May I choose the yard myself?

Short answer

Free choice of yard sounds obvious and is not. It also decides who has to pay first.

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After damage the question of who repairs comes up quickly. Some insurers work with a partner network and steer you there, often with an advantage: the invoice goes straight to the insurer and you pay only the excess. Others leave the choice to you, and then settlement more often runs through your own account.

Both have their place, and neither is better across the board. Three points matter to you. First, paying up front: must you settle the invoice and claim it back, or does the yard bill the insurer directly? On a larger repair that is the difference between an inconvenience and a cash-flow problem. Second, any tie: do you lose something by going to your usual yard, a higher excess for instance? Third, authorisation: how quickly is cover confirmed, because no yard starts without it.

The practical advice is the same in every case: do not instruct anyone before you have notified the insurer. An agreed repair gets paid; one commissioned on your own initiative can be reduced, regardless of how good the work was. The call takes five minutes and decides the invoice.

Partner yard or my own yard?

For speed and settlement usually the partner yard; for trust and specialist knowledge often your own. Ask about direct billing, that is the practical difference.

May I get an estimate?

Yes, and it makes sense. Only the instruction should wait for authorisation.

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