OT: Working with Insurance companies.

[stephenmarklay]

An elderly lady didn’t make the turn so well and put a dent in my door. Her insurance is covering it.

I took it to a shop close to me and that they work with directly and they did a damage estimate/quote.

I am thinking that I would rather just buff out the scraps and scratches and live with the dent. I really don’t want a door repaint (well two since they send they need to paint the front door to blend it.)

Can I ask them to cut me a check for the estimate amount?

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by stephenmarklay

An elderly lady didn’t make the turn so well and put a dent in my door. Her insurance is covering it.

I took it to a shop close to me and that they work with directly and they did a damage estimate/quote.

I am thinking that I would rather just buff out the scraps and scratches and live with the dent. I really don’t want a door repaint (well two since they send they need to paint the front door to blend it.)

Can I ask them to cut me a check for the estimate amount?

Yup. Pretty sure that's how it works.


You get the $ to make you whole. Your choice to fix it or not

[bpm]

Originally Posted by stephenmarklay

An elderly lady didn’t make the turn so well and put a dent in my door. Her insurance is covering it.

I took it to a shop close to me and that they work with directly and they did a damage estimate/quote.

I am thinking that I would rather just buff out the scraps and scratches and live with the dent. I really don’t want a door repaint (well two since they send they need to paint the front door to blend it.)

Can I ask them to cut me a check for the estimate amount?

If you have a loan on the car, your loan agreement may require you to fix it. If you own it outright, you can just pocket the money or fix it, your choice.

[dustyrider]

What has already been said. Same thing happened to me when I was 16...my first fender bender in my mom's 91 accord. My parents took the money and left me at home for the weekend. Punishment I was happy to enjoy!

[stephenmarklay]

Originally Posted by bpm

If you have a loan on the car, your loan agreement may require you to fix it. If you own it outright, you can just pocket the money or fix it, your choice.

Oh interesting. I never thought of that. I am not sure how a bank would know.

[Vientomas]

With all due respect, we live in a society within which we are expected to abide by our agreements. If your loan agreement states that you are required to make the repair, why would you try to avoid your responsibility?

If you do have a loan, you do not own the car. The lender owns the car. The lender wants their security for the loan (the car) to be maintained in good condition so that if you default and they repossess the car, the car will have value.

[unterhausen]

I have had really good results taking scrapes out of doors. A lot of times the paint isn't really as bad as it looks, "you can buff that right out". A friend had a hit and run parking incident with a long scrape down his door. When I was done, you could barely tell. Not sure if there are any youtube vids on how to do it, i just got the idea from the people that do repairs from the inside of the car and used shaped pieces of wood to smooth it out.

[froze]

Originally Posted by stephenmarklay

An elderly lady didn’t make the turn so well and put a dent in my door. Her insurance is covering it.

I took it to a shop close to me and that they work with directly and they did a damage estimate/quote.

I am thinking that I would rather just buff out the scraps and scratches and live with the dent. I really don’t want a door repaint (well two since they send they need to paint the front door to blend it.)

Can I ask them to cut me a check for the estimate amount?

Why? you need the money more than the car fixed? You should be able to have a check cut to you instead if that's what you want, just remember unrepaired damage ruins the resale value of the car which why if you have a loan the loan company wants your car repaired in case you forfeit the loan. If the car is already worthless, and you own it, then taking the money and run may be the ideal situation. Just remember that if you drive around in a beat up car people will think you either live in your car, or live in a low rent trailer park, either way if your single girls will avoid you.

[bpm]

Originally Posted by stephenmarklay

Oh interesting. I never thought of that. I am not sure how a bank would know.

They would likely know because an insurance company is involved. If the person that hit you was paying out of pocket, there probably wouldn't be any record of the damage and any repairs. With an insurance company involved, there's definitely a record of it.

[froze]

Originally Posted by bpm

They would likely know because an insurance company is involved. If the person that hit you was paying out of pocket, there probably wouldn't be any record of the damage and any repairs. With an insurance company involved, there's definitely a record of it.

Yes, and they send that record to the loan company as soon as the claim is paid, as well as to the DMV, which brings out another issue, make sure you get a statement from the insurance company that the accident was not your fault just in case the DMV makes a mistake and puts the fault on you, or as in some states like California they don't put a fault or not at fault status on your record, it's up to you to prove it wasn't your fault to potential future insurance companies. By the way, if the insurance company pays you directly it still goes on the CarFax report.

Speaking of CarFax, don't trust that report for a car you're thinking of purchasing to be sure bet that the car was never in an accident, if the car was damaged and no one reported it and the owner fixed it himself or had a friend fix it, or paid cash for a shop to fix, there will be no CarFax report on it. I ran into a car once where the entire right side of the car had been taken out and repaired, the dealer was hawking the CarFax report showing no damage ever done to the car, but then I showed him the repaired areas and how extensive it was and told him the car wasn't worth 1/2 of what he was asking...he was none too happy with me.