The Dos And Don'ts Of Navigating Auto Body Repair
If you're like many people, you're probably relying on an insurance company to cover repairs to your car following an accident. These repairs may come out of your collision policy, or another driver's insurance company may cover them. In either case, you'll need to navigate the process with the insurance company and your auto body repair shop.
Unfortunately, there can be many potential pitfalls and complications along the way to restoring your vehicle to pristine condition. This guide will present a few dos and don'ts to help ensure you can get your car looking as good as new with as little downtime as possible.
DON'T: Rely Entirely On Insurance Recommendations
Your insurance company may recommend a preferred auto body repair shop, or they may even suggest their own collision center. These options are not necessarily bad, but you aren't required to follow the advice of your insurance company. Even if their recommended shops are qualified and skilled, they may not have experience working on your specific vehicle make or model.
Avoid making quick decisions and do your homework. If you want to take your vehicle to a shop recommended by your insurance company, always perform some research beforehand. You may discover that a preferred shop isn't suitable for your particular repair needs.
DO: Call Around and Ask Questions
You should always feel comfortable calling collision shops and asking questions before agreeing to repairs. For example, you should determine which certifications their technicians hold and whether they have experience on vehicles similar to your own. You may also want to ask whether the shop prefers to use genuine or aftermarket parts and if they frequently perform repairs with used parts.
Remember that your goal is to restore your car to its pre-collision condition. While there aren't any one-size-fits-all rules for choosing the best possible auto body shop, you should ensure that you're comfortable with your final selection. If in doubt, get in touch with a few more shops so you can compare your options and determine the best one for your needs.
DON'T: Take the Money and Run
If you don't have a loan on your car, then you're most likely free to take your insurance settlement money and leave your vehicle in its current condition. This option works fine if you don't plan on repairing your car at all, but you shouldn't expect to take the settlement money while also scoring a cheap repair.
In many cases, auto body shops will find more issues while working on a car. As a result, the final cost may be higher than the initial estimate. Shops typically work with insurance companies to cover these costs, but you'll be out of luck if you sign a settlement and take a check. It usually makes more sense to allow your insurance company and body shop to work together to achieve a complete repair.
Contact an auto body shop for more information.