Anybody who has tried getting different estimates for an auto body repair can attest to the wild variations between estimates that he or she got. One shop may be asking for a polite $400 while another doubles it to a thousand. Why such extremes? While everybody loves their car and would love to always keep it in shape, you wouldn't be surprised by the number of individuals who decide to ride out that dent and wait before they can fix it.
So how do you ensure you get a fair deal when taking a trip to the auto body shop? The following are some basic principles that you can adhere to and ensure you get the most out of your auto body shop experience.
Good old word-of-mouth
With every body shop currently having some online reviews on different websites, it has become hard telling the good ones from the quacks. At this point, you are forced to revert to the good old word-of-mouth testimony. When selecting an auto body shop, listen to friends, relatives and even neighbors. Everyone has had a good experience somewhere and a bad one elsewhere. These are reliable and will point you to the right direction instead of the trial and error game you were about to ensue.
Shop location and expenses
A busy auto body shop with diligent looking staff and many neatly organized offices is good right? Wrong! Most of such places charge an hourly rate to cover the expenses for the entire busy body operation. In such a location, the charges may be unnecessarily high yet the quality of work you are receiving may have as well been done in some small shabby looking body shop. The idea is, always observe the surroundings of the operation. Sure, you may have enjoyed that cup of coffee while waiting for your car but you paid for it tenfold.
Go for mechanics that do things by the book. Those whose hours on different auto body works are well estimated, displayed, and executed! This way, you are not charged too much because the body shop has air conditioning.
Parts, spares and more parts
In many instances, the cost of auto body repairs is driven up by parts. Some mechanics fix the same part and pretend they had to buy a new one. Others buy aftermarket parts or second hand parts and then claim to have installed original, new parts. Be keen. Be that nagging customer who wants to touch everything and see every act. It actually costs less than minding your own business! (For more information on auto body shops, contact a company such as Collision One)
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