Choosing an Auto Body Shop

To begin, this experience is likely one that needs to be addressed by you automobile insurance company or perhaps the company of another insured driver, and the first call you should make is to your own company. They will be able to tell you how to proceed both legally and expeditiously.

There are generally two types of insurance situations depending on the company. An insurance company may tap into its own network of auto body providers to find a place near you that will perform an estimate. In some cases, you must accept this estimate, pay your deductible, and use the provided company for the services that you need; however, some insurance companies will leave the research up to you providing a check directly to you for the amount of the lowest estimate. This allows you some authority in choosing your own service provider.

If you find yourself in this situation, or if you are having some non-insurance related repairs completed on your vehicle, you have some power on your side. It is always a good idea to check with your original dealership location or a branch of the same company. While they usually will not have an auto body shop on site, they surely will have some referrals for companies that they frequent. Since dealers are in the business of resale, they will be savvy of the best deals for the money. You may also ask friends and family who may have had body work completed on their vehicles for suggestions of where (or where not) to go for such services.

Once you have compiled a list of least three possibilities for your auto body shop, it is time to begin investigating with the intent of landing with an auto body shop that can provide the services that you need. There are three criteria that will most likely help you to make your choice. Of course, you are interested in cost; you want your estimated combined with your deductable to cover the entire repair, but you may also be just as interested in time. Low estimates or costs can sometimes mean that you are in for a waiting game. If you have alternative transportation, perhaps time is not an issue, but if you will be accruing costs on a rental vehicle, paying extra for public transportation, or missing work while you are waiting on the repairs to be completed, the auto body shop offering the lowest estimate may not really be the best deal.

The Better Business Bureau is helpful in making consumer decisions. Check for business ratings, comments from prior customers, and red flags before you make the final decision to leave your vehicle with any auto body shop. Your car, aside from your home, is one of the biggest investments that you have. Treat it as such.