Collison Repair?Do I just go with one that's been recommended that the insurance company suggests?

i would. ask the insurance co if they guarantee the work if you use one of their recommendations.

 

Earlier this year, I got T-boned, and the other driver's insurance, Nationwide, was gracious enough to accept full liability. I went to the first place they recommended, which turned out to be a top-notch shop. I knew they were going to do a good job when I saw the Teslas they were working on. Very few shops are Tesla-certified, so I didn't mind leaving my Plug-In there for a month while they did $7,500 worth of repairs. Check the Yelp reviews for the recommended shop. Drive by the place and see if it looks clean and organized. If you decide to talk to them, make sure they respect you and that they take the time to explain what your car needs and how they propose to fix it. Trust your feelings. Are they purposely using very technical language to impress you and make you feel helpless? If so, look to someone else. If an adjuster quickly tries to write off your car as a total loss, get a second opinion. Rather than accepting a payment that is only a fraction of your car's worth, consider finding someone who can actually fix the car for what the insurance is willing to pay.

 

Often Insurance companies will entice their clients by saying they back-up or guarantee the work of their recommended shops.
But I don't know if that's reason enough to go with an Insurance Company recommended shop. Not that I don't trust either Insurance Companies or Body Shops, but if they have a pre-existing business relationship, the question becomes are they working MORE for each other? Or more for you?

Good Luck getting any "Guaranteed" work backed-up, if both the Insurance Company and the Body Shop are saying there's nothing wrong.

I've been in similar situations and it's tough trying to find a body shop you can trust If you don't have a history with one, that you like and know.

What I would do?
The internet IS your friend. Big friend here.
Look up reviews from any and all sources you can find. Look at reviews, rankings, etc.
If a candidate has poor reviews....avoid it.

If you can find one that simultaneously is well reviewed AND also one of the recommended shops by your Insurance? That might be your best choice. But I would do due diligence in looking yourself, and NOT just go by what the Insurance company is recommending.

It's a tough situation though. Good Luck.
I also regretfully and hesitantly would say, use some caution with going with friends, relatives, or neighbors recommendations. I actually like as wide and deep a scope of review as possible. Sometimes, even on the internet, you get glowing reviews based on a 1 time interaction, that might NOT be comparable to your situation.

That is when I was searching I'd get 5 star reviews posted because somebody liked the fact that the Body Shop gave them free coffee and a donut, and repaired that cracked bumper.
Not that the experience might not be exactly as described, but I kind of threw those out, because I wanted a bigger picture of how the Body Shop was perceived by a larger community of people that had used the body shop.

Friend and Neighbors and Acquaintances experiences should IMO be taken with the same critical outlook.

 

I don't think you're obliged to use a particular body shop. OTOH, if this is a first experience, it doesn't hurt to consider using their recommendation, but go in with your eyes open, and keep in mind you can use others.

We have a local shop we've used for decades. They actually changed ownership a year or two back, but continue to do good for us. In BC at least, most shops get ICBC* accreditation, which means the shop is completely trusted to assess the damage, determine the best course of repairs.

Typically you make an initial call to ICBC, explain what happen, answer a few questions, and get a claim number, which you pass on to the body shop.

* The main insurer here, a "crown corporation", controlled and answerable to the provincial government.

 

@The Electric Me makes a good point. Readers interested in this topic may wish to search elsewhere for “Direct Repair Program,” the industry term for insurers’ contracts with their preferred body shops.

 

Doesn't look that bad. Any shop should be able to fix it. Power cables are on the other side

 

Progressive guarantees the repair for "life" if you go to "their" repair shop. Which is usually the
cheapest and worst.
But if you go to a place that will do it RIGHT the first time, only a year.

 

o/p doesnt know any shops, so probably better off with insurance recommendation. at least theres some recourse, hopefully

 

Depending on how many miles are on that car it could be very close to being a total loss. Just from what I can see it going to need a bumper, hood, fender, & some metal straightening under the hood minimum. If the car has over 120k miles its probably only worth $8k and the the insurance company will likely total it out of the repair bill comes close to 75% of the replacement cost.

I say you take the car to the shop in town with the reputation of being the best and most expensive. If the insurance company does not total it out look into the laws regarding diminished value claims in your state, that car will never be worth what it was before the accident.

 

good morning!