The folks at the TPA should check with their legal council because the day is coming when you may need it. When a customer calls our shop and wants to get a windshield replaced or any glass part in the vehicle for that matter and we put together a quote.
Our company has done so with trained certified personal from AGSC, I-Car, OPTI-Aim, and sika certified. We follow agrss guidelines by the AGSC as well as Manufactures REQUIREMENTS. We meet all FMVSS and all NHTSA guidelines ensuring that vehicles leave our shop safe to be on the road. Complete with all documentation.
Let me be clear thru our attorney when a TPA employee advises a customer of what is or isn't required, changes a quote, adjust a claim anyway shape or form, without being qualified to do so, that employee and TPA they work for has assumed liability for that customer and his or her family safety.
Using glass shops with know certification or a glass shop that is willing to cut corners to get what you want is dangerous.
I have spent a lot of money on equipment and training, to roll over and let people that are not qualified try to ruin our business its not going to happen.
To often people are forced to go to someone unqualified that meets no standard has little to know training.
we are keeping every quote we give a customer on file with all supporting documentation of what was to be done to meet all requirements for a safe installation.
It is my opinion that our industry has reached a critical time when training should be mandatory and not voluntary.
I have several insurance carriers as well as some TPA that do want to do the right thing and they will even call us to get some advice as to what we would do in certain situation.
However I have some TPA ill advising customers as to what should and shouldn't be done on a vehicle looking past all standards and Requirements.
I am currently asking the States Attorney General to investigate the Fraud and collusion going on in the Industry as it pertains to customer safety being over looked.
I ask all glass shops and insurance carriers and networks to work towards putting customer safety and investments first.
Our industry has known for years that new technology was going to require tools and training. In 2012 NHTSA asked Auto manufactures to look at making forward collision standard option by 2022 for all vehicles,it is 2019 this is on some vehicles along with other Automated options and most shops are still not getting on board.
I take great pride in the fact we have made the investment I want to work with all parties however it appears if I don't cut the corners and meet the fake Market pricing I'm somehow the bad guy. I feel very strong in what I'm doing and will not apologize for doing our best at keeping customers safe.
The reason I felt compelled to post this is we have lost work thru networks that will not approve scans or recalibrations telling customers if they use our shop they will have to pay out of pocket.
Customers get confused often they are forced to use a sub standard shop willing to do it the way the TPA wants and not what is required.
I had a Network call the dealer to get a price on a recalibration, so the service writer shot out the price. That is what the network would pay. When I went to the dealer and explained what needed to be done to the service manager the price went up 400 percent. The service writer didn't quote a complete recalibration with scan and road test he quoted what was asked.

My concern is what happens with the mobile glass installers when the vehicle requires recalibration. The current cost of equipment is too much for single operators and even if they can do dynamic calibration many models require static calibration in shop.

Right now, I believe all 2020 models have to have LDWS and will need recalibration. At some time, even if the installer tells the customer to have the dealer recalibrate the glass, someone will have an accident and sue the glass shop.

Even worse, in cases where the car owner does not have glass insurance, the car owner will have to pay out of pocket for the recalibration which, in many cases, will cost more than the windshield. Even here, the glass shop is probably at risk for allowing an unsafe vehicle on the road.

This will be more and more of a problem until the cars can recaibrate themselves.

JMHO