Some of the biggest questions people run into have to do with getting their vehicles repaired. Many times people are confused and don’t know how to choose the right auto body shop. What process should I follow to choose the right vehicle repair shop? What questions should I consider?
What value do I get for my auto body repair?
The most important question in determining which auto body repair shops is: What value do I get by repairing my vehicle here? Many body shops are looking for unsuspecting customers and ways to increase their budget. Many times auto body shops will offer the lowest price because they know this will attract customers. Unfortunately, from the customer’s point of view, choosing the lowest price is not always the way to go.
Daniel T., vice president of National Auto Parts, in Dallas, Texas, agrees that doing this will only create more car problems in the future. “Fixing your vehicle is always about what you get back. These days, body shops continue to push the limits of their customers to see how much more they can get away with. At this point, the body shop knows exactly what you are doing. Does the customer need to know better?
What can I do to protect myself?
One solution that has gained a lot of traction recently is to hire a third party to help you in this area. There are some good car accident consultants who will help you figure out what is being put into your vehicle and how the vehicle is being repaired. When searching for a good car accident consultant, it is imperative to select one that provides you with a lot of information about the repair and the product being used. Using these specialists provides visibility into an area with many questions.
Another way is to look for a detailed report of the work done on the vehicle and review the guarantee offered by the workshop. When you have an accident, each insurance gives you a damage assessment, take a look at the sheets and read to see what product they have listed for you to use. From time to time, body shops will try to use cheaper parts to make more money. Requesting to use what is listed in your insurance assessment is not unusual and will help protect against this. As far as warranties go, most legitimate auto body shops will have a comprehensive warranty and stand behind their work.
Where should I look for the body shop?
Driving to nice off-road auto body repair shops can be convenient, but doing this often increases the price of the job. “All businesses have costs, and they are there to make money. With this assumption, you have to believe that any costs a business incurs will be passed on to their consumer,” says Daniel. Getting off the freeway and looking more into the city gives any prospective client a better chance of keeping labor costs down. Hourly labor prices can vary wildly from $30 to $100 for the same type of labor. Don’t misunderstand that the store may not look the best, but you can be sure that going this route will provide you with good value for money.
