Frustrating Repair Experience

[BeauxXL1200]

Thought I'd chime in.

First, sorry to hear about the accident and your bad experience with the body shop, Archaica.

I have a thread on here about my recent accident and experience with the at fault party's insurance company and the body shop that repaired my car.

In short, a lady backed into Ruby while she was parked and I was inside a FedEx facility.

The lady's insurance is Geico, and I've been well pleased with how they've treated me regarding the repairs. I'm in the process of making a diminished value claim, and we'll see how they handle that portion of the damages that I suffered as a result of their inattentive insured.

The body shop that I used was fantastic. A friend recommended them and he couldn't have been more correct about how good they are. The shop is Berli's Body and Fine Auto Finishes in Pflugerville, Texas. They are certified to repair high end cars like Bentley, Mercedes, Aston Martin, etc.

I had to wait a month for them to even take my car, and they had the car for almost a month for the repairs. The right rear quarter panel and rear bumper had to be replaced, and the costs of repairs came in at a little over $8,000.

But boy did they do a bang up job. See the pics below. I've had people look the car over after I've told them the car has been recently repaired, with a major body panel having been replaced, but no one has been able to tell where the damage was located. The paint match is flawless.

So, my advice to anyone is to find, if possible, a high end body shop in your area that is certified to repair high end cars. Bentley and other high end car manufacturers don't hand out those certifications to just any body shop.

Hope you get this worked out, Archaica.

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[x_man586]

Hold on guys. I work for a bodyshop and we are preferred for State Farm, USAA, Farmers, and Allstate. The customer still has the last say. Being a preferred shop means that they don't question our estimates. We want to make the most money off of a repair which means fixing everything we can.

 

[archaica]

My factory fit was flawless, which is what makes this even more galling, having dodged the bullet that so many here have described.

Also, in the sunlight, I've found that the paint on the bumper does not match. It's a flatter, darker green that lacks the metallic flecks of the original Guard Metallic color. I have before and after high-res photos that definitely show the difference; sadly something in this forum is not letting me post them.

Thanks to all for your condolences. I have called my insurance company and informed them that they will be paying for a fix to this. The only question now is whether I take it to the Ford dealership I bought it from, or to a body shop I'll ask my mechanic, whom I trust, to recommend. I've learned my lesson when it comes to using the shop the insurance company partners with.

 

[SStormtrooPer]

Yep, I work in the insurance industry. Not auto, but property, and the principals are the same. The point of the insurance company is to indemnify you after a loss. You need to be made exactly how you were before the loss.

Contrary to popular belief(and a belief I held prior to working in the industry), the insurance industry is not out to get you.

They used their shop, now it is your turn to find the one you want to use and get it done right.

 

[The Great Gazoo]

I was rear-ended two months after having my car. It was a slow impact but still messed up my bumper and the trim panel underneath it. The body shop I used did a great job - cannot tell the difference between the factory paint and the repaired and repainted bumper. I was worried that with a Ingot Silver car, that the finish might be off, but it is perfect. The alignment of the panels came back BETTER than factory. The body shop said all the guys were gushing over my car - they all wanted to make sure it was perfect. And it only took them two days.

Hope the OP gets it resolved to their satisfaction.

 

[archaica]

Yep, I work in the insurance industry. Not auto, but property, and the principals are the same. The point of the insurance company is to indemnify you after a loss. You need to be made exactly how you were before the loss.

Contrary to popular belief(and a belief I held prior to working in the industry), the insurance industry is not out to get you.

They used their shop, now it is your turn to find the one you want to use and get it done right.

Hah, thanks. I have a couple friends in the industry who've been giving me the cheat codes to use to induce the action I want. I think it'll all work out all right.

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