Got a new eatimate

So when we took this to the body shop that State Farm sent us to,they came back with an estimate of $8054.
We took it to the shop that gets all the business around here anyway,without being on State Farm's "preferred" list.
She said she was going to estimate it a little high by figuring a new side for the box instead of repairing the fiberglass damage,but that could change after an adjuster looks at it. Said if the adjuster tells them to just repair the fiberglass that's what they'll do,so it will be less.
The new estimate from them? $1884.

That's more like it.

Didn't read the other thread, so it may have already been brought up, but methinks there is a little "kickback" action going on between the other shop and the local State Farm office. Especially since Outrageous Body and Fender is the only one on their list.

Big cost difference.The first company might be smoking something illegal.

Vito

I have been following this from the beginning.
The main thing, will you be "made whole" at the end.

I don't like these "preferred body shop" stories.

Many years ago, my son wrecked my '82 Ford pickup. I took it to the "preferred body shop" for one of the estimates. It was different than your situation - their estimate was way below what the other two shops estimated, so they did the repair work. First time I shut the hood after getting it out of the shop, the hood creased across the center ridge. It was either made of thinner metal, or short some bracing, and I think it may have been foreign made too. I haven't had need of a body shop since then, thank God, so I don't know how things are done in this modern world. If I ever have any more body work done, I'm certainly gonna ask more questions than I did the last time.

State Farm has a long standing reputation of making agreements with body shops to give them all of their business--and then using that as leverage to dictate to the body shop how the work was to be done.

That being said, our daughter in Falls Church, VA got into a fender bender with her '13 Hyundai Veloster on her way to a Super Bowl party. Unfortunately, it was her fault. She has insurance with Geico, and apparently at that location the adjuster and body shop were all in the same building. She just dropped her car off, they gave her a loaner, and they fixed her car. She reported it to the leasing company, since it's a leased vehicle, but they didn't seem too concerned as long as it wasn't totaled.

Now, remember I said she was on her way to a Super Bowl party? She had a gallon jug of Southern Comfort punch on the passenger seat. The punch got dumped onto the floor. Nobody picked up on it at the scene of the accident, (she hadn't yet partaken), but the aroma is still lingering in the car. She even took it to a detail shop and that didn't help. Guess it will wear off in time, particularly with warm weather if she can let the windows partly open.

I was thinking the same thing; some serious palm grease being used by that shop

Here's another rub. The wife said that shop number one,the $8000 shop,called this afternoon. Shop number two had said they'd get that estimate faxed right out to State Farm. I don't know if State Farm got it and called shop number one to say WTF? or what,but they gave her some line about how State Farm wanted us to make an appointment within 24 hours or some such crap. Said they needed to know so they could call SF. She told them no,she'd call SF. They insisted that they would,she said she'd do it and hung up on him.

Me thinks you caught a rat randy!! A little push and heads will roll. Maybe a phone call to the dept of insurance in your state will start the ball rolling.

That"s the problem Vito.

Its not illegal in Michigan any more.

Rick

Goose, sounds like the detail shop and the body shop needs to do a little homework. A few years ago my daughter's Mustang caught fire around one of the rear speakers and you know how that makes one smell!
The body shop at the dealership where I worked did the repairs which involved replacing most of the upholstery and seats. They removed the carpet and cleaned it in the detail dept. I don't know what they used, some kind of shampoo, but it never did smell when she got it back. Just my two nnalert.

I have all my work done at a"preferred" body shop. When I worked at the local Ford dealership the body shop manager and I became good friends, he is one of the best in the business. He operates his own shop now, and I still "prefer" he do my repairs than anyone else.

Good or bad, you should have final say on where you get it fixed.