Insurance repairs...do they take the p*** with their quotes?
Discussion
I recently had a prang. The other driver, who pulled out of a side road into my front wing admitted fault and the claim is going through his insurance. The door wasn't damaged at all and the bumper only took a minor scuff which will be dealt with by the paint blending. The arch liner is cracked, and will be replaced, along with the wing.
Before the insurance company's approved repairer gave a quote for the repair, I had Ford's accident repair centre look at it. They quoted £574. When the quote came back from the insurer's body shop, they were quoting over £1200, which was approved by the insurance company. They're quoting for alloy wheel repair & wheel alignment, both of which I don't think it needs. I've been driving the car and it drives just as it did before the crash. They're also quoting nearly £300 just for the paint and sundries, without the labour.
Do insurer's approved repair centres quote more just because it's insurance work and they know the company will just stump up the money?
I can't help feeling this is part of the reason premiums are flying up at an alarming rate.
IMHO the entire industry is a piss take.
few years back, my Sierra was the subject of an attempted break in - they attempted to remove the lock barrel from the door - and distorted the metal around.
Insurance result? Reskin the door.
The metal around the lock barrel could easily have been knocked back into shape, and may possibly have not even required a re-spray.
However, the panel beater reskinned the door, f
king it up in the process.
few years back, my Sierra was the subject of an attempted break in - they attempted to remove the lock barrel from the door - and distorted the metal around.
Insurance result? Reskin the door.
The metal around the lock barrel could easily have been knocked back into shape, and may possibly have not even required a re-spray.
However, the panel beater reskinned the door, f
king it up in the process.Have you ever worked in the body shop/ insurance field?
The body shop will quote for the repair - the insurance company will then send an assessor to look at it, who will then cut back the amount of labour, the hourly rate, the price of paint, and the price of all other materials, before he agrees a repair.
Body shops charge about £45-50 an hour for labour, from an insurance company, they'll probably get somewhere between £27 & £35 if they're lucky.
Compare that to a main dealer workshop, who are now charging the best part of £100 p/h and in many cases more - combine this with the other information above and you can start to understand 2 things
1) they quote high, so that they actually get a reasonable price for the repair, and
2) why the body shop industry isn't making much money at he moment
The body shop will quote for the repair - the insurance company will then send an assessor to look at it, who will then cut back the amount of labour, the hourly rate, the price of paint, and the price of all other materials, before he agrees a repair.
Body shops charge about £45-50 an hour for labour, from an insurance company, they'll probably get somewhere between £27 & £35 if they're lucky.
Compare that to a main dealer workshop, who are now charging the best part of £100 p/h and in many cases more - combine this with the other information above and you can start to understand 2 things
1) they quote high, so that they actually get a reasonable price for the repair, and
2) why the body shop industry isn't making much money at he moment
Superhoop said:
Have you ever worked in the body shop/ insurance field?
The body shop will quote for the repair - the insurance company will then send an assessor to look at it, who will then cut back the amount of labour, the hourly rate, the price of paint, and the price of all other materials, before he agrees a repair.
Body shops charge about £45-50 an hour for labour, from an insurance company, they'll probably get somewhere between £27 & £35 if they're lucky.
Compare that to a main dealer workshop, who are now charging the best part of £100 p/h and in many cases more - combine this with the other information above and you can start to understand 2 things
1) they quote high, so that they actually get a reasonable price for the repair, and
2) why the body shop industry isn't making much money at he moment
1. Ford quoted £574. That included £160 parts and 8 hours of labour. Not quite the £100+ you're claiming. I was surprised their labour rate was so low but I've got it in writing.The body shop will quote for the repair - the insurance company will then send an assessor to look at it, who will then cut back the amount of labour, the hourly rate, the price of paint, and the price of all other materials, before he agrees a repair.
Body shops charge about £45-50 an hour for labour, from an insurance company, they'll probably get somewhere between £27 & £35 if they're lucky.
Compare that to a main dealer workshop, who are now charging the best part of £100 p/h and in many cases more - combine this with the other information above and you can start to understand 2 things
1) they quote high, so that they actually get a reasonable price for the repair, and
2) why the body shop industry isn't making much money at he moment
2. The quote of £1200+ has been approved. The car is booked in.
VeeTEC said:
1. Ford quoted £574. That included £160 parts and 8 hours of labour. Not quite the £100+ you're claiming. I was surprised their labour rate was so low but I've got it in writing.
2. The quote of £1200+ has been approved. The car is booked in.
Now read my post again, but this time, actually READ IT2. The quote of £1200+ has been approved. The car is booked in.
VeeTEC said:
1. Ford quoted £574. That included £160 parts and 8 hours of labour. Not quite the £100+ you're claiming. I was surprised their labour rate was so low but I've got it in writing.
He means service workshop not bodyshop. The rates are quite different.VeeTEC said:
2. The quote of £1200+ has been approved. The car is booked in.
And the settled amount wont be £1200+.Superhoop said:
Now read my post again, but this time, actually READ IT
OK, apologies. Just out of bed after a long week.Fox- said:
And the settled amount wont be £1200+.
How so? Superhoop mentioned sending as assessor out to pare back the quote (prior to approval, I'm assuming). That doesn't seem to have happened in this case as the quote has been approved.At what point will the settled amount become less than what has been quoted in this case? I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm not really that clued up on the process. This is my first claim.
I was also quite irritated at the repeated phone calls I was getting from the claims management company, asking if I was injured. I told them when I registered the incident/claim that it was low speed with no injuries. Days later they were on the phone asking if I'd developed any symptoms of injury that might be as a result of the crash.
A few years ago I took a car in for a small repair, they would give me a 33% discount if I did not use an insurance company. I guess that says it all really. It was only minor damage so paying myself would save cash if you take loss of no claims into account. luckily I spoke to the repairers before the insurance company.
That damage appears to be identical to that done to my Maserati by some lowlife hit and run scumbag.
Dented front guard, damaged aloy, scuffed bumper and smashed-up arch liner. Quoted £800 for full repair at the Maserati dealer's preferred body shop. After reading this thread, I'm not so pissed off now.
Dented front guard, damaged aloy, scuffed bumper and smashed-up arch liner. Quoted £800 for full repair at the Maserati dealer's preferred body shop. After reading this thread, I'm not so pissed off now.
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