Body shops VS insurance

[jeepman3071]

I worked in claims previously, and that isn't really how it works.

With the company I worked for, an appraiser was sent out to assess the damage to the vehicle, or we had an app that the claimant could send pictures to in order to figure out how much damage there was. The alternative was the person could go to one of the "recommended" shops. Some of the recommended shops were actual dealerships, so I'd send people there usually for the most accurate estimate. It also took less time than waiting for the appraiser. The recommended shops were usually trusted by the insurance company to do the appraisal. Usually we would cut the person a check and it was up to them to decide what shop they wanted to go to.

The insurance company does this because they know if shops hear "insurance is paying for it" the price somehow doubles.

 

[JMJNet]

The best way is to have the car in shop option #3.
Have the insurance adjuster come to that shop while somebody in that shop goes over the damage.
Tell the adjuster to give the adjustment to the shop and let the shop negotiate for you.

The objective of insurance to get it as cheap while the shop and you to get it as expensive as you/shop can.

 

[Leo99]

It must vary a lot from state to state because a lot of what's been posted is not accurate in NJ in my experience.

In NJ some body shops are trusted by the insurance companies to provide fair and accurate estimates. My car gets in a collision, I take it to the trusted body shop in my town. They write up an estimate and tell me when to bring my car and they deal directly with the insurance company. They use a very fancy computer program for everything. From the parts and labor to actually sourcing the parts and shipping costs to get the parts to their shop. They have no problem giving estimates knowing it's going through insurance.

Some shops might estimate low to get the job and then find hidden damage while other shops might already know about the "hidden damage" from experience or ethics.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
It must vary a lot from state to state because a lot of what's been posted is not accurate in NJ in my experience.





It does. When I worked in insurance we did business in 12 different states, and a lot of them had very different laws regarding fault, vehicle repair, and coverage requirements. Some states don't even require uninsured motorist coverage, just property and medical liability up to a certain amount. I believe 20 or so states do require it though.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: 14Accent
Another option is to ask the high-end body shop to use quality used OEM parts.

I would rather have, say, a used OEM fender installed that was straight vs. a "sorta fits" aftermarket. If you prep and paint it properly, a used OEM fender will almost always look better than a new aftermarket from China.


I have to disagree on this one. My Mustang GT had two aftermarket fenders that were 50 bucks a piece and they fit perfectly and had all the holes in the right places. Now back in the day, you would have been correct. That's not to say all aftermarket body parts are good, though.

 

[FZ1]

Take it to the best shop if you want your car to look best. The best shop should explain that their labor rate is slightly higher than the the insurance co allows so you have to pay the difference. On a 3,000 repair I paid about $175 extra for labor rate differential. My car looks wonderful!

 

[road_rascal]

The last time I made a claim was back in September 2013. I had a crazy lady sideswipe the left front corner of my '11 HHR. I took it to the local GM dealer's body shop and they wrote me quote for $1800. All it really needed was a front quarter panel replaced and the front bumper repainted (minor scratches). I couldn't believe that it was going to cost that much. My insurance company didn't bat an eye. BUT (and a big but), I had the entire event captured on dashcam so my insurance company put 100% at fault on the other driver and I was reimbursed my $500 deductible. My rates never went up.

 

[Panzerman]

If it's a wreck where the car is immovable then I take it to a dealership and let insurance deal with it which I ve had bad experience with because I found out dealership's are
in insurance companies pocket.
Small wrecks where the car is drivable, they usually just say take the car and get three estimates, which I ve never had trouble getting estimates.
I then turn in the estimates and if they are high they send out a adjuster, but most times not. Then I get the check and go out and cut a deal with a body shop on a cash deal and usually make save my deductible plus on making a deal. It's not insurance fraud, it's my car. The estimates are legit and repair choices are my choice.
When you use the insurance companies repair shop you may get a lifetime warranty, especially if they use used parts, like State Farm does.
I ended up getting a $650 exhaust installed free because it rusted out was damaged and replaced with used parts which were pretty nasty to start with. I had the paperwork though and they paid.
Insurance companies are the devil and if I won the lottery tomarrow, I would be self insured the rest of my life and NEVER deal with them again.

 

[JTK]

I've also experienced where a shop will quote a lower than typical hourly labor rate, but then they'll just add on more hours to the job.

If it is insurance that's paying, at the end of the day the shop will adjust the quality of the work to fit the amount they're getting paid.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Originally Posted By: 14Accent
Another option is to ask the high-end body shop to use quality used OEM parts.

I would rather have, say, a used OEM fender installed that was straight vs. a "sorta fits" aftermarket. If you prep and paint it properly, a used OEM fender will almost always look better than a new aftermarket from China.


I have to disagree on this one. My Mustang GT had two aftermarket fenders that were 50 bucks a piece and they fit perfectly and had all the holes in the right places. Now back in the day, you would have been correct. That's not to say all aftermarket body parts are good, though.


I have seen some clone parts that fit fine...but have little (if any) rustproofing, so they dissolve in 2 years. I would much rather have used OEM body parts than aftermarket parts.

 

[Silverado12]

The parts I used had the same primer as OEM. There is an inner fender anyways that keeps the salt off the inside.