For some reason i have a weird feeling that something fishy is going on with my insurance claim to get my Z fixed. details here https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-nissan-350z/340384-got-in-an-accident-today-2.html

When i filed my insurance agent had a list of preferred locations to get my car fixed. From what he states the list of preferred sites are locations that they investigated and researched with customer reviews, quality of work, etc.

so i picked the location closest to where the car was dropped off at (Nissan of Clovis). Well i met with them a few days ago and everything about the place looked good. They have excellent customer service, their mechanics were polite and even asked if i had done any custom work done so that they wouldn't mess anything up.

Well fast foward to today, the insurance for the guy who rear-ended me called me and wanted to have their adjuster to take a look at the car to verify the damage. I was like sure. Well later this afternoon their adjuster calls me and tells me that the bodyshop will not allow him to look at my Z !

So i call the bodyshop and asked the agent there who is handling my account and he tells me that the adjuster who came has been banned from the bodyshop! Then he asks me if we are still going directly through my insurance or the other guys insurance. I explained to him that the other insurance company wanted to send their adjuster out to verify.

The bodyshop rep then goes on to tell me that there are a few adjusters who come that they don't like because some of them want to go different routes to fix customers vehicles vs. there way.

well out of curiousity i called the other adjuster as to why he was banned from the bodyshop, he tells me that he has caught the bodyshop doing things that they shouldn't and the owner told him to never come back. He wouldn't tell me what he caught them doing. I asked him if i should have my car towed to a different facility, he pauses then he tells me that they do good work and that a different adjuster has been assigned to verify the damage.

The rep for the body again calls me and says that if i plan going a different route for the claim that i should tell him. At this point of i'm confused as to whats going on, he goes on and tells me that the parts are there and they are waiting for the new adjuster and the okay from my insurance to start the work. I tell him that if anything weird happens to call me and he said that i should do the same and that he needs me on his side.

questions:
1.) Is this normal
2.) Should i have my shop towed to another shop, i already signed the preliminary estimate document, am i obligated to keep the car there?
3.) they have the parts ordered, and it seems like their in a rush to get the car started.

i'm totally confused, any advice? sorry for the long read.

 

Thin ice my friend... I am extremely picky to see who woks on my car. i would leave it in your hands to choose the dealership of who fixes your car. as far as the insurance guy goes, tell him to stuff it, if he is from the other insurance company he is there to water the claim down so the company does not have to pay it. it is your car and you have the right to say who touches your car. i only lat a handful of people touch my car. The insurance adjuster should be from a third party non biased company to run the claim. i had two claims run when i had my car fixed. one from the Body shop (Authorized Dealer.) and one from the third party adjuster. then i put the two together and talked for over two hours with the body shop to see what my options were, Tah Dah!!! i did not have to pay my deductible.

 

sounds fishy to me

 

The insurance comapnay has a right to verify the damage, since you are asking them to pay for it. They need to do this before you start work. Do not start work until adjuster reviews car. You said a new adjuster has been assigned.

 

Thats sounds a little off to me. I'm not used to this. In arizona you go to any bodyshop you want.

 

yes they told me that I can take it to a place of my choice but, if i choose a shop not on their list of preferred bodyshops then they can't guarantee the shops work unlike the one where my Z is at.but Bcuz my Z is at a shop of their choice if anything down the road happens to my Z related to the work they did it will be fixed, replaced at no charge.

 

I think you should let your insurance company handle everything. If the other insurance company needs anything they should contact your adjuster and not you.

 

i can tell u for sure that your insurance co and body shop are totally messing with you. they just wanna either pay as less as possible or get the job started asap so u cant go anywhere else. from what i read on your first post, it's common that insurance co having a bad relationship with body shops and since you have already agreed the body shop to begin the job (either in oral or writting form) it might be too late to go somewhere else unless you pay up the dues for the job they have done/the time they have spent on your car. now the only thing you can do is to pray that they are a quality shop.

 

Check California insurance regulations. You have the right to choose whatever shop that you want.

 

X2

 

Any reputable shop will guarantee their work. You do not need to worry about the insurance company backing the shop's work as well. Feel free to take your car to any shop of your choice - as long as you know they do quality work (either from peer review or your own experience).

Be aware that occassionally shops that are preferred by insurance companies will use non-OEM parts to do the repairs.

You have the right to choose whatever shop to do the work in California.

 

Ok this is what you need to do:

1. Forget the other person's company because they obviously don't give a **** about your claim and are going to drag their feet as long as they could.

2. Go through your insurance company, eat the deductible for the time being, and allow them to subrogate through the other guy's company. It shouldn't take too long to get your money back since the other party has already accepted the at-fault claim.

3. Go to whatever shop you like, get them to do the work for same amount of money you received after your deductible. Considering the amount of damage you have it should be easy to find a shop willing to do so.

4. Have a beer and chillax.

 

ranferr what shop in fresno/clovis are you working with...i actually need some work done...but they kept passing me around saying they dont do aftermarket work...

..so far i only have abcautomotive in fresno

 

Absloutely the right answer!

bill

 

I would never take it the the Insurance companies recommended body shop...

Why?

There's always a reason why they choose that shop because they work well together. They'll most likely put recycled part inside your car.

How do I know this?

Last year my dad's camry got hit on the side and we took it the recommended body and we find out they put a "recycled" door in my dad's car.

Last month I got rear ended on my Z and I took it to a body shop of my choosing which happened to be my dealership. The rep at the bodyshop tells me that the guys insurance company wants to put a recycled bumper on my car, but he said not worry. He went ahead and ordered an OEM bumper from Nissan and showed me receipt called the adjuster and argued with him that it was a brand new car and it deserves to be put back to the same condition it was before. Was a nice guy.

Anyways...sorry had to tell you the story but yeah...Take it to the shop you want. Do some research.

 

Been there before and this is the best way to do it. Your company has at least a little vested interest in you being happy about the work and that your car is repaired back to factory specs. Its a much much easier process (all of this is provided you have collision)

I have done it both ways and the way mentioned is MUCH easier.

and as far as body shops go, it really depends on the body shop and the insurance company. I have a friend who paints at a body shop that did some work when I got hit by a DUI in my beater and his shop is really really expensive but is a primary body shop for my insurance company because they do good work and have their billing practices in line AND don't pull the "we found a bunch more damage after we quoted you crap" that a lot of places do.

 

yah i decided to go the route that so many of you suggested. I am also relocating my vehicle to my buddies uncle's shop where they fixed hiz Z. I have to pay for the tow but peace of mind is worth a lot more imho.