by catherine » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:32 pm
The estimate from the insurance adjuster was incomplete due to damage under the car. So I called a body shop and had the car towed with the estimate on the front seat of my car. They called me and stated that more damage was there and the adjuster was coming back the next day. Ater the adjuster was there they called and told me to come down and sign so the could go forth with the work. All fine except I wanted another estimate from another body shop.I always needed two. They called back and saud I owed them 343.00.They charged to me for the bumber they took off and this was not authoized. Also 100.00 for diagnostics and speaking with the adjuster. My insurance co. will not pay this and I do not have 343.00 .Oh yes 72.00 for 2 days storage.Is this the way most shops do business.?Please help me I need to find out how I can resolve this so I only have to pay for the tow.
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:14 pm Post Subject:
All fine except I wanted another estimate from another body shop.I always needed two
Well you clearly did not need another estimate, and I am SURE the adjuster didn't tell you that you needed one...Anytime an insurance adjuster writes an estimate that is the only one you need, once the vehicle is in the shop the shop will call the adjuster to come back out if there is a supplement (hidden damage)...The insurance company is NOT going to pay from any estimate other than their own..They called back and saud I owed them 343.00.They charged to me for the bumber they took off and this was not authoized
Wait a second here, then why did you tow it to this shop? You clearly wanted them to find out if there was some hidden damage which they did...Why would you tow your vehicle to a shop that you do not want to repair your vehicle?Also 100.00 for diagnostics and speaking with the adjuster. .Oh yes 72.00 for 2 days storage.Is this the way most shops do business.?
Well of course and you owe them this...surely you didn't think they could do this for free right? by the way that storage will go up 36.00 per day each and every day it sets there you understand that right? And yes, they are like any shop, they deserved to be paid for what they did FOR YOU...Please help me I need to find out how I can resolve this so I only have to pay for the tow.My insurance co. will not pay this
Well the only way to resolve it is to let that shop do your repairs...what do or did you plan to do after you were paid for the repairs? Of course your carrier won't pay for it, you requested it..They didn't....I'm sure your carrier told you once you decided on the shop you wanted to do your repairs to have them call once the vehicle was torn down if there was additional damages found right? NO shop will charge you for storage or tear down or diagnostics (like this) 'if' they are doing the repair...I just can't figure out what you were wanting or expecting to happen by having this shop tow your vehicle to them? Maybe if you can explain that and what your repair intentions are we can figure out a better answer.I do not have 343.00
Sure you do !!! Didn't the adjuster pay you for your damage?Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:39 am Post Subject:
First question... why did you have it towed into that shop unless you wanted to have it repaired there? As mentioned, I think it's pretty clear that you were going to have them do the work and then changed you mind.
But who asked the shop to take off the bumper and why? If the insurance company asked to have it then it was probably needed as it was damaged or needed to be removed to repair damage under the bumper. If so, then the cost to remove it would be included as part of the vehicle damage and the insurance should be paying for that anyway. You could simply leave it off and have it towed to another shop. As far as the shop charging to speak with the adjuster... well, I'm guessing that they are a little pissed that you had it towed into their shop so that they could work on it and now your sticking them with a lot of wasted time. Same thing with the storage charge. If you did not authorize anything then I'd say you may not have to pay. Of course, you still need to deal with a shop that disagrees and has your vehicle. You might be stuck paying the storage if the shop has signs up about this matter. Of course if you were not there then you might also not owe for storage either. Again, you'd still have the issue of the shop not releasing your car do deal with. As far as the cost of the second tow, that would be on you. The insurance company is going to pay to have it towed to a nearby qualified repair shop. They should pay the first tow and that is all.
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:08 pm Post Subject:
I may have missed something but how did this damage happen. The storage and fees should be covered by the insurer, however if you are trying to move it to another shop, then the first one will charge you, not the insurer since they may not be the ones doing the work in the end.
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:35 pm Post Subject:
The storage and fees should be covered by the insurer
not in this case Chad, the OP had an estimate and i assume payment from the adjuster, she then took it upon herself to have it towed to a shop to have THEM estimate itSo I called a body shop and had the car towed with the estimate on the front seat of my car
Then the adjuster came to the shop after disassembly wrote the supplement for the additional damage, THEN the OP decides, (basically) 'forget it' i want to get yet MORE estimates...well this shop has towed her vehicle disassemble her vehicle, and coordinated a supplement with the adjuster, (this is a 'got-cha' move on their part for this amount, but hey i don't blame them she's kind of jerked them around)...so now she decides she doesn't want them to fix it after all (wants more estimates remember?)...well they want paid for the work they did..and they deserve to be paid for same...The ins company owes nothing on this, except one tow...if she'd have left it there for repairs (which is what she led the shop to believe) SHE would owe nothing, the ins company would've paid the same amount for the supplement that they have, they would've likely paid the tow as well (unless this is the second tow already) and the shop would not be requesting all this other money (ie storage, admin. fees, tear down fees)...Sorry to say, but the OP brought all this on herself.... and she should get to movin' on getting this paid AND her car moved because they are adding 36 bucks a day storage every day it sets there. OR change her mind and let this shop do the repairs, i'm sure they'd drop all of these charges then..Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 11:51 am Post Subject:
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Lori,
Your Post seemed a little harsh considering...
The ins company owes nothing on this, except one tow...if she'd have left it there for repairs (which is what she led the shop to believe)
I've read the OP's Post several times and don't see where she implies the car was taken to the shop for anything more than an estimate.
To me it seems the Shop forgot who their customer was and went to the Insurer for guidance instead of her. Big mistake, in my opinion. (Although I can see how that can happen with so many Collision Repairers being used to insurance co.'s hand feeding work to them thought the insurer's Steering Tactics.)
It's obvious they don't have a written authorization [since they called to get one] and unlikely even had a Verbal one. From what I've read they were authorize to Tow it and write an estimate.
The rest was an assumption by the shop and a poor one at that. It looks to me the shop is owed for the Tow and whatever the customary estimate Fee is in that area of the country. Oh, wait.... in an earlier Post Lori stated and I Quote.
Post: 17 Apr 2009 04:13 Post subject: Claim check was made to ME ONLY, not my lienholder...
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Partial Quotes & Responses:
[quote:7d9e61230f] Also, will a body shop do an estimate without trying to get the insurance company information from you, just so they can put pressure on you not to walk off with their estimate.
Lori's response:
Some will some won't what I'm assuming what you're after is to find a shop to repair it for less than the adjusters estimate/payment right? Get your car fixed and pocket a couple of bucks in the bargain right? No big deal happens all the time...After you get the estimate AND the money then just go to a couple of shops and....
Do they ever charge you for the estimate then credit you if you have your car fixed there?
Lori's response:
I supposed there are some of these shops around, I hear of one ever so often, personally I'd walk out the door of a shop like that...[/quote:7d9e61230f]
????????????
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 01:53 pm Post Subject:
To me it seems the Shop forgot who their customer was and went to the Insurer for guidance instead of her.
I don't see that fred, they called her first as soon as they found the additional damage she saysThey called me and stated that more damage was there and the adjuster was coming back the next day.
Shop found additional damage that wasn't on the estimate the adj wrote, they (shop) called her told her that..what is the next thing to do to get that damange paid for? Call the adjuster tell them there was additional, hidden or missed damage...The adjuster came out wrote the supplement and likely left payment for the supplement. Don't see how on earth you figure the ins company steered anything here...she picked the shop, called the shop, had them tow the vehicle to their shop...where's the carrier steering here? :?unlikely even had a Verbal one
I think the shop is on solid ground here, as far as tear down and looking for additional damage (which is what they want paid for)...why tow a car to the shop that already has an estimate written and paid, if you havent' authorized the shop to do ''something'' and ''something'' don't come cheap much less free...Fred that next quote from from another thread and a totally separate issue...you can't compare apples to oranges...the other thread was a third party claim minor damage, the adjuster was coming to the guys house writing the sheet and paying the claim..the op IN THAT THREAD wanted to know if he could get the draft made to him then did he have to repair etc...(additional questions followed)....what this is here is a shop that towed a vehicle at her request to their shop, torn it down found addl damage, called her then called the ins company, ins company wrote a supp and paid same, THEN OP says, well i didn't want YOU to fix it...so shop is pissed and says, 'fine, you owe for the tow, daily storage for as long as it's here, tear down, and the time i spent with the adjuster''...now why don't you with a straight face tell me that the shop is wrong in what they want from her? I have no problem with her 'shopping' her repair...although i've never seen it done successfully on a non-driveable vehicle... :roll: not even quite sure how one would accomplish this....fact of the matter is with this and the other thread...the ins company on both of these is writting their own estimates and paying from them...they (on this one) have promptly wrote and paid a supplement when additional damage was found...they aren't going to pay off of any of the many estimates this OP wants to get even if she gets 15....so what does she want fred? and why should this shop suffer ANY finanical loss for her game?
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 05:26 pm Post Subject:
Lori,
I don't have time right now for a full response but for now... one thought. If the shop called her first. How did they know the adjuster was coming the next day??
Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:52 pm Post Subject:
How did they know the adjuster was coming the next day??
because they called the adjuster to let them know there was additional damage and the adjuster advised they would be there the next day.. :? what's your point? if this was a drp shop that company 'steered' ( :roll: )to they vehicle would've already been there...SHE called THIS shop the adjuster did not.
Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 01:36 pm Post Subject:
This is really a big discussion on the motor shop!! i think lady should have just asked for the estimate before she wanted to go for towing.after deciding the right shop then only she could have gone for repairing. :arrow:
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