Update (Now With Pics): How to deal with a body shop that's trying to scam you?

[acemcmac]

Kissed an object on the side of the road during the blizzard due to ice induced understeer and it hit me in my front left quarter panel, above the headlight. I definitley need a new headlight assembly and a new front left quarter panel. The mounts under the panel are bent, but the unibody is fine. I don't see any reason why this should cost more than a grand tops. I'd like to get it done off insurance. Don't see any reason it should cost me more than a grand anyway.

I just got a "quick and dirty" off the books estimate during which the guy said "well, your hood is fiberglass, so... prolly about 2500$"

d00d.... wtf??? :laugh: if I told my insurance company that figure, they might just total it

That thing is about as fiberglass as my left nut (riiiight??? )! Should I even go back to that place?

edit: Pics

1, 2,

 

[meltdown75]

well, i'm sure you know with auto repairs etc, you have to shop around. so many scammers. so how can you get it done through insurance if it was basically your fault? hmm. well good luck, hope you don't get ripped off too bad.

 

[RMSistight]

Dude, just shop around. They are not the only auto body shops around.

 

[Legendary]

Why don't you at least give us a car model?

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
well, i'm sure you know with auto repairs etc, you have to shop around. so many scammers. so how can you get it done through insurance if it was basically your fault? hmm. well good luck, hope you don't get ripped off too bad.

Comprehensive insurance (I think thats the right part). Even when you hit someone else, if you have full coverage, your car gets rebuilt and you pay your deductable

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: Legendary
Why don't you at least give us a car model?

99 mustang.

thought everyone knew that

 

[meltdown75]

wow. i think you have better insurance coverage than me

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
wow. i think you have better insurance coverage than me

dude. I'm a lunatic. I need it.

 

[richardycc]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
well, i'm sure you know with auto repairs etc, you have to shop around. so many scammers. so how can you get it done through insurance if it was basically your fault? hmm. well good luck, hope you don't get ripped off too bad.

if he has full coverage, his insurance should cover his own stupidity, he will have to pay the deductible thou.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: richardycc

Originally posted by: meltdown75
well, i'm sure you know with auto repairs etc, you have to shop around. so many scammers. so how can you get it done through insurance if it was basically your fault? hmm. well good luck, hope you don't get ripped off too bad.

if he has full coverage, his insurance should cover his own stupidity, he will have to pay the deductible thou.

yeah, but I don't want them to know about it... they'll get it back out of me in the end if I go through them

 

[meltdown75]

i wish my province had an insurance structure similar to that of the western provinces (well I know Alberta has it) - no auto insurance! that's right - if you get in an accident, you just sort things out with the other parties involved. at least i think that's how it works. it's just frustrating when you pay into something your whole life and never see the benefit unless you get in an accident (or worse knock on wood).

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
i wish my province had an insurance structure similar to that of the western provinces (well I know Alberta has it) - no auto insurance! that's right - if you get in an accident, you just sort things out with the other parties involved. at least i think that's how it works. it's just frustrating when you pay into something your whole life and never see the benefit unless you get in an accident (or worse knock on wood).

How would you plan on paying for the medical expenses of somebody you plow into who doesn't have medical insurance? Unless you are exceedingly wealthy, it would probably cripple you financially.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: meltdown75
i wish my province had an insurance structure similar to that of the western provinces (well I know Alberta has it) - no auto insurance! that's right - if you get in an accident, you just sort things out with the other parties involved. at least i think that's how it works. it's just frustrating when you pay into something your whole life and never see the benefit unless you get in an accident (or worse knock on wood).

How would you plan on paying for the medical expenses of somebody you plow into who doesn't have medical insurance? Unless you are exceedingly wealthy, it would probably cripple you financially.

oh our health care system is another matter entirely. i was referring to auto insurance.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: meltdown75
i wish my province had an insurance structure similar to that of the western provinces (well I know Alberta has it) - no auto insurance! that's right - if you get in an accident, you just sort things out with the other parties involved. at least i think that's how it works. it's just frustrating when you pay into something your whole life and never see the benefit unless you get in an accident (or worse knock on wood).

How would you plan on paying for the medical expenses of somebody you plow into who doesn't have medical insurance? Unless you are exceedingly wealthy, it would probably cripple you financially.

I know people that this has happened to. You'd be amazed how expensive accidents can be.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: meltdown75

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: meltdown75
i wish my province had an insurance structure similar to that of the western provinces (well I know Alberta has it) - no auto insurance! that's right - if you get in an accident, you just sort things out with the other parties involved. at least i think that's how it works. it's just frustrating when you pay into something your whole life and never see the benefit unless you get in an accident (or worse knock on wood).

How would you plan on paying for the medical expenses of somebody you plow into who doesn't have medical insurance? Unless you are exceedingly wealthy, it would probably cripple you financially.

oh our health care system is another matter entirely. i was referring to auto insurance.

If you are at fault, you can end up paying the medical bills of the people you hurt.... one helicopter airlift costs more than $100,000

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: meltdown75

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: meltdown75
i wish my province had an insurance structure similar to that of the western provinces (well I know Alberta has it) - no auto insurance! that's right - if you get in an accident, you just sort things out with the other parties involved. at least i think that's how it works. it's just frustrating when you pay into something your whole life and never see the benefit unless you get in an accident (or worse knock on wood).

How would you plan on paying for the medical expenses of somebody you plow into who doesn't have medical insurance? Unless you are exceedingly wealthy, it would probably cripple you financially.

oh our health care system is another matter entirely. i was referring to auto insurance.

If you are at fault, you can end up paying the medical bills of the people you hurt.... one helicopter airlift costs more than $100,000

The canadian government provides health care for everyone though.. so perhaps beucase everyone is automatically covered by that, they don't need that coverage in their auto insrance. (just my guess)
Still seems really weird. Like hell i'd buy an expensive car if i couldnt get it insured.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Come on man, you know you wanna rice that baby out. Staple-gun a WRX scoop hood to the front and get some look-like-HID-but-they're-not ricelights.

Like I said over AIM, tell them to go fvck themselves, and find a decent body shop.

 

[GimpyOne]

If you think you know what parts you need try here:

RockAuto

They at least have list prices on the parts. It looks like a hood would be about $350, and the front quarter panel and headlight assembly each about $150 depending on model. If that is all you need, than your're looking at about $700 just in parts.

But whatever is needed, the website should give a good parts estimate.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Yes, your hood is fiberglass. And that estimate doesn't seem too high. 1000 damage is a scratched bumper these days.

 

[jlee]

Buy a CF hood and paint it to match your car..it'll probably be cheaper.

 

[CRXican]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Yes, your hood is fiberglass. And that estimate doesn't seem too high. 1000 damage is a scratched bumper these days.

This man speaks the truth. If your deductible is $500 get a higher estimate than $2500 and add some new parts.

 

[rh71]

what are you doing driving a RWD in snow ? I thought people garaged it like they do motorcycles for the winter.

 

[flamingelephant]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: meltdown75

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: meltdown75
i wish my province had an insurance structure similar to that of the western provinces (well I know Alberta has it) - no auto insurance! that's right - if you get in an accident, you just sort things out with the other parties involved. at least i think that's how it works. it's just frustrating when you pay into something your whole life and never see the benefit unless you get in an accident (or worse knock on wood).

How would you plan on paying for the medical expenses of somebody you plow into who doesn't have medical insurance? Unless you are exceedingly wealthy, it would probably cripple you financially.

oh our health care system is another matter entirely. i was referring to auto insurance.

If you are at fault, you can end up paying the medical bills of the people you hurt.... one helicopter airlift costs more than $100,000

The canadian government provides health care for everyone though.. so perhaps beucase everyone is automatically covered by that, they don't need that coverage in their auto insrance. (just my guess)
Still seems really weird. Like hell i'd buy an expensive car if i couldnt get it insured.

uhhhh, not true! Rehabilitation from accidents is covered by insurance, not the healthcare system. (maybe even the cost of the medical treatment from the accident) Rehab costs are sky-high, and medical rehab is paid by the insurer and is often given higher priority than normal medical care (and they Canada doesn't have a 2 tier system)

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: Legendary
Why don't you at least give us a car model?

99 mustang.

thought everyone knew that

Technically the hood is not fiberglass, it's a plastic composite. But you're wrong, it's not metal.

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Yes, your hood is fiberglass. And that estimate doesn't seem too high. 1000 damage is a scratched bumper these days.

This man speaks the truth. If your deductible is $500 get a higher estimate than $2500 and add some new parts.

There are several problems with what you're suggesting, the main one being that you're suggesting he commit Insurance Fraud. Insurers aren't like they used to be in the old days where you could pull something off like this and get away with it.

Most carriers have a preferred network of shops and they'll pay by their estimate only. If you want it repaired, you take it to their repairer. If you take it to a shop that's not one of their pro shops, and that shop wants more, you'll be asked to pay the difference, or they'll have an adjuster talk to the shop and have them explain what the difference is, and yes, they do know what they're talking about it's not some dummy on the phone asking the shop to quantify the difference.

Secondly, if you're taking it to your shop to have it repaired, they have the right to inspect the car after repairs are completed. That's just another way to get busted easily.

Turn in a claim on your collision coverage and let them handle it.