Insurance companies, main dealer or recommended repairer?

[SilverSaloon]

hi

some t1t crashed into my car thismorning, causing a small dent to my door & big scuff.

t1t admitted liablity; anyway, i phoned my insurance company who took all the details down...

they gave me their approved repairer who doesnt sound great... epecially for such an expensive car.... i really want to take it to a BMW dealer to get repaired. anyway, they said get 2 quotes and they choose the cheapest.

so, assuming that the BMW delaer is going to be more expensive than their dodgy back street repairer, does anyone know if they will allow me to take it there, even if i get the two quotes.

car is just over 2 years old and i want a new door or door skin - i dont want filler..... any thoughts/experience on what they will do? will they just accept the dealer quote if i insist?

trying not to sound snobbish etc (my other car is a piccasso!), i dont know why i should take my car to some bodyshop that usually repairs run of the mill cars when i can take it to a proper BMW dealer and get the same level of service i get when i take it there for warranty work etc......

also would getting it done at a non-dealer have any effect on the paint warranty etc etc?

my main concern is that the car is high spec and has soft closing doors, electric rear blinds etc etc and the approved repairer aint going to know how to dissemble or re-assemble it properly etc to get the door skin off etc....

 

[glojo]

Difficult one as you do not have the Mobilio warranty to use as an arguement although your car should still be under a 3 year type warranty for rust\corrosion? We are with Directline.

Someone drove into the side of our old 210 car and again we were the innocent party. I contacted our insurance company and pointed out that the car was still under warranty and I had to have it repaired by a Mercedes-Benz authorised dealer.

The insurance company couldn't have been more understanding. They simply said to get it to the dealer. The car was taken to the dealer and everything was done through the dealership who liased with the insurance company, we were also given an E-class courtesy car.

Have you contacted the guilty parties insurance company? They are sometimes very understanding and if you explain your vehicle is still under warranty... blah blah blah I am no fan of these very cheap and sometimes not cheerful repair centres. As far as some are concerned a bake oven is where they heat up their pasty's.

Good luck,
John

 

[Rory]

You can insist that it's repaired wherever you like. It's especially not an issue if someone else is paying for it. If it was your fault, then your own insurance company might be awkward about it - delaying authorisation etc, but that shouldn't be an issue in this case.
Bear in mind that the BMW dealer may send the job out anyway, but it's their problem to get it sorted out to your satisfaction, rather than that responsibility falling to you.

 

[aka$h]

Its not being paid for by your insurance company, I would insist it be repaired at BMW, it was perfect till said T1T hit you, and you want it as close to perfect after!

 

[C43AMG]

You can nominate any bodyshop.

 

[SilverSaloon]

Its not being paid for by your insurance company, I would insist it be repaired at BMW, it was perfect till said T1T hit you, and you want it as close to perfect after!

went to nearest BMW dealer who do bodywork and they take their cars to:

www.ewarc.co.uk

this looks good; should i just phone up my ins company and tell them to forget about me getting 2 quotes etc; i just want to take it here?

can i do that?

 

[glojo]

I am not disagreeing with the other two excellent posts, but...

No matter where you take it to be repaired they will only be interested in who is going to pay for the repair! They will have heard every story under the sun about Joe Bloggs admitting fault and they will pay, right down to the cheque is in the post.

My advice is to slow down, take a deep breath and do things in order.

First off try getting authorisation from the guilty parties insurance company

Without authorisation you pay.....

If they say go through your own insurance then this is where I would go to my dealer. I would let them arrange everything thus making sure of a decent courtesy car.

If they are not helpful then I would take the car to the recommended repairer, get an estimate, inform them of your insurance company (to save time and repetition) Then contact your insurance company, explain to them that the car is still under warranty and you have been told to take it to this repairer.

They should okay the repair or they might want an assessor to check out that it is in keeping with the damage. (I had no problem with Directline in replacing the skin on both doors)

Make sure the estimate includes the cost of a courtesy car for the time your vehicle is off the road.

If hte guilty party's insurance company are helpful, simply go to your dealer, or recommended repairer.

That's my two penarth

John

 

[SilverSaloon]

John, i've done this so far:

(1) phoned the guity guys insurance co - they said go thru your own insurance co and they will liase with them

(2) so i phone my ins co who took all details and gave me 2 options: (a) to go to their approved repairer and get the work done straight away or (b) get 2 quotes from whoever i want it repaired by and they will choose the cheapest.

(3) i said i would get the 2 quotes..... so now i need to know if i can just phone up my insurance and tell them i want it repaired by blah-blah, and this is the cost. according to the site i posted above, it is my legal right to go where i want. I would also like a "good/similar to my own" courtesy car if its going to be more than a couple of days work, otherwise any courtesy car will do. i cant see it taking more than couple of days tho tbh.....

can i also insist on a new door or a new door skin if they start talking "filler"....?

 

[glojo]

Everyone will have differing advice and you must listen to them all.

I personally do not like hassle and I try to keep things going as smoothly as possible. I would personally go to your dealer and explain the situation. They will have lots of experience of obtaining two estimates for a repair, so indeed would the repair company that you want It is 'common practice' for repair companies to get you the two estimates.

A similar type courtesy car might be a problem. I have heard lots of cases where innocent law abiding folks like your good self get talked into having a very nice courtesy car, then get a horrible bill at the end of the repair. Pammy started an excellent thread about the arrangements her dealer was offering.

I would try my hardest to involve your dealer, listen to what they say and then see what type of courtesy cars they offer. I note you state you went to the 'nearest' BMW dealer are they understanding and more important, helpful and supportive?

Repair centres tend to have the smaller more popular courtesy car.

John

 

[SilverSaloon]

i'm not bothered about the courtesy car i get; usually i get a 116i which is slow and small as shite but does the job getting me to and from work.... hopefully for just a couple of days; the repair is so minor that i doubt it would take longer. if i was planning a longer trip etc then i would insist on a better car, but as i am not, i'm not that bothered - especially if it may cause hassle.

my main concern is that i want the car to be as perfect as it can be now - ie no filler on the car - i would like a new door/door skin so its perfect. as the car is only 2.5 years old and not a cheap car i dont think this is unreasonable.... also i dont know if it will void the paint warranty; ie if rust appears on the door in a years time, BMW will stick 2 fingers up and send me on my way..... leaving me, you guessed it, paying for a new door!


i hate hassle too, but if a little work/bother results in the best quality repair i am willing to sacrifice it.

the damage is very minor, hardly noticable, but the car was 100% perfect before, so in my view it should be 100% afterwards - espcially if it isnt my fault.

 

[jgevers]

You can nominate repairer but probably need to be quite assertive.

Though both nearest MB and BMW bodyshops to you are not all that good.

Most Insurance companies want you to take your car to 'Nationwide' or a plce in Cupar. Personally I wouldn't use these.

The best bodyshops near you are both independent. Allan Maskill Coachworks and Donald Alari Bodyshop. Depending on the colour of the car I would choose Allan. He seems to do the difficult ones for BMW as well.

Cheers

 

[SilverSaloon]

You can nominate repairer but probably need to be quite assertive.

Though both nearest MB and BMW bodyshops to you are not all that good.

Most Insurance companies want you to take your car to 'Nationwide' or a plce in Cupar. Personally I wouldn't use these.

The best bodyshops near you are both independent. Allan Maskill Coachworks and Donald Alari Bodyshop. Depending on the colour of the car I would choose Allan. He seems to do the difficult ones for BMW as well.

Cheers

yeah Admiral (my insurance company) reccomended repairer is McClouds in Cupar..... doesnt sound good to me.

Where is Allan Maskill Coachworks? do you have an address?

the place BMW use (Eastern Western Accident Management at Broxburn) sounds good and very professional and BMW recommends them.....

 

[glojo]

The best bodyshops near you are both independent. Allan Maskill Coachworks and Donald Alari Bodyshop. Depending on the colour of the car I would choose Allan. He seems to do the difficult ones for BMW as well.

Cheers

Cracked it,
Local knowledge is always a major consideration. Have both got bake facilities?

John

 

[jgevers]

The place in Broxburn is like a factory, lot's of staff, managed by accountants etc. so it is pot luck if the repair gets done nicely. If the painter can't be bothered to bend his knees, the paint coverage is different at the bottom of the door than the top, if you get my drift. I speak from experience.

Allan Maskill is at Halbeath,nextto the Fergusons yard. I don't have a phonebook to hand, but he is in the Fife book. He is very good at getting colours right, all the TVRs seem to end up at his place as well with the silly flip colours. Proper oven and tools but no shiny customer receptions etc. and only Clios as courtesy cars.

Cheers

 

[SilverSaloon]

The place in Broxburn is like a factory, lot's of staff, managed by accountants etc. so it is pot luck if the repair gets done nicely. If the painter can't be bothered to bend his knees, the paint coverage is different at the bottom of the door than the top, if you get my drift. I speak from experience.

Allan Maskill is at Halbeath,nextto the Fergusons yard. I don't have a phonebook to hand, but he is in the Fife book. He is very good at getting colours right, all the TVRs seem to end up at his place as well with the silly flip colours. Proper oven and tools but no shiny customer receptions etc. and only Clios as courtesy cars.

Cheers

oh no, i dont know what to do now!

i'll visit Allan Maskill and the Broxburn place and get a quote and ask him exactly what repair he will do - ie if he would replace the door/ fill it/pull it out etc.....

if browburn place makes a howler of a repair, then i can always complain and get them to redo it i suppose.....

 

[jgevers]

I would expect that the BMW route will suit you better. Nicer courtesy cars, proper service advisors etc.

I am just a bit anal and like to be able to speak to the actual person that does the job (and see my car getting worked on) and deal with the owner rather than being just another number.

Good luck!

 

[SilverSaloon]

I would expect that the BMW route will suit you better. Nicer courtesy cars, proper service advisors etc.

I am just a bit anal and like to be able to speak to the actual person that does the job (and see my car getting worked on) and deal with the owner rather than being just another number.

Good luck!

my only concern is the quality of the job; i want it to be as perfect as it can be.....

 

[Mr E]

Ask your dealer if they have a complementary accident management service - both mine and wifey's does - as they will deal with insurers and make sure that the work is done through their network....

 

[SilverSaloon]

Ask your dealer if they have a complementary accident management service - both mine and wifey's does - as they will deal with insurers and make sure that the work is done through their network....

the dealer i usually go to dont do body repairs, only a few BMW dealers in the area seem to and they all take the car elsewehere for it to be done....

 

[Alps]

ok do this.

go to 2 garages, a) BMW b) good independent

get them to quote for what you want ie... new door skin (this still may not be the best option as they dont always come out as good as factory)

also tell them its for an insurance quote.

insurance company will send an assessor, but if it is a light job they will tell them to fix it and not replace the skin! thats where you have to either fight it out with them or let them do the work!

I would still insist on main dealer in case any warrenty gets effected!