Linda Rollinson, owner of Superior Auto Glass of Tampa Inc. in Tarpon Springs, Fla., says she is confused. She received a notice from Esurance informing her that her auto glass company's invoice on a replacement was too high. The source of the confusion was the fact that she has not yet sent the invoice for the job to Esurance.
Safelite Solutions serves as the third-party administrator for Esurance. Superior Auto Glass is not a member of Safelite Solutions' affiliated network.
Apparently Rollinson isn't the only one with this problem. Similar reports are surfacing among auto glass companies that are not members of Safelite Solutions' affiliate network.
"From my understanding, Esurance is doing this on all non-network shops and began this process two months ago," says Rollinson, who has spoken with Safelite Solutions.
Discussing her situation, Rollinson says, "[At the time] I had not and still have not sent in an invoice on this job. I received a fax dated April 10, 2013, where the letter addresses the insured stating that Esurance received my invoice and it is 'well in excess of what Esurance considers fair and reasonable.'"
Rollinson then called the insured and he explained that Esurance had phoned him the day before to set up an inspection for an appraisal on the replacement.
"I informed the insured that I had not billed the insurance company yet," she says.
Then on April 11, Rollinson says, "I received a telephone call from an appraiser who wanted to review the invoice. I asked him for the invoice number, but he could not give it to me, stating he did not have it in front of him. He also could not tell me the amount in question."
Again, Rollinson says she has not yet sent in the invoice. She also received a copy of the letter Esurance sent to the insured dated April 9, as well as a notice of appraisal on glass loss. The return address is listed as Safelite in Columbus, Ohio, she says.
"Two months ago I did two Esurance jobs that they did the same thing on," Rollinson says.
Neither Safelite Solutions or Esurance would comment on the situation.
