If a consumer may freely choose the glass repair facility service provider, are not ALL available glass repair facilities "preferred providers"?

Is not the chosen glass repair facility the real "preferred" provider?

Aren't suggestions that a glass repair facility is "not on a list" or not somehow "preferred" untruthful or at the very least deceitful?

Depends on what side of the fence you're on. Sadly, many insurance companies will not be satisfied until shops pay them for the "privilege" to work on their insured' vehicles. So when a shop isn't willing to cave in to their pricing, insurers aren't going to put them on their preferred status.

It's sad when just a few decades ago insurance companies welcomed the opportunity to pay legitimate claims. How else do you validate that you're needed?

You are correct that if you're in a state that guarantees the right to choose the customer's shop of choice is the preferred provider, and that's all that matters.

There are other reasons for not joining a TPA's network, one of which is if it requires network applicants to endorse another competitors brand!

Also, it matters if untruthful and/or deceptive scripting is used by insurance companies and their agents because it is against the law and is not considered protected free speech.

JB you are on to something here. When a network calls and says" we have a "BLANK" insured that is requesting to use your shop, you are the CUSTOMER's preferred provider. We need to understand, that with the customer standing there in our office or on the phone, to make it clear to OUR customer WE are THEIR PREFERRED PROVIDER. Regardless of what the dip stick network says, because they LIE, and deceive the consumer so they can benefit.

For far too long we as shops have allowed networks to tell us who is preferred. THIS IS STUPID! Time to change our methods. Consumer has the choice, that is IS preferred.

And take it 1 more step, when the networks you are not part of states, "your shop is not participating", yet if they are giving you a dispatch regardless if you accept pricing they are sending the job, so RIGHT NOW YOU ARE PARTICIPATING by taking care of and servicing the customer. We have it happen all day every day, we do not accept the network pricing and yes we still accept the job there for we are participating in servicing our customer. We just did a LYNX STINKS DISPATCH today were we Direct Billed the ins co. Lynx sent a lame dumb dispatch that only confirms the FNOL, and if any and customer info, who by the way insisted on our shop, so now we participate to service the customer, but yet we bill direct. I just love knowing how to get things done properly.