Damage

[Jon Greene]

While i was deployed to Iraq, a garbage truck it the front passenger fender and a little of the passenger door :banghead:



One of the good times at one point, I was a Wal-Mart had just walked back to the truck and a truck pulled up, saw the dent and they pop it out, even the door (not all of spots), put touch up paint and when done it didn't look bad, but of course they finished when the sun went down.



A few weeks later looked at the area, some of the paint had gotten dirt in it and was starting to peal in certain areas of the reworked area.



Went to a couple of body shops, one wanted over $1800, then went to the Ford body shop they were much cheaper $890 or so. Luckily once I get with insurance company to get the claim and such done, I will get the work done at the Ford body shop, I'll have to part with the Trac for almost 3 days.



Just as a notice if you get hit in any area and don't think about getting the work done by a professional body shop DO NOT GET WORK DONE BY PEOPLE SAYING THEY CAN FIX IT.

 

[Robert Caffyn]

We always get what we pay for! Nobody touches my baby unless I amm 100% guarenteed it will meet my satisfaction. BC :smack:

 

[Ryan G]

I work in a body shop at a dealership now. I am a certified auto body tech, certified painter, and estimater of which I write estimates and work with insurance companies. I've worked in both privately owned body shops and dealerships before. I CONSTANTLY hear those stories about "the guy at the gas station" or "the guy who came up to me in the parking lot". Then they come to me and ask me to fix it a few weeks or months later.



Jon, your absolutely right! I ALWAYS tell them NEVER to do buisness with those clowns, or what we call... "Lot Lizards". If you don't know any better, it may look great when they're done with it late at night in the dark. After time, like the saying goes.. you get what you paid for! Of course, when you want them to fix it, they're gone and nowhere to be found. Usually because he "does it on the side to make extra money when he's not working at a body shop". The material they use... like cement. The work they do... looks like a kindergartener just created a sculpture out of play-doh. It WILL come back and haunt you, even if you think your saving money now, you'll end up spending even more later on! Be careful with some private body shops too. There are a lot of shops that are great and do nice work, but then there are those small hole-in-the-wall shops that write a cheap estimate and do the "same work" as the good body shop down the road. Go to a reputable body shop that has a warranty. My shop has a warranty for as long as you own the vehicle. Dealerships usually don't want upset customers and don't want you calling their corporate office due to poor repairs, so keep that in mind!



Sorry to hear about that outcome Jon! It's people like you, those that serve our country, that this should NEVER happen to! Be safe!!!



P.S. Just so you all know... there is no such body shop that will "save" your deductible. Nobody will take $250, $500 or $1,000 out of their pocket because you want to save money! In return, they'll take it out of the estimate and your repairs somehow. Instead of replacing you headlamp, they will glue it back in. In stead of replacing something, they will repair it. That's how they save a few bucks here or there and give it back to you! Be careful with that! A guy I know was recently a witness in a lawsuit case where a customer was suing another body shop for poor repairs and the vehicle was unsafe. We later found out they commited insurance fraud, "saved" her deductible, and she lost all that money she spent on lawyers, recieved a poor repair, and the body shop ended up walking away with no problems or costs!

 

[Les]

Ryan, where do you work? I see you live in Sunrise and I live in Plantation.