Why photos make or break approvals
Manufacturers review warranty claims per FRC line, and most require photos for each line. The reviewer was not standing in your bay — the photos are the evidence. When a line is documented with clear, relevant images tied to a plain cause-and-correction description, it reads as complete and gets approved as filed. When photos are missing, blurry, or do not actually show the defect, the reviewer questions the line, sends it back for information, or denies it.
The goal of this checklist is simple: capture the right photos the first time, per line, so a reviewer never has to ask for more. Tip: use this page as a bay reference — print it, or save it as a PDF straight from your browser (File then Print then Save as PDF), no app required.
Capture one photo set per claim line
A claim can carry many FRC lines, and each line is approved or denied on its own. So photos are captured per line, not per claim. Build one set of images for every line, and keep the sets separated so it is obvious which photos belong to which defect.
- One complete photo set for every FRC line on the claim — never one shared set for the whole claim
- A wide context shot showing where the failure is on the unit, so the reviewer can place it
- A close-up shot of the actual failure or damage, filling the frame with the defect
- Keep each line’s photos grouped and labeled so lines are never confused on review
Identify the unit and the part
Photos have to prove the defect is on the unit you are claiming, and on the part you are naming. Two quick identification shots do that and remove an easy reason for a reviewer to hesitate.
- A clear VIN or unit label shot that ties the photo set to the correct unit
- A shot showing the part number, model plate, or component label when one is present
- A frame where the defect itself is plainly visible — cracked, torn, leaking, delaminated, or non-functional
- Enough surrounding detail to confirm the part’s location, not just an isolated crop
Document before and after the repair
Many manufacturers want to see both the condition that justified the work and the completed correction. Capturing both sides of the repair makes the line self-explanatory and supports the labor and parts you are claiming.
- A before shot showing the defect in its as-found condition, prior to any work
- An after shot showing the completed repair or replacement in place
- Photos of replaced parts or the failure point when the correction hides it from view
- Any part invoice or packaging shot that supports the parts on the line, where relevant
Get the lighting and focus right
A correct shot list still fails if the images are unusable. Sharp, well-lit, in-frame photos are the difference between a line that reads clearly and one a reviewer has to squint at and question. A few habits cover almost every case.
- Light the area well and avoid deep shadow over the defect — add a work light if needed
- Hold steady and confirm focus on the defect before moving on; reshoot anything blurry
- Fill the frame with the failure on close-ups so the detail is unmistakable
- Avoid glare and harsh backlight that wash out the surface you are trying to show
- Shoot in landscape with the defect roughly centered, and keep lenses clean
The reviewer only sees what you photographed. Capture one clean set per line — context, close-up, identification, before and after — and the line defends itself.
Related
Keep going with the rest of the claims-recovery workflow.
