Must I use the insurer’s recommended repair shop?
No. KNF’s explanation of recommendation 15.7 confirms freedom to choose a repair shop. That does not mean any price will be accepted: necessary, economically justified repair costs matter. Ask for a specific offer and compare what it covers.
This guide concerns partial vehicle damage in Poland under the responsible driver’s OC, the compulsory motor liability insurance. AC is voluntary cover for your own vehicle; OWU are the policy’s general terms and conditions. For AC, check your contract’s settlement option rather than applying OC rules. For a leased car, check the owner’s requirements too.
How do I compare a network shop with my own choice?
Give both shops the same incident description, photographs and available estimate. Request answers to the same questions. This table is a way to compare offers, not a ranking or a statement about any particular workshop’s capabilities.
| Criterion | Insurer’s network shop | Shop you choose yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Work and parts | Request the operations list and parts specification | Request the operations list and parts specification |
| Insurer contact | Ask who confirms the network offer and booking conditions | Ask who submits the estimate and receives the response |
| Further damage | Ask about photos, a supplementary estimate and work approval | Ask about photos, a supplementary estimate and work approval |
| Payment shortfall | Confirm in writing who pays disputed costs | Confirm in writing who pays disputed costs |
| Collection and complaints | Agree handover records and whom to contact about defects | Agree handover records and whom to contact about defects |
10 questions before signing the repair order
Keep the answers and the offer. If the answer is simply that the insurer will pay for everything, ask for the conditions and what happens if it declines a cost.
- 1. What inspection is needed before you can define the repair scope?
- 2. Will I receive an estimate listing operations, parts, labour, materials and VAT?
- 3. How will you identify the method for my model and the checks needed after repair?
- 4. Who contacts the insurer, and which records can I see?
- 5. How do you record hidden damage, and who approves extra work?
- 6. Who pays the difference if the insurer accepts less than the repair bill?
- 7. Am I signing a repair order, power of attorney, payment authority or assignment of the claim?
- 8. What separate inspection, storage, transport or cancellation charges might apply?
- 9. What determines the completion date, and who tells me if it changes?
- 10. Which documents will I receive at collection, and how do I raise concerns about the work?
What should I ask about estimate discounts?
In its account of Supreme Court resolution III CZP 32/24 of 24 September 2025, the Financial Ombudsman explains that parts and paint-material discounts are not automatic: their use depends on the injured party’s legitimate interests. Request the actual offer conditions and reasons for the deduction. Neither a blanket ban on discounts nor an extra payment is assured.
Paperwork and hidden damage: agree who does what
A power of attorney concerns acting for someone else; an assignment transfers a claim. Check the scope, payment recipient and consequences before signing. A document’s heading does not explain every obligation. Representation and assignment are covered by Articles 95–96 and 509 of Poland’s Civil Code.
Before dismantling, agree who records new findings, sends photographs and prepares the additional estimate. Ask for confirmed work to be separated from work awaiting a decision. Establish how you will approve any cost payable by you before extra work takes place. Keep successive versions of the arrangements.
What should I do next?
Prepare the claim number, current estimate and photographs, choose offers to compare and resolve unclear answers before commissioning work. At collection, compare the records with the agreed scope, discuss care instructions and record any concerns.
Ask Glossline about a repair scope assessment. Start with a description of your situation; document sharing and any service scope need to be agreed. This is general guidance, not an individual liability assessment or a promise about a dispute’s outcome.
Scope of this guide
This is general information, not a decision on a specific claim. The right next step depends on the documents, damage and insurer’s position.
Sources and further reading
These materials cover safety and insurance claim handling in Poland. They do not confirm the outcome of an individual claim or the scope of Glossline services. The original source materials are in Polish.