rdilliker

They couldn't give me an estimate yet because they want to pop the hood and see if there is any damage there, but the hood won't open . For now, the estimate is "thousands" until they get a chance tomorrow to look at it in more detail. Liberty Mutual(LM) wants me to bring it to their drive-in appraisal center but I'm going to try to make them come to the body shop.

As for how it happened, some old dude in an Acura wanted to make a left onto totten pond road and he was coming out of an office park so he had a stop sign. The woman in front of me in the charger from NY thought the guy was trying to come into traffic and she freaked out and slammed the brakes and you can probably guess what followed. She stopped like 6 feet in front of the road he was on. Surprisingly her Charger didn't have any noticeable damage except some scratches on her rear bumper, but my B5 didn't do as well.

rdilliker

That's the last thing on my mind right now, but maybe .

DxC

doesnt sound like a big deal though. i hated myself for a while for rearending someone on i95 (at 10-20mph) ... its just some cash out of my pocket no one was hurt, cars get fixed ... the damage to my ego will eventually subside .. or will it?

JoeS4

there to see it. PERIOD. Under no circumstances should you go to their drive-in center. Again, it's all about keeping the ball in your court.

JoeS4

I rear ended someone once. The damage to your ego never quite heals fully.

ArchitecTT

When somebody jacked into the TT, I made a claim directly with the other drivers insurance (Commerce) as she was 100% at fault and I didn't even want the potential stink of a pass-through claim hitting my insurance.

Per their instructions, I took it into the Commerce adjuster and he gave me an apparaisal for what ended up being about 20% of what Dicks cost to fix it. Commerce sent me a check within 24hrs for the laugher amount which I then handed over to Dicks and Frank took it from there. I think he had their adjuster out about three times in the next 5 weeks (they had the car for 9)to haggle about one thing or another, but I never had to get involved and I never paid anything to Dicks.

FinallyS5

If the car needs to be, or is close to being totalled... He will, Frank doesnt play around, but prepared to be gone from your B5 for a while.

s6v10

alexdifeo@gmail.com

I know a lot about the subject. Insurance company preferred means that the shop has a contract with the insurance company, which means low hourly rates, and the shop is working really for the insurance company, NOT for you. Shops want to be on insurance company referral lists so they stay busy, it's making a deal with the devil, they live the volume, but not the low rates paid. The only way they make money is to either cut corners, or get paid 5 hours for something, and do it in 2.

Ideally you should be the only person talking to the insurance company, not the shop. It takes some time on your part, but at least you know corners will not be cut. Insurance companies have a responsibility to restore your car to "pre-loss" condition. There is nothing in Mass insurance law which states that labor rates have to be fixed by insurers. Even if the insurer tells you they won't pay the shop rate, they will when push comes to shove. I have gotten insurance companies to pay $80/hr for body work.

rdilliker

since by my understanding that would mean the repairs would cost more than the value of the car. It's an 05 A4 1.8T quattro fully loaded, but Frank will get the actual estimate for me tomorrow. He said 4-5 weeks and after driving the rental today I already miss the B5.

rdilliker

Yeah, the appraiser is going to show up at Dick's.