Car repair/insurance

[jonnythan]

Long story short: my car has some front end damage from an apparent collision. I have GEICO with a $500 deductible on collision.

I'm going to take my car to a collision shop to get an estimate on fixing it. I hope it won't be north of $500 to get it fixed up, but if it is, at what point is it a good idea to file a claim with my insurance company?

I have had my car and my insurance in my name for about one year and have filed no claims and no accidents or tickets thus far.

 

[Hoosier]

Based on my experiences (many tickets and claims ), if your repair cost is more than $700 including your deductible, I will claim it. But, there is a big condition, you won't have any additional claim and ticket on the following year. The insurance never disclose the their way of rate calculation. Even, there is a rumor that they are also looking at the credit reports, too. In addition, never tell the body shop, you will pay out of your pocket. Your estimate will be totally different with the insurance one.

 

[jonnythan]

Are you saying that I should let the body shop think the insurance will be covering it when I get a quote?

 

[Hoosier]

Are you saying that I should let the body shop think the insurance will be covering it when I get a quote?

Yes...until you get the same quote as the insurance does. The insurance agent has all market information about the labor and part. So, eventually, the body shop has to match the amount that Insurance estimation. It is pretty much national standard, but some body shops are trying to play with you. The biggest difference is only labor charge per hour (usually dealer shop's hourly rate is higher) The part and estimated labor time should be identical.

After getting the same estimation, talk with the body shop for the cash deal..

Yes, the basic concept is to get the right number you can negotiate.

 

[RonDawg]

I hope it won't be north of $500 to get it fixed up

Unless your car has a small "shopping cart" type ding on it, most likely your damage estimate WILL exceed $500. Labor costs are the big reason; they have shot up so much, they'll often replace panels that in previous years would have been banged out and bondo'd.

It's also the reason why you see a lot of recent model cars in junkyards that look "fixable." It's not that they can't be fixed, but the costs of doing so are too high relative to the value of the car.

 

[jonnythan]

So are you guys saying it's not a big deal if I get insurance to cover the costs above $500 here, assuming it will be more than $500?

 

[RonDawg]

I would say get an estimate first. Even if it's a bit above that $500 mark, if you can afford it, fix it yourself without involving the insurance company. Whenever you file a claim, you run the risk of higher future premiums unless you can clearly show it wasn't your fault and the other party is paying for the damage.

If it's too high, then file the claim.

Perhaps if you tell us what's been damaged and how badly (maybe even a photo with the license plate blurred out), someone here can give you a better idea of costs.

 

[do it easy]

You have a few factors to consider- if you file a claim, your insurance rates will go up for 3 years. Also, when you get a quote, they only write up visible damamge, which means, that if they take the bumper off and they find you have more damage, then the price goes up.

I think that Ron is right- it's unlikely that you'll have just a $500. When you get your estimate, ask the shop guy what it would cost for the hidden damage- ask them to speculate about what other parts might need to be replaced/repaired or what they aren't including because they can't see it. This will give you an idea of what the real price will be.

I was in a similar situation and my rates went up about $300/year. Given the time value of money and what not, and a $500 deductible, I would probably pay for the repairs myself if the real bill was less than $1000. The other thing to consider is increasing your dedcutible to reduce your premium, but if you get into another accident, you'll be in the same boat, but deeper water.

 

[JessH]

Or you can do what I did and ghetto rig your front end so that it is drivable and have a car with a bit more character I wish I had a picture handy, but if you can imagine a blue jeep grand cherokee with out a front bumper or grill, one side crunched in a little bit and headlights held in place with bolts and zip ties you will be on the right track Of course I only have liability insurance and the ************ who ran me off the rode didn't even stop to see if I was alright. Body shop would have charged more than it is worth to fix it. Luckily my uncle helped me bend the suspension back into place, replace the smashed radiator and do a few other things...

On the plus side I no longer have to worry about people trying to steal my car, and it has a LOT more character ;-)

~Jess

 

[HowardE]

The "apparent collision" was it a hit and run??

I don't know the laws in NY, but in CO, if it's a hit and run, they can't drop you or raise your rates if you're "not at fault" for the accident. Therefore... if it WAS a hit and run, you should

1) file a police report
2) file a claim

if not... then disregard my advice.