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Shop Till You DropJul 18 '00 Write an essay on this topic.I am not sure how many of you have ever had to deal with an auto body shop but if you have I know it was a nightmare. I have a few suggestions that could save you money and one big headache. 1. If you have been in an non at fault accident and the other driver has insurance all you have to do is pick out a body shop to repair your auto. If you are lucky enough to have a shop in your area that you trust, use them. If the insurance company suggest a shop take it there for the repairs. Most insurance companies will suggest 2-3 shops that are approved by them and the check will be sent direct to the body shop for the repairs. If you do not plan on having the car repaired ask for the check to be sent to your home. Many may say that the insurance company and the body shop are out to make a buck. Who cares as long as you get your car repaired to your liking? 2. If you have been in an at fault accident your insurance company will suggest their best repair shop. Take their advice if you once again do not know of a good body shop. If your car does not have a lien on it you then have a choice to take a check or have it sent to the body shop. Once you have the car repaired and something else goes wrong with the car the claim can be reopened and the rest of the damages taken care of without any hassle on your part. The insurance company will forward more money to the body shop because they are on their trusted list. Always remember to call your insurance agent if the repair shop is giving your problems. Once a claim is opened it is out of their hands. You are the only one who can tell the agent if something is wrong. 3. Many of you own at least one car that does not carry collision due to the age of the car. If you get into an at fault accident their is no coverage on your policy for repairs. You are on your own. Do you repair the car or dive around with the dents? If the car is in good condition you may want to repair it. On to the yellow pages to find a repair shop. Once you have picked out 3-4 shops call and ask if you can come in for an estimate. Set the appointment but before you go call your local better business bureau and see what type of record they have. They will tell you over the phone if the repair shop has been reported for unfair business practices. You then have to ask for this report in writing. Sound like a lot of work and it is but you are the one who has to pay for the repairs. 4. Call your insurance company. Even though you do not have collision on the car you can ask them the name of the repair shops they use. If they give you three names and you go for estimates, they should all be about the same amount. You can then show the different estimates to each shop and if they really want the work they may lower the price a little. Always remember and estimate is an estimate and underlying damage can be found once the car is on the lift. If you do your homework a $500.00 dent will be a $500.00 dent. If the insurance company is paying for the damages ignore the charges because they are not coming out of your pocket except for the deductible.  |
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