[whaap]

I worked automobile insurance claims for 25 years. Your insurance company should tell the shop to go ahead, order the parts and get the work started and if there are any discrepancies in costs after the work is finished they will work it out with the body shop. After all, no matter what the cost of the parts might end up being the work is going to be done so there's no reason not to get it going.

Insurance adjusters can become wrapped up in procedures but every now and then an unusual circumstance comes up that requires a little thinking outside the box. When I worked claims there was a pretty good saying: "Don't do the right thing, do what's right".