Do you have to use your insurer's repairer?
It depends on your policy. Some Australian policies include choice of repairer, some offer it as a paid option, and some direct you to their own network. Even where you can choose, the insurer can usually still require the quote to meet their standards on price, safety and compliance.
Find out what you actually have
Choice of repairer is a named policy feature, so it is written down. Open your product disclosure statement and search it for the word repairer. You are looking for whether choosing your own is included, available for an extra premium, or not offered.
If the policy is silent or you cannot find it, ring your insurer and ask directly whether your policy includes choice of repairer. It is a routine question and the answer is on your file.
Ask before the car is moved. Once it has gone to an insurer's network repairer, changing course is harder than starting there.
What choice of repairer does not mean
It does not mean the insurer will pay whatever your repairer quotes. The common limitation is that you may nominate a repairer, and the insurer will approve it if the quote meets their standards for safety, compliance and price.
If they do not agree with the quote, an insurer may instead cash settle, paying you what they consider reasonable and leaving you to make up any difference. That is worth knowing before you commit to a repairer whose quote sits well above the assessment.
The guarantee question
Insurers typically guarantee the work done by repairers in their own network. Where you choose your own, that insurer-backed guarantee may not apply, and you are relying on the repairer's own warranty instead.
This is not a reason to avoid choosing your own repairer, but it does mean the warranty is worth asking about directly. A repairer confident in their work will put the terms in writing.
Why people want the choice
The usual reasons are wanting the car to go to someone they know, wanting a repairer who works to manufacturer specification, or wanting it done near where they live rather than wherever the network has capacity.
There is also the practical matter of who you can get on the phone. A repairer you chose tends to be easier to reach than one allocated to you.
If you were not at fault
This is where it changes. When another driver caused the damage, you are not necessarily bound by the repairer arrangements in your own policy at all, because the claim can be made against the at-fault driver's insurer rather than your own.
It is the single most useful thing to understand about a not-at-fault claim, and it is the reason two people with identical policies can end up with completely different amounts of choice.
Common questions
Can my insurer force me to use their repairer?
If your policy does not include choice of repairer, the insurer can direct the repair to their network. What they cannot do is repair the car to a standard below what the policy promises. If you believe the work is substandard, raise it with the insurer and then with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Does choosing my own repairer cost more?
Some policies charge a higher premium for the option. The repair itself should not cost you more than your excess, provided the quote is approved. Where an insurer cash settles below the quote, the gap is yours.
What if I am not happy with the repair?
Raise it with the repairer first, in writing, and give them the chance to put it right. If that fails, go to the insurer's internal complaints process, and then to AFCA, which handles insurance disputes free of charge.
Can I choose my repairer if the accident was not my fault?
Usually, yes. Where the claim is made against the at-fault driver's insurer, your own policy's repairer arrangements do not bind you in the same way.
Sources
General information, not legal or financial advice. Your policy wording and your circumstances decide what applies to you.