Quote:
Originally Posted by pokeybritches
Just my 2 cents, but when I had $12k in damage done (hit and run) to my 3.0i, I opted for my insurance company to cover it at a shop they determined and guaranteed. It took 2 months to get my car back, but it was absolutely pristine and it looked and drove better than it did before the accident. Sometimes insurance companies guarantee the work (if they do, consider it!). I've had close friends that had their cars towed to shops "recommended on the forums" and had to battle it out after the repairs weren't completed to their satisfaction. If the insurance company guarantees it, it's much easier to argue your way into a quality job. The repair shop doesn't want to lose their go-to status with your insurance company, and the insurance company doesn't like unhappy customers or poor reviews. If you get the work done at a shop of your choosing, you're somewhat SOL if things go south...
Make sure you KNOW the shop if you're going to pull that card. It eased my mind when I visited the collision center and saw a brand new Z06 Vette and a Viper sandwiching my car while it was being taken apart.
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Pokey,
I believe you just got incredibly lucky in your case. Insurance companies usually send you to "good" to "ok" shops, never to top of the line shops. Why? well they want to spend the minimum amount of money while not sacrificing the quality. As for guaranteeing the work, when I was shopping around for a shop to get my work done at, everybody guaranteed their work lifetime (body work, not mechanical)
And as far as forum recommended shops, I wouldn't advise against them. Do your research before going to them and know most are not cheap.