SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 1999-- President of ACS Shares His Vision Of Partnering With Retailers Through the First Choice Network Retailers attending Audio Claims Solution (ACS) seminar at "Knowledgefest" learned valuable ways to easily participate in the billion dollar insurance replacement business during the April 10 conference in St. Louis. Jeff Donovan, president and chief executive officer of two Utah companies specializing in car audio theft replacement solutions, First Choice Replacement and ACS, shared his vision of partnering with retailers nationwide through the First Choice Network. Through this network, and the CARS comprehensive software database of over 30,000 car audio models, ACS is providing national standards that bring insurance companies, body shops, and audio retailers together for the first time. These national standards make it possible for all parties to agree on how to estimate car audio insurance claims, bringing audio equipment replacement referrals right to retailers' doors. Donovan demonstrated the CARS automated estimating and claims handling database of nearly 200 car audio brands to seminar attendees, explaining that it helps retailers estimate car stereo equipment much faster and more accurately than ever before. Donovan showed how CARS offers the most complete and accurate feature-for-feature replacement information on approximately 30,000 car audio models dating back to 1987. The software eliminates, for the first time, the inconvenience of estimating car stereo equipment replacement by offering direct replacement estimates through accurate matching of brand, model, and features. To illustrate the need for the type of replacement standards offered by CARS, Donovan asked the Knowledgefest group how they currently estimate these types of losses. Alex McHugh and Steve Abbott of Omaha-based Stereo West said, "When an insured doesn't have receipts or doesn't know what model they owned, we ask the customer how much they paid for their stolen item, then use that price as a basis for what the replacement cost should be." Donovan stated that this approach is the most common amongst retailers nationwide, but said CARS offers a better approach by searching for replacements based on the features of the stolen equipment. CARS walks users through a series of questions to help assess what features the customer claims the equipment had, then searches for the newest models which include those features. CARS also contains manufacture dates of production so customer claims about purchase dates can be validated. This feature also lets retailers help insurance adjusters determine depreciation on stolen equipment. Donovan shared his vision of partnering with retailers nationwide using the First Choice Network and the CARS software as an estimating standard. He explained that First Choice is a major regional insurance replacement provider and is becoming a national leader. When First Choice receives insurance claims jobs, it refers those jobs to its network audio retailer members. Network members are required to use CARS to write referred insurance estimates and to invoice First Choice. This standard of claims estimating offers the easiest and fastest way for retailers to increase or participate in the lucrative insurance replacement business. Donovan also explained how retailers could purchase CARS software for 90 percent off the retail price. If they join the First Choice Replacement Network by May 31, 1999, and use CARS to prepare insurance estimates, retailers can now buy the software for as little as $249. For More Information Editors should contact Suzanne Kimball, Press Relations for ACS, 801/294-4779, suzkimball@aol.com. For sales inquiries, contact Jeff Donovan, President and CEO of ACS, 801/296-1212, Fax: 801/299-0571, jsdfc@ix.netcom.com, 3465 Huntington Dr., Bountiful, UT 84010. Audio Claims Solution (ACS) is a privately-held company based in Salt Lake City, which partners audio retailers together with insurance companies through its theft and replacement estimating standard, Car Audio Replacement System (CARSx). ACS Association Membership and CARS are sold through manufacturer's representatives. ACS is presently negotiating distribution contracts with major information providers which deliver automated estimating software solutions to insurance companies.  