You take one week off and things get crazy!

On Monday Opus and asTech officially announced their intent to merge the companies after the story had broke back in November during SEMA. Why wait so long? Well the Department of Justice (DOJ) seems to be interviewing half the industry stating they are doing an anti-trust investigation on the merger. Then for some reason..... last week during CIC, asTech felt the need to head to the mic and beg the industry to forgive them for their GEICO deal.

Yeah, this one is good. Pour an extra large glass of coffee and listen up.

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction and the latest statements from Progressive are out there.
Can you imagine the field adjuster 4 weeks on the job that can not change a flat tire is now in charge of the inspections after a collision and customer safety?
Don't worry, they send you a picture.

We took a week off and came back to a new year and new problems within the Collision Repair Industry.
Let's kick this year off right:
German Car Manufactures opposite repair strategies
How Can Propaganda Help Shops With Short Pay
Tesla Keeps Taking Hits
What's the greatest lie told to shops?

It's the Christmas episode. Well really it's just the last episode before Christmas and the industry is taking no time off for the Holiday
In this episode:
State Farm Faces Raketeering Lawsuit in Oklahoma
Copart Uses AI To Call Bodyshops... and fails
asTech Circus Expands With Roadtrips
Progressive Adjuster Qualifications Testing
Claims Fraud and Adjuster Bias With Bodyshops and AI

It seems things are not going to slow down as we enter the last weeks of 2025.
Florida is taking steps to end the way insurers use AI in claims
State Farm Has Comments On AI and How Adjusters Should Adjust
Why are adjusters terrifed of making decisions
Total Loss Strategy or Settlement Negotiation?
Hyundai Paint ADAS Recall Is More Important Than You Think

This industry seems to think that shops will never connect the dots. That has most of the sport coat mafia thinking the answer to every question is to just deny and deflect.
Maybe some of that is starting to catch up to Attorney Generals and Judges.
In this epiosde:
3M FINALLY admits to Amazon Store
State Farm Attorney Makes HUGE Mistake In North Carolina Court Filing
There Is A Reason For Mitchell, PartsTrader and State Farm Connections With AWS from Amazon
Boyd Gerber Is Trying To Trick You With Plastic Repair Council
Shops Need To STOP writing Estimates
Oklahoma Attorney General Wants In On State Farm Discovery
EPC Is Set To Increase In 2026

It's another jam packed episode as the world turns in the drama of Collision Repair
State Farm Singles Out Gerber
Cancel All Your Trade Publications In Protest
Do You Know Your Tools: Estimating Systems
Ford and Amazon Make a Deal
State Farm Says It's Only 96 Hours
Problems With Honda and Aftermarket Headlamps
OEM Safety Inspections and Lawsuits
Insurers Waive Rights In Subrogation
Another AI Fail

Happy Thanksgiving Week.
On this episode of Collision Coffee Talk we talk about:
The reasons Progressive Insurance says they will not pay for paint and material expenses proven with invoice
Why do we really do this job of Collision Repair
General Motors Dealers across the USA are revolting over Caliber Collision locations inclusion in certified shop locators
Hyundai makes deal with Crash Champions for warranty refinish work
Sharp increase in workplace violence sparks discussion around HR training
Death and Taxes are the two things you can’t avoid and GEICO is having a hard time with Taxes.