“Just when you start to think winter is over, this happens.” Mark is standing in front of his Suburu Crosstek, which came through a recent fender bender a little worse for wear. “Just a little bit of snow is enough to cause a big headache.”
How to Get a Good Deal at Car Accident Repair Shops
When you’re in a car accident, you have the absolute right to choose where your car is repaired. This isn’t a decision your insurance company makes! However, many car insurance companies do maintain a list of preferred repair shops. This can be a useful starting point for a car accident repair shop that does good work and is reasonably priced.
Understanding Car Accident Repair Shop Estimates
The reason many people feel like they’re not getting a good deal when they have their car repaired after an accident is that they don’t understand what it will take to fix their car and how much those repairs will actually cost.
The way around this is to choose a car accident repair shop that does a thorough inspection prior to giving you an estimate. This inspection should cover your car’s mechanical system as well as the body and glass. Every problem, major and minor should be identified and explained so you can understand how serious it is. An estimate detailing the charges for all identified repairs should also be provided so you can make an informed decision about what fixes you want to authorize and which ones can wait until another time.
It isn’t always fun to look at a long, detailed estimate that spells out many necessary repairs. However, this is less distressing than hearing one “guesstimate” number and then discovering after the fact that your car needs additional expensive repairs you were not expecting. If you want to get a good deal at the car accident repair shop, insist on a detailed estimate. If the shop can’t provide one, go somewhere else!
