Insurance Steering in SA: How SAMBRA Protects You from Poor Repairs
- Author
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 13
What Is Insurance Steering?
Insurance steering happens when insurers try to influence your choice of auto repairer after a claim — often pushing you toward panel shops of their choosing. While this might seem helpful, it can carry serious risks for both repair quality and consumer rights.
Many vehicle owners don’t realise they have the legal right to choose any accredited repairer — and that steering may violate Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles under the FSCA.
Why It Matters: Steering Can Lead to Substandard Repairs
When an insurer limits your choices, it creates a system where:
Only select repairers get access to work
Qualified repairers are unfairly excluded
The quality of repairs can be compromised due to volume pressure
Transformation goals are stifled by locking out newer SMMEs
In short, the more control insurers have over the repair supply chain, the more they risk undermining SAMBRA's standards — the gold standard in South Africa’s motor body repair industry.
SAMBRA: The Technical Benchmark the Industry Should Follow
SAMBRA (South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association) sets the bar for:
Compliance
Safety
Quality control
Transformation and fair business practices
If a workshop is SAMBRA-accredited, they’ve already met stringent criteria — there's no need for insurer-specific panel criteria that vary widely and can be used to exclude capable, compliant businesses.
SAMBRA accreditation should be the industry baseline, not an optional extra.
Your Right to Choose – And Why It’s Protected
The FSCA’s TCF framework and Competition Commission's Automotive Aftermarket Guidelines give you, the consumer, power:
✅ You have the right to choose your repairer — panel or not
✅ Steering must not interfere with this right
✅ SAMBRA-accredited repairers are already qualified to handle your job
✅ Repair delays, poor work, or inflated costs can result from reduced competition
What Needs to Change: SAMBRA’s Push for Panel Reform
To ensure a fair, competitive, and high-quality repair ecosystem, SAMBRA and industry stakeholders are calling for:
🔧 Transparent, published panel criteria
🔧 Scheduled regional onboarding windows
🔧 Objective standards based on SAMBRA accreditation
🔧 Justified limits on exclusivity agreements
🔧 Respect for consumer choice — no steering
🔧 Annual reporting on panel composition and access
Final Thoughts: Don't Be Steered — Be Informed
If you’ve lodged a claim and feel pressured to use a specific repairer, push back. You’re entitled to quality, choice, and transparency.
Before agreeing to any repair:
Ask if the shop is SAMBRA-accredited
Know that insurer panels are not the only option
Demand transparency — and remember your rights
🔗 Need expert repair advice or want to report steering behaviour?
Contact HJ Bosch & Sons — we’re SAMBRA-accredited and here to help.
Comments