catesta Posted October 6, 2003 Report Share Posted October 6, 2003 No offense to anyone here in the auto body trade. I just needed to vent after getting a $925.00 estimate for repair of two scratches on an SUV that happened when one of my mowers lost traction on some wet turf and slid into a Toyota Rav4. A friend of mine offered to repair it for $150 including a total detail. This dude restores high dollar classic cars and his work is flawless. Instead the SUV owner chose a body shop that insists on rebuilding the car. SHYSTER BASTARDS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 6, 2003 Report Share Posted October 6, 2003 Dude - both our cars got seriously wracked in the hailstorm we had this past spring. Filed Insurance claims on both, and got big checks for both. Fair enough - the damage was major. Took the cars to an "approved" body shop, and guess what - they wanted to TOTAL both vehicles! Said it would cost more to fix them than they were currently worth. Called the insurance company, and they generously offered to take back their claim check and pay us salvage value. We're talking a 1999 Accord w/75K & a 2000 Civic w/25K, both of which are in otherwise excellent condition. Our only other option (allegedly) was to keep the cars and the money, and be stuck with a "salvage title" for the life of the cars. We would only be eligible for liabilty coverage, too, no collision or comprehensive. Phuck that. A little more prodding of the insurance company rep, though, turned up the interesting tidbit that we could keep the money, have the cars repaired using their money and ours and get the full coverages reinstated if the vehicles passed a visual (yes, only a VISUAL) inspection from our agent. Not a company rep, but out local, around the corner agent with whom we've been dealing with from the first day we moved into this burg. Well, as fate would have it, my mother-in-law recently sold her property in Virginia (Smith Mountain Lake) and bought a smaller place in Ohio, where her family roots are. She needed some help packing and such, and the lovely and talented Brenda was "between jobs" as they say. Soooo... The folks in the rural Roanoke/Bedford/etc. area are a lot like the folks in East texas - somebody knows somebody who can do ANYTHING. Sure enough, Brenda's mom found a guy who did body work. She took one car up there, and the quote was for less than half of what the insurance estimate was for ONE of our cars. She checked the guy out, got references, made sure that he got good parts, etc, and put him on the job. It was damn near flawless - a few minor things that he said would have jacked the price up more than they were worth, and things you gotta be looking for to see. We's well pleased. So, Brenda comes home, and drives back in the other car to get it fixed whikle she helps her mom actually move. Same deal - quality work, and a ridiculously reasonable price. We get BOTH cars fixed for less than ONE claim check, take 'em to the insurance agent, get the "inspection", and full coverage is restored. We get a claim check (which we offered to return, btw, but were told that it would not be necessary!) that comes in MOST handy during Brenda's unemployment, and a lesson in how NOT to "trust" insurance companies and body shops to work together to provide a sensible resolution to a fairly simple problem. Now, watch our rates go up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted October 6, 2003 Report Share Posted October 6, 2003 (edited) On our summer trip out West a truck kicked up a rock and left a walnut size dent in the front fender of Ann's PT Cruiser. She just got around to getting a quote this week. The dealer's body shop told her they'd fix a scuff on the door for nothing as a favor. Then they quoted $486 which included removing/replacing door seals, PT Cruiser logo, door handle, door lock, window seals. She called today and asked them to requote the job without the "favor". The guy said it was necessary to do the door as well as the fender "so we can blend the paint. That paint has seven different shades in it and you won't like the match if we just do the fender". What a bunch of crap. PS, the color is the standard silver. Edited October 7, 2003 by Chuck Nessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted October 7, 2003 Report Share Posted October 7, 2003 That is a total bunch of crap. Body shops... actually ANYBODY, can match the paint of any modern car by taking the VIN to a dealership. Using the VIN, they will get you a little can of paint that was used on YOUR car directly from the maker and it will match perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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