What to look for in a bodyshop

The guy came yesterday and said a few things, but didn't give us the quote. He said the check would be mailed to us in two weeks or so.



1) He wasn't very clear, but maybe he might've quoted to have the bumper either repaired or replaced because some of the paint on the bumper was "grinded" off in the accident.



2)Mentioned the panel may take some more money to repair because of that line design that goes all the way from the front of the car to the rear.



3)My dad mentioned the car tracks a little to the right. He added an alignment to the quote.
 
mikebai1990 said:
The guy came yesterday and said a few things, but didn't give us the quote. He said the check would be mailed to us in two weeks or so.
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Sorry, but that kind of service is terrible. Any good appraiser/insurance company should leave an estimate on the spot. 2-3 weeks for a check. Are you kidding me? I leave check on the spot too. Sounds like he's trying to hide something to me. What insurance company does he work for? :furious:
 
The guy was from the other party's insurance company. My dad called the insurance company up, and their insurance company sent a guy for the evaluation. The insurance company name is Lincoln General Insurance Company, and for some reason it is then subdivided into the RPC Insurance Agency.



Well, according the my dad, the guy was fairly helpful and didn't really seem like he was hiding anything. He even asked for a business card from my dad (my dad does work with computers)...



Of course, I don't have any experience, so I'm not sure whether he was trying to hide anything. According to my dad, he seemed to be fairly knowledgeable... Any more info you guys can give me would be very helpful. Thank you!
 
FWIW, and this is my general practice - I always leave the car in the shop and let the bodyshop deal with appraisers. The shop will know how much $$ is needed to fix it right - OEM panels, new panels, never a Bondo job, etc and they are on your side so they will FIGHT/Explain to the adjuster on the spot based on the adjuster initial evaluations.



YMMV......
 
Alright.. We just got the check mailed to us today. $1043.42. We haven't gotten an estimate from the bodyshop, but I think it will be enough for the repair.
 
mikebai1990 said:
Alright.. We just got the check mailed to us today. $1043.42. We haven't gotten an estimate from the bodyshop, but I think it will be enough for the repair.
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So they paid you and didn't give you an estimate? That's pretty bad. How the heck do you know what they are paying the shop to repair and how? The estimate explains and breaks everything down. Without that, everyone's in the dark.
 
Sorry, I didn't read everything, just the first few posts.



I work at a body shop, a top name one at that.



Getting a check based on the insurance company's estimate is normal...It's a rock bottom price for people that just want to cash out. You bring the car and check, to a top name body shop, no ma and pop shops for insurance work. Pick up your free rental, provided to you by who ever hit you. And let the shop do the rest.



The shop will replace the tail light, repair the quarter panel with dent pullers and bondo (proper bondo is better than replacement), and blend the rear door for color match. I would ball park price in my head around $12-1300, and four days. Purples are hard...Check the color match from the quarter to the rear bumper before accepting...it may need to be blended as well. Blending a bumper is not normal, but sometimes needs to be done.



Unless you don't care about rust, get the car fixed right while someone is willing to pay for it.



No, PDR is not an option in your case. PDR only works on dents like hail, small and blemish free.
 
Stratous said:
Getting a check based on the insurance company's estimate is normal...It's a rock bottom price for people that just want to cash out. You bring the car and check, to a top name body shop, no ma and pop shops for insurance work. Pick up your free rental, provided to you by who ever hit you. And let the shop do the rest.
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Are you saying that shops don't need the estimate to work off of? Just the check.
 
Stratous, are you saying the bodyshop will help me haggle with the insurance company?



Also, I'm curious why there is a $600 discrepancy between David's and Stratous's estimate. Is there some variable that would significantly change the estimated price?
 
Mike -



It's too late IMO. You have the $$ from insurance company so if there is a difference in $$ from the bodyshop you decide to choose from. Also.....service charges vary from a regional perspective.



Have you or your dad gone to any reputable bodyshops in the area to get estimates ?

I would start there.



I can recommend a great bodyshop but they are out in NJ - C&D Auto Body.
 
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