Is this legal?

[Futher]

My gf's mom dented someone's car in a parking lot last week. Apparently the woman whos car it was has a cop for a husband. He freaked out, and my GF's mom recieved a crazy estimate. They didn't want to go through insurance. It's a 2006 Audi, and apparently when they repaint the tiny dent, they have to repaint the entire door that's next to it to match. (Solid Black car). Can a car fade that much in 3 months where you have to repain the door?

A small dent, about the size of a baseball and not very deep at all, needed TONS of stuff. And at the bottom of the estimate it says:

body labor 5.2 hours @ 48 per hour
paint labor 5.7hours at 48 per hour
paint supplies 5.7 hours at 24 per hour

Also needs a new headlight assembly, even though it was nowhere near the light and the lights were flashing perfectly when the alarm was going off.

What the hell does that even mean?

I have a feeling since the body shop is in the same town the cop works in, he's pulling some strings or cashing in some favors. Is that legal? She's in the process of getting alternate estimates, but is there anything else that can be done? Thanks a ton.

TOTAL : $1203.47 for a small dent on the fender above the tire.

 

[PurdueRy]

JUDGE JUDY FTW!!!

 

[Futher]

Heh, it's a thought

 

[brxndxn]

Either suck it up and take the high estimates or go through insurance. Usually, when they allow the person at fault to skip the insurance hassle, they're doing the person at fault a favor.

In this case, it looks like a pretty damn high estimate - even for an Audi. So, just go through insurance. If either party decides to use insurance, the other party has no choice in the matter. Let your insurance company do what you pay them for.. and they'll manhandle them into whatever the hell they want - and then they'll just charge you more next year... usually not a ton more, though.

 

[RCN]

It isn't about fading but that estimate is a little high.What does it mean?
5 hours to fix the dent @ $48 per hour
5 hours to paint at $48 per hour
Paint supplies costing the equivelant of 6 hours labor at $24 per hour.

 

[zanieladie]

Maybe she can ask for a 2nd estimate to be done. I had this happen to my oldest son in a college parking lot.


Since they want to keep it out-of-pocket rather than through insurance companies, your gf's mom is sorta stuck. Sucks...I know. The alternative would be to go through the insurance company and risk having insurance premiums go up. Paying out-of-pocket will be cheaper in the long run (probably).

 

[tfinch2]

They can pick and choose when they want to go through the insurance? Looks like someone needs to get a lawyer.

 

[lrad50]

2nd opinion and leave insurance outta da way

 

[bleuless]

believe it or not, that estimate seems low for the per hour rate. think of it this way, if you had a brand new audi, and it got dented, what would you do? but yeah i think the estimate is jacked up still, probably a shady shop does shady job. pro shops can easily charge 1k for painting a door.

but if i were you, i would get multiple estimates, otherwise call your insurance company and ask for advice too.

edit: to clarify, i think a good estimate should be like

5 hour labor @ 90/hr
part + supply = itemized
= total

a cheap shop estimate would look like
"i do total for tree hundred dollah!"

 

[compuwiz1]

Here is something you should know. Black is black is black. There is no unmatching black. I would not have a black car repainted anymore than necessary to feather in the dent repair and immediately damaged area. If anyone is trying to say a black car needs two doors painted so they match, they are selling a line of crap.

 

[Wuffsunie]

I'd tell 'em to fvck off and then go through insurance. Anything insurance charges you is bound to be less painful to deal with than what the leeches want.

Edit: As for legality, why not? Nothing says it has to be reported to insurance, and the other people are free to tell your gf's mom any price they think they can get from her. Paying, though, is another matter.

 

[j00fek]

Originally posted by: PurdueRy
JUDGE JUDY FTW!!!

:thumbsup:

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
Here is something you should know. Black is black is black. There is no unmatching black. I would not have a black car repainted anymore than necessary to feather in the dent repair and immediately damaged area. If anyone is trying to say a black car needs two doors painted so they match, they are selling a line of crap.

So you're saying that every car company that paint's cars black use the same exact shade?

I find that a little hard to believe.

 

[Yossarian]

Let the insurance company deal with it. What the other people want to do isn't relevant.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
Here is something you should know. Black is black is black. There is no unmatching black. I would not have a black car repainted anymore than necessary to feather in the dent repair and immediately damaged area. If anyone is trying to say a black car needs two doors painted so they match, they are selling a line of crap.

So you're saying that every car company that paint's cars black use the same exact shade?

I find that a little hard to believe.

There are no shades of black. Either the car is black, or it's blended with a different color, ie., black cherry for example, but if it's true black, it's black. I've owned several black cars over the years, and have gotten touch up paint for many of them. The body shop manager for the Ford store I worked for told me this. It's true

 

[gsethi]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
Here is something you should know. Black is black is black. There is no unmatching black. I would not have a black car repainted anymore than necessary to feather in the dent repair and immediately damaged area. If anyone is trying to say a black car needs two doors painted so they match, they are selling a line of crap.

Actually I think that black is the hardest to match. Thats what I was told by few automotive repair shops when I was just enquiring. Same thing was told to me by the salesperson again that black color is pretty hard to match if i ever even got a small dent.

I think that the easiest to match are the metallic colors.

They have to match the exact shade so that you cannot tell where the car was painted and that matching is pretty tough to do with black.

PS: I dont have a black car. and I am not an expert on this. This is just what I was told by a few automotive repair shops when our silver car was hit and I had to take couple of estimates.

 

[bleuless]

there is no "true" black paint.

true black = lack of light

car manufacturer have all kinds of black. besides now a days majority of paint are metallic mix, especially audi, so.. yeah it has to be matched.

 

[xit2nowhere]

So, if she were to report to insurance company, how much would her insurance increase will be ?

 

[Kelemvor]

That's what Insurance is for.

Next time tell your gf's mom that if she does that and the peopel aren't around, to just leave.

My wife had this same thing happen. She just put a little dent in a car when the wind blew the door out of her hands. The lady said that all these other dents were from her and all this other crap. We just told her to take it up with the insurance company and we never heard back.

If she wants to shell out for it, go for it. But the insurance company will be better equipped to handle it. Rates shoudln't go up much at all since it's not really a vehicular accident. Technically I don't know if your mom can be arrested or anyuthing even if she jsut flat out refuses to pay anything. That's what comprehensive insurance is for of the car owner.

I'd have her call her insurance company, ask them how this would normally be handled (don't have to give specifics or could make it sound like it happened to her) and see what they say.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
The body shop manager for the Ford store I worked for told me this. It's true

Was that Kennedy Ford in Conshohocken, PA?

Have you ever put on a pair of black pants and a black shirt and noticed that they really aren't the same even though when apart they are both obviously black?

 

[edro]

This stupid story about insurance hiking up due to fender benders is absurd.

Insurance is there for a reason. Why pay thousands of dollars a year for insurance and never use it?

$1200 seems cheap to repaint and repair a door on a 2006 AUDI.

Body work is extremely expensive.

Think about it... If you just bought a Brand New car, how would you like it to be smashed up.

 

[Accipiter22]

Originally posted by: bleuless
believe it or not, that estimate seems low for the per hour rate. think of it this way, if you had a brand new audi, and it got dented, what would you do? but yeah i think the estimate is jacked up still, probably a shady shop does shady job. pro shops can easily charge 1k for painting a door.

but if i were you, i would get multiple estimates, otherwise call your insurance company and ask for advice too.

edit: to clarify, i think a good estimate should be like

5 hour labor @ 90/hr
part + supply = itemized
= total

a cheap shop estimate would look like
"i do total for tree hundred dollah!"

yah, the estimate doesn't sound that hideous...they're obviously jackin you for the time to repair the dent, but overall doesn't sound too out of line...like everyone else said, get other estimates...p.s. what state are you in?? In MA you'd have to notify insurance...

 

[Accipiter22]

Originally posted by: edro
This stupid story about insurance hiking up due to fender benders is absurd.

Insurance is there for a reason. Why pay thousands of dollars a year for insurance and never use it?

$1200 seems cheap to repaint and repair a door on a 2006 AUDI.

Body work is extremely expensive.

Think about it... If you just bought a Brand New car, how would you like it to be smashed up.

QFT

 

[letdown427]

Use the insurance. I mean, it's most probably not going to jack it up so hugely as to make it cheaper to just pay up front. That's what insurance is for. If they do jack it up, shop around for insurance, you'll probably be able to find a cheaper deal anyway.

IMO, get some other quotes on repair costs, then call the insurance company. They'll probably be pretty interested in finding a cheaper repair quote, it's not in their interest to pay out way over the odds.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Either suck it up and take the high estimates or go through insurance.

:thumbsup: