insurance problem.....?

kei169 · 10-04-2009, 04:45 PM

Hi everyone,

I got hit in the side, the front passenger side's door got totally damaged!
first of all, i wanna know,
Do their insureance company pay me by the estimation i got from MY body shop since i only trust my body shop?
what if the estimation exceed their estimation, any negotiation area?
I am in Bay Area, CA, maybe this could matter....

Any comments/thoughts are welcomed!

Thanks in advance,
Kei

crazed792 · 10-04-2009, 05:39 PM

In my experience, the insurance company will probably have a preferred list, but they also have an approved list of people you can take you car to, which will be pretty open. The body shop works with the insurance adjuster to come up with an agreed upon amount for the repair. Then you just pay your deductible. If your favorite shop doesn't work with insurance then you might be out of luck, but my guess is in that case they're overpriced anyway.

kei169 · 10-04-2009, 09:12 PM

thanks guys!

I am thinking of getting the car towed over to the place i want, and let the body shop negotiate with the insurance company. Another thing came up, what if the car was salvaged, do i get a chance to decide not to let them repair them and take a check for the market price of my car right away?

wasup1357 · 10-04-2009, 09:36 PM

i think you dun get to choose if the car is salvaged or not

rambalu80 · 10-05-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasup1357

i think you dun get to choose if the car is salvaged or not

+1. The insurance company decides if it would be salvaged, usually happens if the cost of the repair exceeds 50-75% (varies) of the current value of the car.

bbq · 10-05-2009, 12:02 PM

I am pretty sure in CA you have the right to choose your own body shop. It is part of the 'California Motorists Bill of Rights'. Your insurance company isn't even suppose to suggest a shop without your permission, let along forcing you to their approved ones.

The only difference is that if you go to one of their approved ones, they probably dont need to send an adjuster to the shop, so the estimate will be approved faster.

They do have the right to "adjust" the estimate if they don't think the charge is reasonable. It's up to you to work it out with the shop and the insurance to agree on something.

10-04-2009, 04:45 PM	#1
kei169 Captain 23 Rep 735 Posts Drives: e90 325i Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (5)	insurance problem.....? Hi everyone, I got hit in the side, the front passenger side's door got totally damaged! first of all, i wanna know, Do their insureance company pay me by the estimation i got from MY body shop since i only trust my body shop? what if the estimation exceed their estimation, any negotiation area? I am in Bay Area, CA, maybe this could matter.... Any comments/thoughts are welcomed! Thanks in advance, Kei
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10-04-2009, 05:39 PM	#2
crazed792 Captain 16 Rep 616 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: SL,UT iTrader: (2) Garage List 2007 328i [0.00]	In my experience, the insurance company will probably have a preferred list, but they also have an approved list of people you can take you car to, which will be pretty open. The body shop works with the insurance adjuster to come up with an agreed upon amount for the repair. Then you just pay your deductible. If your favorite shop doesn't work with insurance then you might be out of luck, but my guess is in that case they're overpriced anyway. __________________
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10-04-2009, 09:12 PM	#3
kei169 Captain 23 Rep 735 Posts Drives: e90 325i Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (5)	thanks guys! I am thinking of getting the car towed over to the place i want, and let the body shop negotiate with the insurance company. Another thing came up, what if the car was salvaged, do i get a chance to decide not to let them repair them and take a check for the market price of my car right away?
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10-04-2009, 09:36 PM	#4
wasup1357 First Lieutenant 27 Rep 391 Posts Drives: E90 325i Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SoCal iTrader: (9)	i think you dun get to choose if the car is salvaged or not
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10-05-2009, 12:02 PM	#6
bbq Private First Class 33 Rep 119 Posts Drives: 328xi Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere out there iTrader: (0)	I am pretty sure in CA you have the right to choose your own body shop. It is part of the 'California Motorists Bill of Rights'. Your insurance company isn't even suppose to suggest a shop without your permission, let along forcing you to their approved ones. The only difference is that if you go to one of their approved ones, they probably dont need to send an adjuster to the shop, so the estimate will be approved faster. They do have the right to "adjust" the estimate if they don't think the charge is reasonable. It's up to you to work it out with the shop and the insurance to agree on something.
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