by Guest » Sat Oct 24, 2009 04:28 am
I have been hit in the rear and my car is toast but the insurnce guy says that it can be fixed. It is a 2007 Camry with only 38000 miles, I take very good care of it. I thought that the shop I would take it to would help me out and try to tell the guy that is totalled. But the shop said no and that whatever the insurance company says goes. What if don't want my car? I feeling that I have no say in this and that they are making me get it fixed. If they feel that they can really do it, I might give them the chance. But I don't understand what the report really says. The shop seemed to hurry through it but I will try and explain. Sorry but I am not very knowledgable about cars. What it boils down to is a body section I guess? All the torn up pieces will be gone and they have another car like mine parts tht is already together? Its a different color than mine and I don't understand how they can paint it just right. Nobody really taken the time to explain this to me so I can understand. I asked why cant they just buy new pieces and put them on instead of the car that is a differnt color? They said it was cheaper which I can understand but I am nervous. Can someone help me?
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:52 pm Post Subject:
In recent months, I have seen Geico and Progressive written estimates with complete and or partial replacement assy
If they wrote these KNOWING the vehicle was a total loss, (just writing a sheet a quick way to reach the threshold), then no foul. However if you're talking about a true clip (weld on frt or back sections)...It's my understanding (in our area anyway) that neither of these companys allow this....as tosomeone stated that when confronted with the info that the manufacturer did not endorse and was against the procedure, the insurance employee stated "they didn't care what the manufacturer said
This is a short/quick road to the unemployment line!Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:17 am Post Subject:
State Farm will not write a sheet to clip a car, but they will let their service first shops or anyone else clip them if they want the liability as long as the vehicle owner requests it. It's all about who wants to bear the liability. I know I don't.
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:42 am Post Subject:
Actually Lori I take that back. One of those vehicles repaired, I reinspected it for one of the big boys and wrote it with 80% OEM parts and it turned out about $1400 less if memory serves me correctly. It has been my experiance that on occasion, a full body section front/rear what have you, is figured just to make it go away. I know that sounds hard to believe, but on many it's simply just laziness. I would assume that there would be someone looking at these estimates to make sure that they were really a total loss. But I guess not. When a front or rear assy is pricing at $2500+, + mark up and labor it can many times be written with OEM and save. When I wrote an obvious total loss while working in a shop and now, I never wrote with anything but OEM parts. What's the point? It's not going to be repaired anyway.
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:36 am Post Subject:
When I wrote an obvious total loss while working in a shop and now, I never wrote with anything but OEM parts. What's the point? It's not going to be repaired anyway.
The point or reason many adjusters do so (write all used parts on an otl) is because their company is keeping percentage stats (the co I work for does not! the one I worked for 87-97 did) on the parts they write and it's a quick easy way to boost that number...It has been my experiance that on occasion, a full body section front/rear what have you, is figured just to make it go away. I know that sounds hard to believe, but on many it's simply just laziness. I would assume that there would be someone looking at these estimates to make sure that they were really a total loss. But I guess not. When a front or rear assy is pricing at $2500+, + mark up and labor it can many times be written with OEM and save.
I hate to admit it, but what I see with inexperienced estimators is...they think...wow 2500! and click click...man that was cheap! What the morons don't do is read the p-pages and add all the unincluded operations..by the time at is done, you're right more times than not it's about the same...course that's when I've had to go do a reinspect/supp and then total the damn thing most of the time.Mike, I can get that IF the vehicle owner is dead set on saving the car and knows what they are getting into AND sign a release..well...no harm, if all understand...when I was in the shop there were a few cars we saved for people that just flat didn't have the money for it to total..(not full clips)...again, IMO if the owner is educated and ok with it...no foul.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:19 pm Post Subject:
I work for geico, which by the way is leading the insurance industry. I meet know it all body shop people like you all day long Trench. I see that you are still avoiding my questions.
I can't imagine what people here must think of you, lol. We really get into the repairs at our shops and they really like that because we get the repairs done more quickly.
Faster than most other shops because there is no waiting. Don't assume just because someone hasn't worked in a shop or done body work doesn't know how to fix a car.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:21 pm Post Subject:
I work for geico, which by the way is leading the insurance industry. I meet know it all body shop people like you all day long Trench. I see that you are still avoiding my questions.
I can't imagine what people here must think of you, lol. We really get into the repairs at our shops and they really like that because we get the repairs done more quickly.
Faster than most other shops because there is no waiting. Don't assume just because someone hasn't worked in a shop or done body work doesn't know how to fix a car.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 01:13 am Post Subject:
I work for geico
:shock: Didn't see that coming. How your poilcy holders must feel.
which by the way is leading the insurance industry
:roll:
I meet know it all body shop people like you all day long Trench
My father once told me, careful about how much you think you know about someone, because you're probably wrong.
I can't imagine what people here must think of you, lol
Am I supposed to care?
We really get into the repairs at our shops and they really like that because we get the repairs done more quickly.
I find it interesting how you include yourself in these "repairs".
Don't assume just because someone hasn't worked in a shop or done body work doesn't know how to fix a car.
Yeah..... I would rather not like to think how someone who has never performed the work can fix a vehicle. Explain this.
Oh, and why the double post? Afraid you won't get double the attention. Still hiding behind the "guest" huh?
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 01:18 am Post Subject:
Well Guest,
By your words....
It appears that you know just about enough to get yourself into trouble because you don't know enough about Collision Repair to know that you don't know enough about collision repair. Which could be dangerous for you and your customers..!
I'm like that in few professions myself. Some I know enough to know I don't know enough... and others... I don't. That's why I often keep quiet, listen, watch and learn at least enough to know I don't know enough about one profession or another, before I attempt to show others how smart I think I am.
It took me about 30 - 35 years to figure that out. And I've been practicing it for at least 23 more years since then. :)
Don't take it personally... if I had.... well.... I'd be a really really bitter old man by now.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 06:01 am Post Subject:
Some I know enough to know I don't know enough... and others... I don't.
It's often the same difference that exists between theories and practices. The more you learn things with practical experiences, more you'd be accustomed with the associated challenges. Thus, you feel the need to know more about it.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:33 pm Post Subject:
I work for geico, which by the way is leading the insurance industry.
First of all I don't believe it for a minute....second of all leading the ins. industry in what?We really get into the repairs at our shops and they really like that because we get the repairs done more quickly
Your pharsing alone tells me you don't work for Gieco or any other carrier, nor do you work in a shop....Smart guest that KNOWS Toyota doesn't know 'anything' about repairs...When did Gieco buy ANY shop?It appears that you know just about enough to get yourself into trouble because you don't know enough about Collision Repair to know that you don't know enough about collision repair. Which could be dangerous for you and your customers..!
Fred, I couldn't have said that better! Mind if I use that on occasion?Guest..if you are an adjuster, you're an inside adjuster that's either written maybe 100 sheets or none..which is it?
It took me about 30 - 35 years to figure that out.
Ain't that the truth!? Something about being young, (no offense) and male that makes some think it's some sort of attack on their ego to say the words, ''I don't know", "could you explain or show me how that works?" it's a damn shame, that youth is wasted on the young.. :(Add your comment