Your Choice

3 Reasons Why Your Choice of Body Shop Matters

3 Reasons Why Your Body Shop Choice Matters

These are some pretty big reasons!

The 3 Big Reasons Why Your Choice of Body Shop Matters

After a collision, the insurance company paying for the repairs will recommend that you take your vehicle to one of the body shops on their list of “preferred shops”. You can choose to go to one of those shops or you can choose to take your vehicle to a shop you prefer. It’s important that you trust the shop you choose because they will be fixing your vehicle for you, not for the insurance company.
Why should you worry if the shop is trustworthy? Won’t the insurance company handle that? In a perfect world, yes. But in today’s world consumers need to protect themselves. The example below highlights how a situation could play out if a consumer doesn’t take the time to exercise their rights.

A CAUTIONARY TALE

A late model Honda with a Lane Assist is in a minor collision with another vehicle. The damage seems cosmetic: just scrapes on the front bumper. The owner of the Honda takes his vehicle to a body shop recommended by the insurance company paying for the repairs. The Honda is repaired quickly and looks fine. But afterwards the Lane Assist cuts in and out when he drives it, something that never happened before the collision. The owner contacts the body shop and they refer him to the insurance company. The insurance company tells him their involvement ended when they paid for the vehicle repair.

Not being involved in the choice of body shop has had a real impact on this consumer’s safety. Now he can’t trust his Lane Assist when he drives. He’ll have to spend more to have the repair fixed or try to make the body shop fix it, affecting his wallet. And he’s left feeling betrayed and unsupported by the businesses he trusted, heavily affecting his peace of mind.

Cautionary Body Shop Tips

Don't let this happen to you!

HOW TO CHOOSE FOR TRUST

Exercising your right to make a body shop choice will protect your safety, wallet and peace of mind, but how can you be sure the body shop you choose is trustworthy?

PROTECT YOUR PASSENGERS

1) Safety:

Always ask if a body shop is certified to work on your make of vehicle. If your vehicle was manufactured in the last ten years even minor collisions can damage the sensors for anti-lock braking, lane assist, collision avoidance and other systems. Certified technicians will have the experience needed to repair those complex electronic safety systems and return them to their original condition.

PROTECT YOUR MONEY

2) Wallet:

If you want to get the truest estimate of your repair costs, have your damaged vehicle taken directly to the shop of your choice. Tell the shop you need an enhanced estimate of the damage. They will do a partial tear-down of your vehicle to find any hidden damage and document it for the insurance estimator. A trustworthy shop can be your advocate with the insurance company, providing proof of damage that might not be obvious in a surface evaluation.

PROTECT YOUR PEACE OF MIND

3) SERENITY:

Choose a body shop that offers a lifetime warranty for their work. Insurance companies do not warranty vehicle repair but a trustworthy auto body shop will stand by their work.

PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST

At Tracy’s Collision Center, we put our customers first. Integrity is the difference between a car that performs like new and one that just looks like it. Though we meticulously restore your vehicle’s original factory appearance, we are committed to delivering more than just a “cosmetic makeover.” We’ll repair your vehicle so it once again meets factory specifications. Once the repairs are complete, you can be as confident of your vehicle’s performance as you were the day you bought it.
Tracy's Collision Center Logo

Everyone deserves to drive or ride in a safely repaired vehicle; one that will perform properly in the event of a future collision. Don’t leave your safety or the safety of your passengers to chance. Make the choice to get involved in the repair of your vehicle.

To find out more, visit the Nebraska Department of Insurance – Choosing a vehicle repair facility: https://doi.nebraska.gov/sites/doi.nebraska.gov/files/doc/out07163.pdf