low price gambit so other players don't get cocky? Back to question #1, who has the most to gain?

Just thoughts and questions. In America, we all have the God given right to think outloud and to ask questions.

What are you guys talking about? What investigation? What am I missing?

Last I heard, the FBI only investigates crimes, so I don't see how this can be connected to the suit. I'd hate to see what happened if the feds got dragged into every corporate lawsuit in America.

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Replying to:

I wonder if they will do the same to the other party in the lawsuit?This sounds like very good news.

OK what did I miss been away from the computer for a few days.

What is going on did glass bytes put something out before the special news alert??
What is the investigation about??????

Someone please answer the question instead of getting it turned side ways as usual... It's driving me nuts can't find a thing....

Glasshouses,it may have nothing to do with the lawsuit.My personal feeling is that one party cried and moaned enough for someone to hear them.Now i'm basically hoping that one thing leads to another.

any idea who would have the power to call in the FBI to investigate a competitor?

who would have the political clout, the power and connections? insurance fraud investigation, sounds like the insurance companies are sending people a message? looks like the insurance companies are trying to win the pricing battle in the media.

funny how if the right people complain, they get results, seems to me like it is time for the govt to enforce that concent decree?

As a former empoyee of D/T they need to investiage all their facts as this has been going on for years. Especially in the outside sales department with there lottos card. I hope it will leave a nasty taste in the comsumer mouth.

Does anyone know what D/T is accused of doing? Insurance fraud is pretty vague.

And, which lawsuit are people referring to in this thread? The D/T vs. Safelite? The IGA vs. Safelite?

What are the "Lottos cards" that Dawn mentions?

INSTALL W/S WITHOUT RAIN SENSOR INVOICE W/S WITH RAIN SENSOR.
INSTALL NON HEATED W/S INVOICE W/S WITH HEAT.??????????????

ONLY GUESSING

Perhaps charging for new mouldings and re-using old moldings? We see this one all the time.

I guess in time we will all find out.

It's hard to believe the FBI would be involved in moldings being replaced or not. You would think for the FBI to be involved it would be something much bigger involving higher ranked employees.

Think about the size of the company, and the cost of moldings. If they only have to actually buy and replace one out of ten moldings, but charge for the other nine anyway, that's a lot of money, and insurance fraud.

Thats also alot of cars to check. Let me ask you this you dont use the precsion molding but use universal because it is a better fit what do you bill for?

We bill for a generic moulding. Have a part number created and get special authorization when needed from certain TPA's.

The FBI works for the US Attorney, in that particular jurisdiction.

It could not have been overcharging on molding, think about it the best law enforcement agency in the world chasing a guy who over charges for a $6.00 molding.

The are a big company and mislabeling parts is a possible, but they would have to mislabel thousands to make any material difference in the bottom line.

It had to have been a fraud of sometype.

To many things they could be looking for at d/t. Someone has to be the first why not one of the biggest around dont be surprised when others are visited. Been in glass 9 years and have heard alot about multiple shops doing fradulent things not just the big shops .

doen't surprise me about that d/t investigation with the fbi finally someone is investigating them

Every body settle down. One of D/T's employees removed a Made In sticker before the customer could see it. Probably get the death penalty.

lol jay

Ok I heard from an anonymous source that "they had a disgruntled employee that turned them in for billing wrong part numbers”. However in their defense from what I understand it was interchangeable numbers?. If that is the case I guess we all should be ready for the FBI to show up on our doorstep. This investigation has been going on since November from what I heard. "The FBI said it was taking to long they wanted their computers to speed up the investigation”. I heard "they audited somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million in invoices give or take a million or three, LOL they found $7,000 in miss billed interchangeable parts". Dam now the FBI has finally seen how screwed up NAGS really is maybe they will shut them down! The Chicago group wins!
Who's Really Behind this???? As the rumors fly....

Call Me Bill........I heard the same thing from the Ivory Tower up in Pitt........Nothing to see here folks...Move along

They do about 200 million in sales, that would be maybe 1 million invoice numbers a years.

Can not be overcharges.

My bet is they created a kick-back scheme for insurance agents, and since they lost the case, Safelite is going for blood. Just my opinion.

I didn't mean it was ONLY mouldings, I was just adding the moulding issue as well as what others had said.

But I agree that we will all just have to wait and see what becomes of this.

you call me al,bill

What did you mean by "since they lost the case"? I must have missed it. Did Diamond win their case against Safelite?

I know for a fact D/T kicks back agents, with gas cards.

Is that illegal or just unethical?

technically its illegal

Again is it breaking the law? In my market I know it's common practice. I could name many companies that kick back to agents. Its not even somewhat on the down low. Also who is breaking the law the glass shop or the agent?

Both are breaking the law. All the big guys do it, but yet we get letters faxed to us saying that its illegal and unethical to do and if caught we will be removed from the networks.HMMMM go figure. Now once again, lets see how the rules would be ignored. If Triumph is found guilty of a crime, which insurance fraud is a felony crime, They will no longer be able to do business with any government agency or insurance network. It clearly states in the contracts, no felons. Lets see if they adhere to their own rules.

this is for New York

No authorized insurer, no licensed insurance agent, no licensed insurance broker, and no employee or other representative of any such insurer, agent or broker shall make, procure or negotiate any contract of insurance other than as plainly expressed in the policy or other written contract issued or to be issued as evidence thereof, or shall directly or indirectly, by giving or sharing a commission or in any manner whatsoever, pay or allow or offer to pay or allow to the insured or to any employee of the insured, either as an inducement to the making of insurance or after insurance has been effected, any rebate from the premium which is specified in the policy, or any special favor or advantage in the dividends or other benefit to accrue thereon, or shall give or offer to give any valuable consideration or inducement of any kind, directly or indirectly, which is not specified in such policy or contract, other than any article of merchandise not exceeding five dollars in value which shall have conspicuously stamped or printed thereon the advertisement of the insurer, agent or broker

I have received those faxes in the past and never have they mentioned it being illegal. Being removed from the "Networks" so if i dont belong to the networks i can give gifts. Read the State Farm O&A it has many rules but i didnt sign that so those rules dont apply correct? For example i can waive a deductable but a network shop can't. Am i breaking the law i dont think so. I must say that i hope every insurance agent taking bribes and steering business go straight to jail!!!

Similiar law in our state--

PROHIBITED ACTS -- SERVICE PROVIDERS. (1) It is unlawful for a person:
(a) Knowing that the payment is for the referral of a claimant to a service provider, either to accept payment from a service provider or,being a service provider, to pay another; or
(b) To provide or claim or represent to have provided services to a claimant, knowing the claimant was referred in violation of paragraph (a)of this subsection.
(2) It is unlawful for a service provider to engage in a regular practice of waiving, rebating, giving, paying, or offering to waive, rebate, give or
pay all or part of a claimant's deductible or claim for casualty, disability insurance, worker's compensation insurance, health insurance or property
insurance.
(3) As used in this section:
(a) "Health care services" means a service provided to a claimant for treatment of physical or mental illness or injury arising in whole or substantial part from trauma.
(b) "Service provider" means a person who directly or indirectly provides, advertises, or otherwise claims to provide services.
(c) "Services" means health care services, motor vehicle body or other motor vehicle repair and preparing, processing, presenting or negotiating an insurance claim against an insurance company.

---However enforcement is another issue. We still have companies paying deductibles in full or in part (using whatever wording they choose to be clever about it). According to this statute and others I believe even the TPA falls under this as they are in essense "preparing, processing, presenting or negotiating an insurance claim".

So because you are not on an O&A does not mean you are not violating the state law, you just may not be violating any contracts as you have not signed them. Check your state stautes. Better to be safe than sorry I would think.

So, does 10 NAGS points every six months constitute a "gift"?

Oh I love that one M

LOL....maybe the fbi sould look into that huh...LOL

This was in glass bytes aug 04

News > Local News > Windshield Question Sparks FBI ...

Windshield Question Sparks FBI Investigation
8/11/2004 11:00 PM
(, WROC-TV

An Arab business owner in Rochester is wondering why another local merchant called the FBI on him.

Some say he's the victim of racial profiling in a time when the nation is on high alert.

AJ Babar is so shaken up by the FBI's visit he did not want his face on camera.

AJ said, "They took me to the back of my business and asked me questions for hours. It was embarrassing."

It all started when AJ took his Mercedes Benz to get the windshield fixed at Ray Sands Glass in Chili. He asked about installing a bulletproof windshield, because his car has been targeted by vandals many times.

Ray Sands Glass reported the inquiry to the FBI, and AJ found himself in the middle of an investigation.

AJ said, "I think it's looks bad for my business. That's not nice or fair."

AJ has owned his mini-mart for five years. He is a native of Iraq, and has been in the U.S. for 14 years.

The FBI asked him how he felt about the war in Iraq and whether he planned to return here.

Dave Burns, general manager at Ray Sands Glass, said in a statement, "Requests for bulletproof glass are highly unusual. At no time did the company make any accusations regarding the customer; it only sought to ensure the unusual request be brought to the attention of the federal authorities."

Civil rights advocates say what happened to AJ smacks of racial profiling.

Barbara deLeeuw, executive director at the Rochester ACLU, said, "The fact that this gentleman is of Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian extraction, we know there's racial profiling going on. I'd like to suggest in this case if 10 people asked the question [about installing a bulletproof windshield] only one would be reported - the person of color."

The FBI did not return News 8 Now's calls for comment.

i bet this is an example of the insurance companies hanging dia/tri out to dry.

after all their attempts to paint glass shops as a bunch of people cheating insurance comapnies, now they are making an example of dia/tri to try and show how they will not tolerate steering.

Maybe it has nothing to do with glass but the buyout of Settles Auto Glass in New England.

I believe it has more to do with industry monopoloization and the ramifications that pertain to that.

Can't be a monopoly case. PPG would be the first one on the list. Mfr., dist.,tpa., software.,. Only thing missing is retail.

Or is it????

interesting to find out what it will be nonetheless

You wanna know who's behind this. Our pals at Safelite. Their big payoffs to the government.And the lawsuit filed against them by Triumph. They should have just said payback was going to be a B$tch.




Plain and simple.

http://glassbytes.com/newsdiamondtriumphp20051222.htm