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Lidtke Motors Blog

Are they really 'Waiving the Deductible'?

August 17th, 2012
I would also warn you about shops that will tell consumers they can “cover your deductible” from their insurance claim, which is typically about $500.  They might cut corners on the repair or over charge on the estimate to cover the cost. That money has to come from somewhere. Even if they say they will cover part of the deductible remember a body shop is a business, and like any other business, they can’t afford not to charge for work that is being done on your vehicle.  Be cautious if a body shop says they will waive the deductible. Does the shop offer a written warranty?  A one year warranty should
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Insurance Deductible

What Parts Will Be Used On My Body Repair?

April 17th, 2012
I have talked about parts before but hadn’t defined some of the questions you need to ask.  Parts can vary widely to what will be used on your vehicle. The repair shop could use OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), Automotive Aftermarket, Reconditioned original Equipment and Used parts. Usually with a one to two year old vehicle, parts will be replaced with new or OEM parts.  Your son’s nine year old car will receive used or aftermarket parts.  We have had clients where their insurance company provides aftermarket parts as part of their policy but will allow the customer to upgrade to OEM and pay the difference.  The cost can be minimal in
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Car Part
New Parts
OEM Parts
Used Parts

Additional Items to be aware of when getting an Estimate!

January 31st, 2012
After the last post was published I thought of a couple more things to be aware of when getting an estimate to repair your vehicle. You’ve probably heard it before, where you have been told to get several estimates.  I will say again, you can take your vehicle to the shop of your choosing.  Now, I’m not saying the low estimate would be missing something or the higher estimate will give you a better repair. If the insurance company is paying for the repair, which estimate do you think the insurance company would choose?  If  you do get a couple of estimates though, make sure you compare estimates equally, especially
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Estimate

Body Shop Estimate Process

January 22nd, 2012
At this point you have probably narrowed the search down to one or two body shop repair facilities.  The task now comes of getting an estimate for the repairs.  Remember that you can take or have your vehicle towed, if not drivable, to the body shop of your choice. This is your vehicle and you need to clearly communicate what you expect to be repaired.  Body shops want to get the job done right, the first time. With an insurance claim, damage unrelated to the specific accident will not be covered.  The body shop will be glad to repair any additional dings, dents and scrapes but those will need to
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Estimate

Check Online for a Body Shop

January 14th, 2012
So you just moved to the area and you haven’t built a relationship with a repair shop yet and you are not quite sure who your insurance agent is yet. The last option would be to use the internet or yellow pages to find a body shop repair facility. Some points to consider. On average, about 68 million Americans will go online daily Over 38 million people who go online use a search engine such as, Google, Yahoo and Bing. In the USA alone, there are 2.2 billion Web searches each month with the intent of finding local businesses or services. This is a very simple process to use. For example, you can
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Compare Body Shops

Couple Ways to Find the Right Body Shop

January 3rd, 2012
Still looking to find a body shop to repair your vehicle? So you’ve checked with your technician or shop that works on your vehicle and with friends or neighbors. Your next person to check with is your insurance agent. It is your auto insurance company that, more than likely, will eventually pay the claim so it makes sense to ask them for a list of reliable local repair shops that they have worked with. Auto body repair shops that work with insurance companies are typically deemed to be the best in terms of professionalism, quality of service and pricing. These shops can also be a good advocate for you when dealing
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Compare Body Shops

How Long Will it Take To Do The Body Repair?

December 28th, 2011
The last few articles we have talked about almost everything leading up to getting your vehicle in the body shop.  Most often repairs will be non-emergency things like a scuffed bumper or a scratch or a crease down the side of the vehicle.  The body shop will order the parts and schedule you for an appointment. What if you just hit a deer or a car pulled out in front of you and your car is not drivable.  Let’s compress all the information that I have previously discussed in recent articles into one or two days. Let’s say you’ve done your homework and you know exactly where you will be taking
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Estimate

I just had an accident!

November 18th, 2011
Your thinking, “Where am I going to go to get the work done on my car?” “I keep my car maintained for mechanical repairs all the time but I don’t know the first thing about how to make the right choice for body repair. I need it fixed ASAP, but where?” Some of you maybe had an accident recently or a few years ago; some of you maybe never.  I’m going to give you some tips on how to choose a body shop all the way to the delivery of your repaired vehicle. I would be worth your time to do a little research before you have an accident. 
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
After an Accident

Will I have A Loaner During the Repair?

July 12th, 2011
In the past couple of months I have talked about some of the details of your estimate that you received from the body shop repair facility you have chosen.    So what will you do now for transportation while your vehicle is being repaired?  Do you have rental coverage on your insurance policy?  If so the insurance company will arrange for a vehicle for you.  You can also rent from the shop that has your vehicle and they will take care of the billing to the insurance company for you so there is no out of pocket expense for you. What we are finding today is that most consumers do not
Tags:
Body Shop
Car Accident
Car Repair
Loaner
Rental Cars
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