Dent to boot - 10 day repair?

[Bluecatm22]

Hi everyone

I had a van run into the back of my b250 and leave a dent about 6cm long in the boot lid, just under the number plate.

It’s a small dent/ was at v low slow speed. The repair shop proposed by my insurance have said they will need the car for 10 days- does this sound reasonable? It’s running right into Christmas and is going to be difficult.

It’s a small dent but I don’t know if the fact that it’s in the automatic opening boot lid makes it more complicated.

Thanks very much in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Teego]

Totally bollards. You'll be offered a rental car next. Especially if the insurance uses a third party claims manager.
And why isn't the van insurance dealing with it?

 

[zipdip]

Welcome aboard and my thoughts are as above total bollards

 

[SmartAmg]

Welcome.
10 days does seem excessive for a small dent.

 

[alabbasi]

Hi everyone

I had a van run into the back of my b250 and leave a dent about 6cm long in the boot lid, just under the number plate.

It’s a small dent/ was at v low slow speed. The repair shop proposed by my insurance have said they will need the car for 10 days- does this sound reasonable? It’s running right into Christmas and is going to be difficult.

It’s a small dent but I don’t know if the fact that it’s in the automatic opening boot lid makes it more complicated.

Thanks very much in advance for your thoughts.

So the owner didn't build his business and staff it just for your car?
In a good shop, the prep guy is going to be different to the metal guy, plastic guy, paint guy and the buff guy (or girls). Each of them will have a line of cars that they'll be working on. Even if there was no queue, it would be a 3 day job between prepping and final assembly.

 

[Bluecatm22]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I was rushing and surprised when they confirmed the timing on the phone so didn’t push back but I will now.

It’s a company car covered by a fleet management company using an accident management company going thru insurer and claims manager blah blah blah so I think the garage are maybe pushing it because it does also involve a temporary car to cover me

 

[Bluecatm22]

So the owner didn't build his business and staff it just for your car?
In a good shop, the prep guy is going to be different to the metal guy, plastic guy, paint guy and the buff guy (or girls). Each of them will have a line of cars that they'll be working on. Even if there was no queue, it would be a 3 day job between prepping and final assembly.

I have no experience in this, that’s why I was asking if it was reasonable. I don’t expect them to turn it around overnight but ten days seemed like a long time so I wanted to check I wasn’t being taken advantage of. If ten days is normal for that type of job then I have no issue with it. Thank you for explaining the process

 

[Teego]

So the owner didn't build his business and staff it just for your car?
In a good shop, the prep guy is going to be different to the metal guy, plastic guy, paint guy and the buff guy (or girls). Each of them will have a line of cars that they'll be working on. Even if there was no queue, it would be a 3 day job between prepping and final assembly.

You haven't seen the average British body shop. 2 blokes and a big dog.

 

[alabbasi]

I have no experience in this, that’s why I was asking if it was reasonable. I don’t expect them to turn it around overnight but ten days seemed like a long time so I wanted to check I wasn’t being taken advantage of. If ten days is normal for that type of job then I have no issue with it. Thank you for explaining the process

If they're not charging you for 80 hours on labor, it's unlikely that you're being taken advantage of. Some things just require wait time, like plastic work (filler) and paint drying and obviously other work in the pipe. If the insurance is covering it, your top priority should be quality of work.

If you've ever seen halo spots or scratch marks under the clear coat, this is caused by people banging out work and not giving the fillers and primers time to gas out and shink. The job will look perfect out of the door but the paint will shrink eventually to reveal the shoddy work.

 

[Bluecatm22]

If they're not charging you for 80 hours on labor, it's unlikely that you're being taken advantage of. Some things just require wait time, like plastic work (filler) and paint drying and obviously other work in the pipe. If the insurance is covering it, your top priority should be quality of work.

If you've ever seen halo spots or scratch marks under the clear coat, this is caused by people banging out work and not giving the fillers and primers time to gas out and shink. The job will look perfect out of the door but the paint will shrink eventually to reveal the shoddy work.

Thank you, that makes sense

 

[Bortig]

As long as you get a great result, some things take time.

 

[Smiley]

The whole car body insurance repair process is f***ed up in this country imo and we all pay for it in our premiums.
The insurers have their "preferred" repairers - ie places that they have negotiated rates down so far that they have to find innovative ways to make money, some claimants who see a small repair as an "opportunity" to big up a claim somehow, claims management companies and car hire companies working a racket (as far as I can see) to wring as much out of a car hire claim as they possibly can (extended repair time is music to their ears).

 

[Smiley]

To the OP - if you just took your car in and paid for it yourself it would be in and out in 1 or 2 days I bet.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Hi everyone

I had a van run into the back of my b250 and leave a dent about 6cm long in the boot lid, just under the number plate.

It’s a small dent/ was at v low slow speed. The repair shop proposed by my insurance have said they will need the car for 10 days- does this sound reasonable? It’s running right into Christmas and is going to be difficult.

It’s a small dent but I don’t know if the fact that it’s in the automatic opening boot lid makes it more complicated.

Thanks very much in advance for your thoughts.

Is it not possible to get a "paintless dent removal" done. I’ve watched a few YT videos of the work these guys do and it is amazing what they can repair especially if the paint is not gouged and the metal not ripped.

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[Bluecatm22]

To the OP - if you just took your car in and paid for it yourself it would be in and out in 1 or 2 days I bet.

Quite possibly, or at least more impetus to not be as long. I would much prefer to do this but in this instance I don’t have a choice unfortunately

 

[Bortig]

I would hope its a dent removal as opposed just slapping filler on it

 

[IanBR]

The work will take 2-3 days max , the car will presum be collected from your house & swapped out for a loan car. It will the sit in a compound for several days before and after the repair while you drive around in a loan car for an extended period of time which you , and all of us , pay for in increased premiums . Tht will allow these ”fleet/accident management” companies to be make a nice tidy profit .

 

[alabbasi]

Is it not possible to get a "paintless dent removal"

We haven't seen any pictures, but paintless dent removal is a pretty good option if you can get behind the panel and the crease is not too severe. That's a skill like traditional panel beating. Many people say that they know how to do it but few actually do.

 

[Gnasher141]

If the paintwork is original. Glue pulling PDR is another option.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

We haven't seen any pictures, but paintless dent removal is a pretty good option if you can get behind the panel and the crease is not too severe. That's a skill like traditional panel beating. Many people say that they know how to do it but few actually do.

In that video I linked, he didn’t get behind the panel.