How to Choose a Collision Repair Center
Cars are an expensive investment. If your car has been involved in an accident, you want to make sure that it's repaired properly - not just because of the financial commitment you've made, but for your own safety as well. The following are some tips that will help you choose a quality Collision Repair center.
First of all, the best time to find a Collision Repair center is before you actually need one. When your need isn't pressing, you have plenty of time and resources to compare centers and find the information you need to make a decision. Remember, in the event of an accident, the choice of a Collision Repair center rests with you, not your insurance company.
One of the best ways to find a good collision repair center is to ask your friends and coworkers who they've used. Local consumer organizations may also have information and many times you can find reviews of various businesses on the Internet.
When you've found a potential repair center, find out of the facility specializes in a particular type of repair. Some centers focus primarily on body work, while others offer a full service approach. Plan a visit to the facility itself. Is the facility clean and well organized? Does it appear that the mechanics take good care of their equipment? After all, they'll likely treat your car the same way they treat their equipment.
Consider the following questions as well. Are the vehicles in the parking lot and in the repair areas of greater or equal value to your own car? Is the staff courteous? Do they answer your questions in a helpful manner? How long has the facility been in business? Does the facility belong to the Better Business Bureau or the local area Chamber of Commerce? What type of warranty do they offer on their repairs? Is the business certified and does it employ certified mechanics? Is there evidence of continuing education? All of these factors should play a role in your decision making process.
When it comes to the shop being certified, there are a number of different certifications you should look for. The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair - also known as I-CAR - is a non-profit organization that offers accreditations in the auto industry. When businesses have achieved a high level of collision repair training, they may be awarded Gold Class Professional status. Individuals can earn Platinum status in the same way, by demonstrating a high level of collision industry training and professionalism.
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is another non-profit organization that certifies individual technicians in a variety of specialties, including collision repair. The process is rigorous, involving many training classes and difficult testing. The ASE Blue Seal of Excellence recognizes businesses that employ a large number of certified professionals, including at least one certified professional for each service type offered.
By choosing a certified facility with a certified collision specialist, you can be assured that your chances of getting a quality repair for your car are very high indeed.
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How much should I expect to pay for a minor collision repair?
Last week I was pulling into my parking spot I accidentally hit someones car in the space next to me. I got out, left my number and information and tried to take a picture but it was too dark to see anything. When the owner of the car called me, we agreed she would get some estimates to see if I could pay out of pocket before getting insurance involved. When I first looked at it, the only damage apeared to be a black smear from my bumper on her car, and that was all I could see. She ended up getting 2 estimates, both being about $800 for what they called a "paint point" and a small dent. I'm going to check up on these quotes to see if they were just quoting her on the damange that I caused and nothing more. My question is, does that quote sound reasonable for the damage I described or should I be wary about believing this?
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what is a good name for a auto collision repair?
I'm buying a new auto collision repair, and I need a name for it. Please help.
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which is better flat rate pay or hourly pay?
I want to be auto collision repair tech if that helps.
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Do I have to give back the difference in insurance money?
I was sent a check from GMAC that was worth what the representative estimated for my collision repairs. I went and got another estimate from a body shop down the road and he gave me an estimate that was a little more than half of what GMAC had. Can I keep the remainders of the check?
So yes I give the difference back? Or no I keep it?
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Toyota collision repair question?
I recently got into a car accident. The person hit me in the rear door on the passenger side of the car. I don't believe he hit the tire but where the frame comes down to the right of the tire is bent in about 4 or 5 inches. and theres damage to the bottom of the door. (about the bottom foot/ to foot and a half of the door) I believe the actual door is bent as well because it pulled away from the top(roof) about a half inch. The window isn't broken, but I haven't tried to use the power window because I didn't want it to get stuck in the down position.
Sorry...my question is, rough estimate, how much will it cost to fix my car. will i have to get the door replaced? how much will it all cost about?
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How much will this collision repair cost?
Someone hit me on the parking lot. No insurance. Would be paying cash.
Look at the photos here: http://antonpug.com/blog/2011/10/someone-ruined-my-car/
But the damage includes:
-Broken headlight
-Bent and scratched fender (near the headlight, anetnnae and closer the door)
-Wavy/bent in area on the front door (about 10x10in area)
-Two long scratches from the fender to the back door, starting with metal decreasing to just surface scratches
-Bottom of rear door is bent in (slightly wavy)
-The wheel and suspension seem to be fine, the impact was more of a sideswipe
-Damage is not "deep" no damage to the frame, just the cosmetics and body
How much will this cost? Is there a price difference between a dealer's bump clinic vs Joe Shmoe's Shop?
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about recovering my truck or one like it!?
i recently got in my first ever accident, my 2002 toyota tacoma pre runner was a total loss according to the collision repair people, the claim adjuster is going to give me what its worth,the blue book value has it at 6500 to 7200 in good condition witch falls in my category,Now when i look at auto trader,Craig's list and about 10 other auto centers the value of the truck is 8000-10000 ,my question is ,did i loose out on this deal even if the other party was at total fault in witch we determined that already,am i going to get less than what i had because the other driver was careless,im dealing with AAA. ps could i reject any small offer they give me, all i want is my truck or one like it any help would be appreciated
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