QuestionQUESTION: i was not in the car and the party was honest in searching me out and accepted responsibility. their insurance company sent me to a preferred garage. the body guy giving the cost estimate explained that the repaired spot would not match the rest of the hood because they'd only paint the affected area and said i could pay extra to do the whole hood. you see my dilemma....lol
ANSWER: It sounds like a problem with the painting capability of the repair facility to me. Truthfully, I would have to see the damage to give a good opinion on how it should be repaired, but if it is repairable, it should still match the rest of the vehicle perfectly or at least practically perfectly. Take the vehicle to a different shop, if at all possible. Remember you are in charge of the repair, it is your car, right? Also, honest or not, the person that caused the damages owes you for them (the real reasonable cost, and nothing more). If the shop won't repair it properly or says the insurance won't pay for a proper repair, then call the insurance company and ask why. if can't be repaired back completely, then you may also have a real claim for diminished value.
I hope this helps!
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QUESTION: thanks for getting back so quickly. your answer gave me a feeling of empowerment..lol
can i determine the costs of the repair via several professional estimates and request that the insurance agency make the check out to me?
AnswerYes, you can get estimates and ask the insurance company to make the check out to you, but the insurance company doesn't have to go by your estimates, they only owe the reasonable cost of repair. Obviously, the reasonable cost would include whatever it takes as far as blending to get the repaired panel to match the rest of the vehicle.
