Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do not move your vehicle if on public property – if on private property, police cannot make any decisions, therefore you may move it after exchanging information.
2. Stay calm and check other parties for injuries – get help if necessary. Keep comments to yourself – let the police do that job.
3. Call the police.
4. Do not listen to “don’t call the cops, I’ll pay for the damages.” The common person has no idea how expensive repairs can be. Once you leave without a police report, you may be forced to repair your vehicle at your own expense.
5. Exchange information – Insurance company, name, address, phone numbers at home and work.
6. Go to a physician for a check up – whip lash does not usually occur until the next day. The insurance company may speed up a settlement if personal injury is evident. Proceed with caution on a settlement.
7. Choose a repair facility of you choice – ask the insurance company to have an adjuster work with the repair facility estimator concerning your vehicle repairs.

Every job and repair is different.  It all depends on the amount of damage your vehicle has and what other damage we find during our tear down of your vehicle.  An average repair involving paint work is about 3-4 days.  But again it all depends on the amount of damage your vehicle has.

All of our estimates are free! Give us a call anytime and we can fit you in!

It is not necessary to call us before you bring in your car for an estimate, but it does help to know ahead of time that you are coming in so that we can make sure that we have the right person here to take care of you. 

1. CAN I TAKE MY CAR TO THE SHOP OF MY CHOICE?

YES-You may select the repair facility of your choice unless your insurance policy specifies otherwise.

2. SHOULD MY INSURANCE COMPANY BE NOTIFIED BEFORE REPAIRS?

YES - Your insurance policy generally states that, if requested, you must file a sworn proof of loss, exhibit the damaged property, and submit to examination under oath.

3. DO I NEED TO CONTACT MORE THAN ONE SHOP FOR AN ESTIMATE?

NO - Generally, one estimate from the shop of your choice is required, unless your insurance policy specifies otherwise. California State Law requires you to be given a written estimate before starting repairs.

4. AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS?

YES - You are usually responsible to the repair facility for payment of repairs unless your insurance policy specifies otherwise. Ordinarily, if you are insured, your insurance policy states that the insurance company will pay for the loss, less any applicable deductibles or depreciation. Any arrangements for payments by your insurance company are your responsibility.

5. IS THE REPAIR FACILITY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS PERFORMED ON MY CAR?

YES - The Automobile Repair Act of 1971 requires all repair dealers to be registered with the State of California and to post a sign. This Act (Section 9884.7(1)(g)) states that the Department of Consumer Affairs may invalidate the registration on the repair dealer for a number of causes, including: making any statement written or oral which is untrue or misleading; causing a customer to sign any work order which does not state the repairs requested by the customer; failing or refusing to give a customer a copy of any document requiring his or her signature, as soon as the customer signs such document; any other conduct which constitutes fraud; any willful departure from or disregard of accepted trade standards for good and workman like repair.

6. IF I AM HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY, DO I HAVE RECOURSE?

YES - First consult with your insurance agent or broker. Then, if your problems still have not been resolved, consult with the Department of Insurance, State of California, at their office in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego, or telephone their toll-free line:1-800-927-4357.

7. IF MY INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE AMOUNT OF LOSS, DO I HAVE RECOURSE OTHER THAN Question 6?

YES - Your insurance policy may provide that, when the insured and insurer fail to agree on the amount of loss, both parties are entitled to arbitration.

8. CAN AN INSURER REQUIRE, DIRECT, SUGGEST OR RECOMMEND THAT YOUR AUTOMOBILE BE REPAIRED AT A SPECIFIC SHOP?

NO - Unless the referral is expressly requested by you; or you have been informed in writing of the right to select the repair facility; and the insurer that elects to repair a vehicle directs, suggests or recommends that a specific repair shop be used, shall cause the damaged vehicle to be restored to its condition prior to the loss at no additional cost to you other than as stated in the policy or as otherwise allowed be law.

9. CAN MY INSURER REQUIRE ME TO USE NON-ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER (NON OEM) REPLACEMENT CRASH PARTS FOR THE REPAIR OF MY CAR?

NO- No insurer shall require the use of non-OEM replacement parts in the repair of an automobile unless: The parts are at least equal to the original equipment manufacturer parts in terms of quality, safety, fit, and performance; and Insurers specifying the use of non-OEM

It depends on the type of detail you want.  We cannot carry any products that contain silicone because it can affect our paint jobs.  This means that most waxing and shampooing products are not allowed in the shop area.  We wash and vacuum each car after repairs are done.  If you would like for us to do some polish and/or brush touching please inquire.  If you are interested in these services please come by for an estimate as the cost of each job varies.

Yes!  We have a scan tool that allows us to plug in to most car's computer systems to see why your engine code is on.  Sometimes if your car is less than a year old, it may be a little too new for our system.  Also some German cars, depending on the type of code may not be able to plug into our system.  We can clear the code, however if the problem is not fixed, it will more than likely come back on shortly after it is cleared.

No.  We do not report your accident or estimate to anyone.  Here is a little information taken from the CARFAX website for your knowledge:

"We guarantee we will have information about the most severe accidents, ones for which the states or provinces have issued a branded title. We also have the largest publicly accessible database of less severe accidents which we have compiled from thousands of sources.



However, we do not have all accidents as many have never been reported, or may only have been reported to a source to which CARFAX does not have access.

We recommend that any car be inspected by a qualified mechanic prior to purchase to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly and check for signs of unreported damage."

This information is from the DMV website (www.dmv.ca.gov, 1-(800)-777-0133):

When you have a collision, report it to the DMV within 10 days if:

• More than $750 in damage was done to the property of any person
• Anyone was injured (no matter how slightly) or killed.

Each driver (or the driver's insurance agent, broker, or legal representative) must file a report with the DMV using the Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR1) form.  The CHP or police will not make this report for you.  You or your representative must make this report whether or not you caused the collision, even if the collision occurred on private property.

You driving privilege will be suspended:

• If you do not make this report.
• For up to four years, if you did not have proper insurance coverage.  During the last three years of the suspension, your driver license can be returned to you if you provide a California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR22) and maintain it during the three-period.

 

Click here to download the SR1 form:/apps.dmv.ca.gov/forms/sr/sr1.pdf

It is not required to remove personal items from your car, but sometimes it is helpful.  Depending on the type of repair, we may need to take interior trim compenents out of your trunk and car in order to complete the repair.  If we do need to remove them, they go into a box and kept safe in our storage room and put back in your car until when the work is completed.  We apologize if anything seems out of place afterwards, we do our best to put everything back where it originally was located.

Cashing out is when you make an insurance claim for the damage on your car, and then you take the money for the repairs instead of getting your car fixed.  Legally it is your money, you are owed whatever it takes to get your car back to pre-accident condition. 

The expression "save your deductible" can be a little misleading.  The way deductibles are "saved" is when a portion of the repair is not done, and put towards the deductible.  Lets say for example that the damage to your vehicle is a dent in the fender, bumper, and a scratch in the headlight.  The insurance will pay to fix everything perfectly, back to pre-accident condition.  If you can live with the scratch in the headlight because it is not broken, you can put the cost of the headlight towards the deductible.  So if the deductible is $500, and the headlight is $250, then you can save half of it right there.  So the next time you hear about "deductible rebates" on the radio, its important to get the full story.  Profit margins are not very high in the autobody industry, so it's nearly impossible to save your deductible, AND get the full repair done.  Every situation is different, so if you can't afford your deductible, be sure to ask us BEFORE the repair is started if there is anything we can do to help.

Yes!  We have a few cars that we loan out if you do not have rental car coverage and cannot borrow a car for the repair.  We can also get deals through Hertz and Enterprise.

Windshields, quarter glasses, and any other glass that is glued in we sublet out to Reliable Auto Glass (707-525-9550).  They are mobile, so they can come to you, or come to us if you want to drop your car off here to get the work done.  We can replace door glass in house.