Wow, my Yaris got in an accident. You won't believe the situation

[Yury]

Originally Posted by A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby

^ you realize these are insurance company negotiated rates at a preferred shop, doncha ?

shop is preferred as they do great work
insurance company keeps the business flowing to preferred shops
costs half what the general public might may

around here it's just the opposite, the insurance tends to get abused by garages. i once damaged the front bumper (flying debris on the highway). normally, to refinish a bumper it's 400-500$. i think the final bill was 2 grand - bumper repaint + replacing some broken clips and a busted foglight. they kept the car for a week, sending it to a specialized shop to 're-create the texture on the bottom of the bumper', which was just plain silly. it was a grey 05 vibe for god sakes, not a lamborgini.
i could've gotten it fixed for just the deductible.

as to 'preferred shops'...these are usually likes of Carstar. not the best. the best guys are independents.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

Originally Posted by Yury

as to 'preferred shops'...these are usually likes of Carstar. not the best. the best guys are independents.

that's what this shop is. independent.

[Hamster]

A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby:

I'm a little confused now. Was that estimate you posted (with the low labor rate) written by the insurance adjuster? But you took it to a shop of your choice (rather than an insurance-preferred shop), and was the final cost more than the adjuster's estimate? Just trying to get the narrative straight. After I posted my comment, it suddenly hit me that the low labor rate you posted must've been based on the insurance-preferred shop. I just didn't feel like editing my post, though. My sister used to be an insurance adjuster for Progressive. I know through her that many body shops are willing to work for a lower rate and basically be bossed around by insurance companies in exchange for business being sent their way. An independent shop, on the other hand, is working for you, not for the insurance company.

Yury:

When you refer to "the texture at the bottom of the bumper", are you referring to orange peel? Orange peel is that texture you can see in the clearcoat when looking at it at an angle. Was there more orange peel at the bottom of the bumper as a way to reduce rock chips? To me, getting the orange peel just right is extremely important. Of course, I'm a real stickler for the paint being perfect. It wouldn't matter to me if it were a Lamborghini or a Vibe, I'd want it in precise pre-accident condition. To me, it seems that the body shop you used went the extra mile to get your car just right.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

Originally Posted by Hamster

A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby:

I'm a little confused now. Was that estimate you posted (with the low labor rate) written by the insurance adjuster? But you took it to a shop of your choice (rather than an insurance-preferred shop), and was the final cost more than the adjuster's estimate? Just trying to get the narrative straight. After I posted my comment, it suddenly hit me that the low labor rate you posted must've been based on the insurance-preferred shop. I just didn't feel like editing my post, though. My sister used to be an insurance adjuster for Progressive. I know through her that many body shops are willing to work for a lower rate and basically be bossed around by insurance companies in exchange for business being sent their way. An independent shop, on the other hand, is working for you, not for the insurance company.

Yury:

When you refer to "the texture at the bottom of the bumper", are you referring to orange peel? Orange peel is that texture you can see in the clearcoat when looking at it at an angle. Was there more orange peel at the bottom of the bumper as a way to reduce rock chips? To me, getting the orange peel just right is extremely important. Of course, I'm a real stickler for the paint being perfect. It wouldn't matter to me if it were a Lamborghini or a Vibe, I'd want it in precise pre-accident condition. To me, it seems that the body shop you used went the extra mile to get your car just right.

what ?

1) this is a shop I personally prefer
2) they do good work
3) they just happen to be on insurance company preferred shop list by coincidence
4) I dropped the car off and had it fixed, it was done right
5) that's it.