So, my wife backed out of the garage and snagged the passenger mirror on the garage, tearing it clear off.
I called the insurance company and they were eager to send me to one of their contracted auto body shops.
I’ve not had to deal with this type of thing before, so I am unsure what the smartest thing to do is. They say that the repairs for their contracted places are guaranteed but I can’t help but think they’re most interested in their bottom line–or do these contracted places use flat rates like a Dr.'s office does, and it just means they’ve already agreed on reasonable sums for the standard repairs?
Also, should I consider going to the dealer? The car is a little over a year old and not paid off. The mirror body is the same color as the car, not just standard black, so if I go to another auto body place will I get some knock-off part?
The insurance company has contracts with these places. They have inspected their work to besure it has been done corectly. And the company knows if they get complaits they can loose their contract.
My wife was in an accident. We insisted that we wanted the dealership to do the work, my brother in law was the service manager. The insurance company agreed to let him do the work. But they limited the cost to what their contract company would charge, and the insurance company would not warrenty the work.
You can also get a couple of estimates including a detailed breakdown of what parts they’ll be using. I imagine for a torn-off mirror that’s pretty straightforward; go to 2-3 body shops and get a written estimate (this will be free and it shouldn’t take long), ask whether they are using aftermarket or OEM parts, etc. You may find some noticeable variations in service - for example one place uses OEM parts and will say that paint work is required (that can be expensive). Another might say that no painting is necessary, etc. See who you are the most comfortable with and who sounds like they’ll do the best job. You are not required to go where your insurance company suggests.
In my state, you have the right to go where you want, and the insurance company will pay the full price less your deductible. I don’t worry about the insurance company warranting the repair; I want the shop to provide that!
I do prefer the contracted places (the two times I’ve needed the service), because there’s no effort needed on my part. Drop off the car, pick it up, and you’re done. In my cases, I’ve not needed to pay a deductible, but I image one would pay it either at drop off or pickup.
I would think the best thing to do is leave the insurance company out of it. Isn’t most (if not all) of this going to come out of your deductible? And now the insurance company knows you had an accident.
As far as the mirror is concerned, that has happened to me several times. Once my wife managed to destroy the mirrors on both sides (she stopped when she hit one, moved back into the garage and got the other one on her way out). I got pretty good at replacing them myself. You can find them for sale on ebay or elsewhere, sometimes in exactly the same color. It might be worth your while to acquire this skill. Don’t imagine its the last time this will happen. I got used ones for $30.00. Getting it done at a shop will cost you much more.
I wouldn’t bother insisting on OEM. The ones I got were actually better than the OEM.
Yes, trust them for small things like this. No use getting them pissed off over something this minor. As Balthisar said, it makes things easier, less paperwork and trouble.
The insurance company is Nationwide Auto insurance.
I would repair it myself, except that: a. The mount point is indeed busted. b. It’s a power mirror, so I’d have to hook all the wires up. c. The car is fairly new and still under warranty, so I don’t want to mess with that.
I got backsided two weeks ago by a truck that drove away immediately, so got no license number or description. Damage to my van was $3160, but Allstate took care of it all except my $500 deductible. When I first reported it, they wanted me to go to their contracted shop. It was many miles away, so I said I wanted to go to a local shop, only four miles away, that I knew did good work on a friend’s car.
They told me that was no problem, so got an estimate. Next day an adjuster came, took pictures, got online with his laptop and found a good used back door (the garage estimate included a new door) and wrote out a complete estimate, lower than the body shop. He wrote me a chedk for the full amount less the deductibe.
I then drove right back to the shop, showed him the insuance estimate, and he agreed to it Later on they found some more interior damage, and the adjuster went right to the shop, agreed and wrote them a check for the difference.
All-in-all, it was a surpisingly good experience as far as the insurance company was concerned, as I had expected they’d give me a hard time, and try to lowball the shop so much I’d have to pay more than the deductible.
I’d suggest you check to see if the dealer has a body shop, and if not, can recommend one. Get an estimate there and at one or two more, then tell the insurance company that’s the one you want to use.
I used to work at an insurance company and learned a little about this.
The reason they have particular shops is because in exchange for sending those shops a steady stream of work, they get a discount off the shop’s hourly rate. This saves the insurance company money. You have a right to go wherever you want and not to the insurance company’s shop (at least where I live), but since the insurance company generally makes it an easier process for you if you use their shop, that’s what I’d do unless the shop was seriously out of your way.
The other thing people don’t often realize is that they’re not entitled to brand new parts. The part on your car that was damaged was a used part - you were the one who used it. So your insurance will cover paying for a similar used part. If you get a new part, that’s betterment, or an improvement to your car from its condition pre-accident. They won’t cover that betterment of your vehicle. That’s why KlondikeGeoff’s estimate from the shop incorporating a new part was discounted.
It’s over a year old, that’s not new. As I recall a car has to be less than 12 months old to get oem without betterment.
I worked for Nationwide in auto claims for several years and also used the contracted shops as a customer. I would have no qualms about doing so again.
In my state the you have the right to have the work done at any shop and the insurance is required to pay full price. What generally happens is the insurance company attempts to make it difficult to get full payment to shops that are not on their list.
Options end up being
Use the insurance companies shop and have no hassles
Use a shop you know that is willing to argue with them on your behalf till they pay up
Use a shop of your choosing and argue with the insurance company yourself.
The third option is problematic as shops won’t give you your car back till they are payed.
One thing I’ve seen the insurance companies do is wanting you to use refurbished parts, especially bumper covers. On this , in my experience at least, you can fight back. The old bumper wasn’t previously wrecked and repaired (which is what a refurb is). Yes, they can make you use a used bumper, but if none is available in the same condition as the old one pre-accidient they have to pay for a new one.
I’d recommend always going to a few shops and get your own estimates before the adjuster comes and looks at the car. It’s never bad to be informed. That said, I’ve been hit a few times over the years and each time dealing with the other drivers insurance company was a surprisingly pleasant affair.