An Iowa body shop and Ford dealership on Tuesday accused a Progressive adjuster of recently tricking the casino dealer into disclosing the repairer’s price range for two parts.
Progressive corporate said Thursday it might examine the problem. The Iowa adjuster said Friday he'd no comment, for the allegations were untrue.
The controversy involved an alternative bedrail cap molding and right rear door belt molding on the 2021 Ford F-150, based on Kious Kountry Auto Collision owner Beau Bennett.
Bennett said those parts were needed after the originals were damaged during the repair, including installing a brand new boxside. He called such damage inevitable under Ford’s OEM procedures. Ford declined to discuss this description of their instructions.
Finnin Ford parts staffer Steve Kennedy said Mark Weidemann, the Progressive adjuster handling the claim for that F-150, had claimed to be contacting behalf of Waukon, Iowa-based Kious Kountry Collision.
Weidemann told the Dubuque, Iowa-based dealership that Bennett was busy and didn’t have enough time to himself but wanted Weidemann to discover the cost price for the two parts.
“I wouldn’t normally do this,” said Kennedy. He said he instructs colleagues not to disclose the price price charged body shops.
“I totally kicked one of my own rules in the a–,” Kennedy said.
Weidemann said that knowing these prices allows him to move forward with reimbursing the various components, based on Kennedy. Kennedy said he asked what can happen if he didn’t reveal the price prices. “‘Beau just won’t get anything more,'” Weidemann said, according to Kennedy. Therefore the dealership shared the cost price.
“He lied to my supplier,” Bennett said. “… Him and that i never talked.”
Reached Friday seeking his side of the story, Weidemann said he had discussed our inquiry together with his manager. The decision was reached not to comment, for that allegations of deceit were “not the case,” Weidemann said.
Progressive corporate said the insurer would check out the matter.
“We take these allegations seriously and will also be investigating to see if Progressive's claims processes were accurately followed,” spokesman Jeff Sibel wrote in an email Thursday.
After hanging up, Kennedy said he thought, “‘I just don’t feel better about this.'” He explained he called Bennett and learned that Weidemann had been “completely dishonest with the whole conversation.”
“He sounded really genuine,” Kennedy said. “… He'd part numbers and everything.”
Contacting a supplier and obtaining parts cost was “a big no-no,” Bennett said. He explained he wanted suppliers to understand “it simply isn’t right.”
Asked if he'd a nondisclosure agreement using the supplier, Bennett said he “i never thought I needed to,” describing the relationship as a “traditional boy handshake thing.” He said the dealership’s policy normally was not to reveal such information, also it only accomplished it since it think it is helping the shop.
Bennett said Friday he and Weidemann “had a very heated talk” following the revelation of the dealership interaction. Bennett said Weidemann did offer to reimburse the damaged parts at the expense price, viewing this like a generous gesture. Bennett said he is insisting on market price.
