So you have hail damage now what?
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| THE CLAIMS PROCESS! |
So, your car was hit by hail! Now what do you do? If you've ever had your
vehicle damaged by a hail storm you know it can be a very frustrating and
expensive experience. If you have full coverage insurance on your car it doesn't
have to be frustrating or expensive. Often people don't understand how to properly
utilize their insurance coverage and are even afraid to claim the
damage for fear that their rates will go up. This is a common fear but let me
assure you a comprehensive claim such as hail damage does not raise your
rates. In fact, if you don't claim the damage and have it repaired you risk having
any future claims being denied because of unrelated pre-existing damage.
The first thing you should do is call your insurance company and file a claim.
Write down the claim number. It is always a good idea to get the name of
everyone you talk to, as well as the adjuster's name being assigned to your
claim. The next step is the initial inspection or the "estimate." Some insurance
companies will ask you to go out and get three estimates and then fax them in. If
your insurance company asks you to jump through these hoops just politely say
NO. Ask where you need to go to have “them,” write “their,” estimate. That's it!
Do not waste your time driving around getting multiple estimates because in the
end your insurance company is just going to use those estimates as a starting
point and write their own anyway.
An estimate means just that. It is an estimate of how much money and what the
insurance company thinks it will take to repair your car. It is very important that
you clean your car before having it inspected because you will not get paid for
dents the appraiser can't see. Secondly it is extremely important that you are
as nice and as accommodating to the appraiser as you can be. It will do you no
good to argue with or be rude to the person deciding how much money your
going to get to have your car repaired.
Often when there's a large storm event, insurance companies are
overloaded with claims and they have to out source to independent appraisal
services to help write all the claims that are pouring in. This is commonly
referred to as a catastrophe team or "cat team." Now I don't think I have to tell
you that these very busy appraiser's are going to fly through your estimate as
fast as they can and will probably miss a bunch of things. You may think your
estimate looks a little low. In my line of work 90% of the estimates are written
low. I've seen estimates for $1500 on a car that had over $6000 in damage!
Don't worry, that estimate is not the final word, it is merely a starting point.
Unfortunately many people choose to keep their insurance money and never
get their car fixed. Some people even wait around until it hails again nearby
and try to claim the un-repaired damage yet again. Insurance companies lose
billions of dollars every year to fraudulent claims. It is impossible for them to
keep track of every claim and they can not force you to get your car fixed. The
only way the insurance companies can combat this is by writing their initial
estimates a little on the lighter side. I've had many appraisers tell me that their
company actually trains them to feel the customer out and if they think they
probably won't have their car repaired, to write the estimate for as little as
possible. Obviously if you have a brand new BMW you're going to get it fixed; but
if you own a 1984 Toyota Corolla with 350,000 miles on it, you are probably going to
keep the money, right?
The next step is to find a company to repair your dents. If you have large dents
with paint damage and broken windows you will probably need to find a full
service body shop. If you have mostly quarter sized dents and the damage is
just superficial then PDR is the best option. PDR, or Paintless Dent Repair is a
repair method in which the dents can be gently massaged out and the original
factory paint finish is left undisturbed. A good PDR shop can make your car look
exactly like it did before the hail damage. Most dents half dollar sized or
smaller can be removed fairly easily and quickly. In a perfect scenario your car
could be repaired in as little as a few hours. Well, the world is not perfect and
depending on your insurance company's original estimate it may take several
days to get an appraiser to come back out and re-write their estimate. This
process is known as a Supplement. Usually on the back page of your estimate
there are instructions for filing a supplement. The insurance company knows that
if a professional repair facility is doing the repair, then they are going to catch all
the dents that were missed and ask to be paid for every last little bolt or clip that
has to be removed. This is standard procedure and most insurers actually have
a supplement hot line that body shops can call to have an appraiser sent out to
the shop.
Some insurance companies send an appraiser out right away while other
companies can take 7-10 days. I won't get into which companies are the worst
but I will say that Progressive and Farmers are top notch! This is not a paid
endorsement it's just the painfully obvious truth. If I call Farmers they are at my
shop the next morning every time; even though their policy is within 48 hours.
Progressive is almost as fast, within 48 hours usually. Some of the other
companies won't tell you when there coming and you are at their mercy. This is
usually the longest delay in the repair process but it is the most important.
Often times we get twice as much money as the original estimate. This is very
important because without this additional money you may not be able get a
complete repair or worse you may have to pay money out of pocket.
The next issue is "deductibles." You have a contract with your insurance
company that you will pay the first $500, $1000, or whatever your deductible is,
towards the repair of your vehicle. This money is always deducted out of the
check your insurance company gives you and they leave it up to you to pay it or
find a company that will fix it for less. Essentially any company that repairs your
vehicle without requiring you to pay a deductible is giving you a "discount." This
is completely legal and in fact most PDR companies will not require you to pay
your deductible. Make sure you get any promises made to you in writing. I also
suggest you get an estimated length of repair time. At my shop we always
provide a customer with a written quote of the exact amount due for the repair
or we give the customer a guarantee in writing that we will complete the repair
for the negotiated amount the insurance company issues payment for. If we file
a supplement it is expressed that we earned that money in addition to the
original estimate. It is very important that you have written proof that you as the
customer will not have to pay more than "x" amount of dollars when your car
repair is completed. If a shop is unwilling to put their promises in writing then
you need to find a new shop!
Once you find your repair shop or PDR company, it is important that you know
where the shop is and meet the owner or manager. I know this sound's weird
but a large majority of our customers never come to my shop and meet me.
Often they are approached by one of my sales personnel and they let them pick
the car up and then deliver it back to them when it is finished without ever
coming to my shop. This is great for me but it is extremely scary to think how
easily people just hand over their keys and insurance checks. I always
recommend to my salesmen, that they suggest to their customer that they at
least come out to our shop, so they know where their car will be. It is also a
good idea to ask for references. Often times we have repaired other cars in
the neighborhood and have satisfied customers just down the street. Also; you
should check out a companies website. If they don't have one or it is poorly put
together, that may be an indicator that the company doesn't pay much attention
to detail. For a company to not have a website today is almost inexcusable!
You may also call the local better business bureau. Even if a company is not a
member, the BBB will still field complaints and keep files on companies that
receive complaints. Also; check with your insurer. They will have files on
companies that have had complaints or are suspected of fraudulent activities.
PDR is a great alternative to traditional body repair, and with a little research
and due diligence the average person can navigate the claims process and
find a great shop to repair their car, for little or no money out of pocket! For
more information on PDR visit www.dent-techs.com or just stop on in and ask
for MATT!
vehicle damaged by a hail storm you know it can be a very frustrating and
expensive experience. If you have full coverage insurance on your car it doesn't
have to be frustrating or expensive. Often people don't understand how to properly
utilize their insurance coverage and are even afraid to claim the
damage for fear that their rates will go up. This is a common fear but let me
assure you a comprehensive claim such as hail damage does not raise your
rates. In fact, if you don't claim the damage and have it repaired you risk having
any future claims being denied because of unrelated pre-existing damage.
The first thing you should do is call your insurance company and file a claim.
Write down the claim number. It is always a good idea to get the name of
everyone you talk to, as well as the adjuster's name being assigned to your
claim. The next step is the initial inspection or the "estimate." Some insurance
companies will ask you to go out and get three estimates and then fax them in. If
your insurance company asks you to jump through these hoops just politely say
NO. Ask where you need to go to have “them,” write “their,” estimate. That's it!
Do not waste your time driving around getting multiple estimates because in the
end your insurance company is just going to use those estimates as a starting
point and write their own anyway.
An estimate means just that. It is an estimate of how much money and what the
insurance company thinks it will take to repair your car. It is very important that
you clean your car before having it inspected because you will not get paid for
dents the appraiser can't see. Secondly it is extremely important that you are
as nice and as accommodating to the appraiser as you can be. It will do you no
good to argue with or be rude to the person deciding how much money your
going to get to have your car repaired.
Often when there's a large storm event, insurance companies are
overloaded with claims and they have to out source to independent appraisal
services to help write all the claims that are pouring in. This is commonly
referred to as a catastrophe team or "cat team." Now I don't think I have to tell
you that these very busy appraiser's are going to fly through your estimate as
fast as they can and will probably miss a bunch of things. You may think your
estimate looks a little low. In my line of work 90% of the estimates are written
low. I've seen estimates for $1500 on a car that had over $6000 in damage!
Don't worry, that estimate is not the final word, it is merely a starting point.
Unfortunately many people choose to keep their insurance money and never
get their car fixed. Some people even wait around until it hails again nearby
and try to claim the un-repaired damage yet again. Insurance companies lose
billions of dollars every year to fraudulent claims. It is impossible for them to
keep track of every claim and they can not force you to get your car fixed. The
only way the insurance companies can combat this is by writing their initial
estimates a little on the lighter side. I've had many appraisers tell me that their
company actually trains them to feel the customer out and if they think they
probably won't have their car repaired, to write the estimate for as little as
possible. Obviously if you have a brand new BMW you're going to get it fixed; but
if you own a 1984 Toyota Corolla with 350,000 miles on it, you are probably going to
keep the money, right?
The next step is to find a company to repair your dents. If you have large dents
with paint damage and broken windows you will probably need to find a full
service body shop. If you have mostly quarter sized dents and the damage is
just superficial then PDR is the best option. PDR, or Paintless Dent Repair is a
repair method in which the dents can be gently massaged out and the original
factory paint finish is left undisturbed. A good PDR shop can make your car look
exactly like it did before the hail damage. Most dents half dollar sized or
smaller can be removed fairly easily and quickly. In a perfect scenario your car
could be repaired in as little as a few hours. Well, the world is not perfect and
depending on your insurance company's original estimate it may take several
days to get an appraiser to come back out and re-write their estimate. This
process is known as a Supplement. Usually on the back page of your estimate
there are instructions for filing a supplement. The insurance company knows that
if a professional repair facility is doing the repair, then they are going to catch all
the dents that were missed and ask to be paid for every last little bolt or clip that
has to be removed. This is standard procedure and most insurers actually have
a supplement hot line that body shops can call to have an appraiser sent out to
the shop.
Some insurance companies send an appraiser out right away while other
companies can take 7-10 days. I won't get into which companies are the worst
but I will say that Progressive and Farmers are top notch! This is not a paid
endorsement it's just the painfully obvious truth. If I call Farmers they are at my
shop the next morning every time; even though their policy is within 48 hours.
Progressive is almost as fast, within 48 hours usually. Some of the other
companies won't tell you when there coming and you are at their mercy. This is
usually the longest delay in the repair process but it is the most important.
Often times we get twice as much money as the original estimate. This is very
important because without this additional money you may not be able get a
complete repair or worse you may have to pay money out of pocket.
The next issue is "deductibles." You have a contract with your insurance
company that you will pay the first $500, $1000, or whatever your deductible is,
towards the repair of your vehicle. This money is always deducted out of the
check your insurance company gives you and they leave it up to you to pay it or
find a company that will fix it for less. Essentially any company that repairs your
vehicle without requiring you to pay a deductible is giving you a "discount." This
is completely legal and in fact most PDR companies will not require you to pay
your deductible. Make sure you get any promises made to you in writing. I also
suggest you get an estimated length of repair time. At my shop we always
provide a customer with a written quote of the exact amount due for the repair
or we give the customer a guarantee in writing that we will complete the repair
for the negotiated amount the insurance company issues payment for. If we file
a supplement it is expressed that we earned that money in addition to the
original estimate. It is very important that you have written proof that you as the
customer will not have to pay more than "x" amount of dollars when your car
repair is completed. If a shop is unwilling to put their promises in writing then
you need to find a new shop!
Once you find your repair shop or PDR company, it is important that you know
where the shop is and meet the owner or manager. I know this sound's weird
but a large majority of our customers never come to my shop and meet me.
Often they are approached by one of my sales personnel and they let them pick
the car up and then deliver it back to them when it is finished without ever
coming to my shop. This is great for me but it is extremely scary to think how
easily people just hand over their keys and insurance checks. I always
recommend to my salesmen, that they suggest to their customer that they at
least come out to our shop, so they know where their car will be. It is also a
good idea to ask for references. Often times we have repaired other cars in
the neighborhood and have satisfied customers just down the street. Also; you
should check out a companies website. If they don't have one or it is poorly put
together, that may be an indicator that the company doesn't pay much attention
to detail. For a company to not have a website today is almost inexcusable!
You may also call the local better business bureau. Even if a company is not a
member, the BBB will still field complaints and keep files on companies that
receive complaints. Also; check with your insurer. They will have files on
companies that have had complaints or are suspected of fraudulent activities.
PDR is a great alternative to traditional body repair, and with a little research
and due diligence the average person can navigate the claims process and
find a great shop to repair their car, for little or no money out of pocket! For
more information on PDR visit www.dent-techs.com or just stop on in and ask
for MATT!
| Serving the greater Dallas / Ft Worth metro area since 2003 |
| 214-499-6330 |
Window Tinting & Paintless Dent Repair
