§ 27-10.1-6. Conduct of motor vehicle damage appraisers.
(a) Each appraiser, while engaged in appraisal duties, shall carry the license issued
to that appraiser by the department of business regulation and shall display it, upon
request, to an owner whose vehicle is being inspected, to the auto body shop representative
involved, or to any authorized representative of the department of business regulation.
(b) An insurer's assigned appraiser, or representative, shall promptly schedule an appointment
for appraisal of a damaged vehicle with the auto body repair shop, at an agreed upon
date and time, between normal business hours.
(c) The appraiser shall leave a legible copy of the appraiser's appraisal with the auto
body shop selected to make the repairs, which appraisal shall contain the name of
the insurance company ordering it, if any, the insurance file number, the number of
the appraiser's license, and the proper identification number of the vehicle being
inspected, and notice in boldface type, reading as follows:
"PURSUANT TO RHODE ISLAND LAW, THE CONSUMER HAS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE THE REPAIR FACILITY
TO COMPLETE REPAIRS TO A MOTOR VEHICLE; AND AN INSURANCE COMPANY MAY NOT INTERFERE
WITH THE CONSUMER'S CHOICE OF REPAIRER.�
All damage unrelated to the incident or accident that occasioned the appraisal of
the vehicle, or old damage, shall be clearly indicated in the appraisal.
(d) The appraiser shall not obtain a competitive estimate from another auto body shop
unless the owner of that other shop, or the owner's authorized agent, has inspected
the vehicle. No competitive estimate shall be obtained by the use of photographs,
telephone calls, or in any manner other than a personal inspection.
(e) No appraiser shall request that repairs be made in a specified auto body shop.
(f) Every appraiser shall re-inspect damaged vehicles when supplementary allowances are
requested by the auto body shops.
(g) No appraiser shall receive directly or indirectly any gratuity or other consideration
in connection with the appraiser's appraisal services from any person except the appraiser's
employer, or, if self-employed, the appraiser's customers.
(h) No appraiser shall traffic in automobile salvage if it is obtained in any way as a
result of appraisal services rendered by the appraiser.
(i) No appraiser shall obtain an estimate from an unlicensed automobile body repair shop
nor shall any appraiser agree on a price for repairing a damaged motor vehicle with
an unlicensed automobile body repair shop. Nothing contained in this section shall
be construed to preclude an appraiser from dealing with any entity not subject to
the licensing provisions of § 5-38-4.