Spending money to repair a damaged vehicle is never anyone’s first choice. However, if you do your research, you can find an auto body repair shop that could potentially save you money in the long run. Follow these five tips and finding that collision repair service will be easy.
Know Your Insurance Policy- What’s covered and what’s not?
Surprisingly most Americans are unaware what their auto insurances coverage. They know the monthly premium they pay and that’s it. However, there is much more to know about your auto insurance policy than what you pay once a month. Things you may want to look into with your policy include your deductible, declaration page, comprehensive coverage and collision coverage. 
Once you are familiar with your auto coverage, it will make shopping around for an auto body Salt Lake City, shop much easier. Often times your auto insurance agent may offer you a list of preapproved collision repair shops to take your vehicle to…this is not always your best option. It may save you time… but frequently these preapproved repair shops only receive a set negotiated rate and will take short cuts when it comes to your repair.
It’s ok to get several cost estimates! This will save you money and assure the job gets done RIGHT!
It’s in your best interest to get more than one cost estimate. It’s fairly easy to do too…go online and search, auto body repair Salt Lake City, call three or four to set up a time for them to look at your vehicle. Most auto body shops offer free estimates anyway. It’s important to take good notes at your first visit so you know what to compare at other repair shops. Things they will most likely tell you are the repairs needed, as well as the cost of parts and their services.
Nothing gets done unless you say…
Once you’ve chosen your repair shop it’s important to let them know that no work should be done until you’ve authorized it first. It’s also important to keep your initial estimate with you when you go in to pay for your repair. Look over your final bill and make sure everything matches the initial estimate. It should look identical, if not then something is wrong and you need to address the error. It’s ok to speak up about it!
Uneccesary Insurance Policy Warranties
Many insurance agencies offer incentives to shop within a certain network and many times it comes in the form of warranties. Many companies may offer a warranty on replacement parts; however this warranty isn’t really necessary. Most collision repair shops already guarantee their work and manufacturers guarantee their parts. If you agree to pay for an extra warranty, you are wasting your money.
Rental Car?
It’s important to clarify whether or not your insurance will allow a rental car during the time it takes to get your car repaired. Auto body repairs often take longer than expected and if your policy grants the use of a rental, take advantage of it!
Many of these tips you may have heard before, but it’s important to be aware and to do your research before anything gets done or your repair. If you are informed, you’ll be able to make wiser decisions. Good luck with your fix! Hopefully it’s a good learning experience.