Damn insurance (panels not lining up)
02-01-2005, 07:59 PM
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Damn insurance problem Ok, about three months ago i accidentally lost control a bit on the freeway onramp and the car went off the side of the road. Drove through water and was really cold, no good for the Nittos. Didnt even see the water, early morning and tired. But anyway, i just sent my car back to the repair shop for the third time, none of the panels line up right. The hood, headlights, fender, driverside door, and bumper are all gapped wrong and they are telling me that its a common GM trait. Also, the one that is pissing me off the most, on the interior i have equal length cracks, at the exact same spot on opposite doors. On the inside plastic molding under the windows. The guy at progressive said its because someone removed the door panels and the clips are broken, so now the clips arent working and it craqcked and i just didnt notice it. The cracks are like 1/4" long. I would have definately noticed them. So it appears they are gonna try and weasel there way out of fixing them. Anyone have any info or suggestions that might help me get these guys to fix this correctly. I already told them to check out another WS6.
Oh and FYI on the accident. I ended up going off of the road. It was about a 5-6 foot difference from top to bottom. So my car hit face first and it cracked the front bumper and a couple other parts. But no damage to the fog lights, hood, and airbags didnt pop. Thank you for any information you can get and help me out with.
Oh and FYI on the accident. I ended up going off of the road. It was about a 5-6 foot difference from top to bottom. So my car hit face first and it cracked the front bumper and a couple other parts. But no damage to the fog lights, hood, and airbags didnt pop. Thank you for any information you can get and help me out with.
02-01-2005, 08:38 PM
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First, hire an attorney. Explain your situation, see what case you have against the shop, then begin the rest of your communication with that shop through that attorney. This provides a paper trail and lets them know that you are not ******* around.
Then, I would stick to your guns and share with them that this is NOT a common F Bod trait but an example of poor repair work, and that if they cannot complete the repairs as outlined and promised/contracted this will continue further into a legal action. A good attorney will be quick to point out that this can be construed as failing to provide services as promised and contracted and a failure to follow through with the contract; this is fraud if they promised and contracted the repairs are to done to customer satisfaction and then fail to do so knowingly/intentionally.
Document EVERYTHING in writing. That is never done enough.
Don't be a dick about it, but stand firm and let them know that you won't be played with and expect the repairs to be completed to your satisfaction, not theirs. Having an attorney asap involved will get their attention; everyone says their going to get a lawyer, very few do, and actions speak volumes more than words of anger ever will.
Have you paid them everything yet? If not, withhold payment until they make right.
If you have, then they may be able to use payment in full as a way to show completion of the work as promised virtue of you paying and picking up the car.
Any warranty on the work? If a repair shop does not offer a warranty on the repair work, give them the finger and walk away fast. A reputable shop will stand behind their work everytime.
Then I would run the hell away form Progressive Insurance ASAP; they suck asphalt and are easily one of the worst insurance companies in the country IMO.
I made a body shop repaint a car three separate times and called them on bs like gaps inbetween a fender and door on a car of mine; amazingly, they fixed it correctly. Never pay someone in full to do work on your car until it is completed to your satisfaction.
Just my opinion and what I have actually done in the past to ensure I wasn't fucked and it worked....
Then, I would stick to your guns and share with them that this is NOT a common F Bod trait but an example of poor repair work, and that if they cannot complete the repairs as outlined and promised/contracted this will continue further into a legal action. A good attorney will be quick to point out that this can be construed as failing to provide services as promised and contracted and a failure to follow through with the contract; this is fraud if they promised and contracted the repairs are to done to customer satisfaction and then fail to do so knowingly/intentionally.
Document EVERYTHING in writing. That is never done enough.
Don't be a dick about it, but stand firm and let them know that you won't be played with and expect the repairs to be completed to your satisfaction, not theirs. Having an attorney asap involved will get their attention; everyone says their going to get a lawyer, very few do, and actions speak volumes more than words of anger ever will.
Have you paid them everything yet? If not, withhold payment until they make right.
If you have, then they may be able to use payment in full as a way to show completion of the work as promised virtue of you paying and picking up the car.
Any warranty on the work? If a repair shop does not offer a warranty on the repair work, give them the finger and walk away fast. A reputable shop will stand behind their work everytime.
Then I would run the hell away form Progressive Insurance ASAP; they suck asphalt and are easily one of the worst insurance companies in the country IMO.
I made a body shop repaint a car three separate times and called them on bs like gaps inbetween a fender and door on a car of mine; amazingly, they fixed it correctly. Never pay someone in full to do work on your car until it is completed to your satisfaction.
Just my opinion and what I have actually done in the past to ensure I wasn't fucked and it worked....
02-01-2005, 10:52 PM
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Unfortunately i didnt hire these idiots, they are a choice of progressive. And i did pay the deductible already. I guess thats two strikes against me. And finally a lawyer is a bit expensive. So that is pretty much out. Now you said that those arent common F-Body traits. I wonder if there is an example of this anywhere. I can tell you that i wont be accepting it until they get it right. I dont want a half *** looking trans am back. I love my car and want it back as it was before and as they told me it would be. I think i have a racing video of mine that shows the door plastics ok, but im pretty sure it wouldnt be a good idea to show them the race video. Any other suggestions or info to give me a hand. Oh and progressive is definately done after this. Do not like them one bit. The shop couldnt even work on my exhaust being bent, because i have magnaflow and a cut-out, idiots...
02-02-2005, 12:09 PM
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In Texas, you have the right to take your car to whomever YOU choose.
I agree that Progressive is one of the WORST insurance companies out there. Our shop is about to start refusing jobs paid by progressive. They don't pay for anything and it's not the shops fault. Shop will only fix what the insurance company pays to have fixed.
I agree that Progressive is one of the WORST insurance companies out there. Our shop is about to start refusing jobs paid by progressive. They don't pay for anything and it's not the shops fault. Shop will only fix what the insurance company pays to have fixed.
02-02-2005, 06:07 PM
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Yeah, im not a big fan of progressive anymore either. They did give me a choice of shops, but i didnt think it was gonna be this much of a problem, i expected it to be fixed and done with.
02-02-2005, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Teri9672
In Texas, you have the right to take your car to whomever YOU choose.
I agree that Progressive is one of the WORST insurance companies out there. Our shop is about to start refusing jobs paid by progressive. They don't pay for anything and it's not the shops fault. Shop will only fix what the insurance company pays to have fixed.
I agree that Progressive is one of the WORST insurance companies out there. Our shop is about to start refusing jobs paid by progressive. They don't pay for anything and it's not the shops fault. Shop will only fix what the insurance company pays to have fixed.
We have a problem with American Family. Their initial estimates for hail are usually about 30% of what it'd cost to actually repair the vehicle.
02-02-2005, 07:54 PM
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That's why you as the customer get to decide who will do the repair work, and it does not have to be one of their "approved" shops, just who you are comfortable with doing the work and trust. I will never let a dealership work on my car at all, regardless of what needs to be done. TSP is the only shop I will trust with my car mechanically. All other work is done by me personally eccept for body work which is done by a shop that has a good rep.
As for body shops, once I let a dealer do the paint work on my car when it was involved in a dust storm and had pits in the paint from 70 mile per hour winds, and had to have them redo it several times. I was very persisitant with them and at one point told them straight out, "if it isn't done right the next time to my expectations, you will continue to redo it until it is correct or I will take it somewhere else and you will not see a cent, so you might as well take the time to do it right. No games, no issues, no excuses."
I wasn't unrealistic about needed to be done but I didn't settle for half *** either. I don't buy any bs that any repair shop tries to pass to me either, you can either do it right or I will take it somewhere else and you lose the payment altogether.
Most shops are standup people who know what their doing, do it very well, and follow through with the work as agreed upon, but theres always those few who make everyone else look like ****.
This is where we as consumers must take the time to research these insurance companies and repair shops and listen to those who have good and bad experiences with them. I have never heard a good thing about Progressive and a couple of others, so when they call and say they will save me money, I tell them to get bent. Farmers has followed through hands down with no issues what so ever and will continue to get my business until they **** up.
As for body shops, once I let a dealer do the paint work on my car when it was involved in a dust storm and had pits in the paint from 70 mile per hour winds, and had to have them redo it several times. I was very persisitant with them and at one point told them straight out, "if it isn't done right the next time to my expectations, you will continue to redo it until it is correct or I will take it somewhere else and you will not see a cent, so you might as well take the time to do it right. No games, no issues, no excuses."
I wasn't unrealistic about needed to be done but I didn't settle for half *** either. I don't buy any bs that any repair shop tries to pass to me either, you can either do it right or I will take it somewhere else and you lose the payment altogether.
Most shops are standup people who know what their doing, do it very well, and follow through with the work as agreed upon, but theres always those few who make everyone else look like ****.
This is where we as consumers must take the time to research these insurance companies and repair shops and listen to those who have good and bad experiences with them. I have never heard a good thing about Progressive and a couple of others, so when they call and say they will save me money, I tell them to get bent. Farmers has followed through hands down with no issues what so ever and will continue to get my business until they **** up.
