Collision Repair Estimate In Baton Rouge: 4 Questions To Ask

Editor's note: This post was originally published on September 15, 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and relevance.

When choosing a body shop after an accident, you don’t have the luxury of having a lot of time to mull your options. You want your car fixed and back on the road as soon as possible. But, hasty decisions at the outset could lead to your car being out of commission longer than it needs to be. That’s why we have put together 4 questions to ask when getting a collision repair estimate in Baton Rouge.

Does your damage exceed your insurance deductible?

It is important to know if the damage exceeds your deductible because it determines how much money you will need “out of pocket” to pay for the damage. For some, if the total is low enough, they try to avoid getting the insurance involved. The reason they do this is a claim on your insurance could lead to higher premiums. Most of the time the damage will exceed the deductible. This doesn’t make the question moot. You still need to know where you stand in terms of what you will owe. If you don’t have enough money on hand to cover what you owe, open a dialogue with the body shop to discuss options.

Does the body shop use OEM parts?

We at Medines can’t stress this question enough. When it comes to fixing your car, refurbished or remanufactured parts are simply unacceptable. If the shop providing the estimate tries to tell you that the aftermarket parts they offer will save you money, or if they say there’s no difference between aftermarket and original equipment manufactured parts, this should send up a red flag for you. You need your car to be fixed right the first time, and aftermarket parts can’t do that to the level of OEM parts.

What kind of warranty does the body shop offer?

When seeking an estimate for damage to your vehicle, you want to know that the shop working on your vehicle stands behind the work they do. At Medines we do take that stand. We offer a written lifetime warranty on body work. We also offer a written warranty on refinish work and corrosion protection. If your insurance company tells you that you have to use one of their “preferred shops” or else they can’t guarantee the work; you should know going in that it isn’t the insurance company that provides that warranty. The body shop is responsible for the work they do.

What is the reputation of the shop working on your vehicle?

Ask around. Do some research on-line. Get to know the body shop's reputation. If you receive an estimate that seems too good to be true, it likely is. Sadly, there are shops out there that offer a great looking estimate up front, then find things along the way that cause a serious gap between the initial estimate and your final bill. Granted, once your deductible is reached, these costs fall back on the insurance company, but if you are dealing with a shop that has a less than stellar reputation, you could end up with a situation where your car takes much longer to repair because of the labor involved in everything they have added on.

 Asking these questions from the start can go a long way towards getting a collision repair estimate in Baton Rouge that you can agree to and get you started on the road to getting your car back. If you have any concerns about an estimate you have received, give us a call at Medines and we will be happy to walk you through it.