Tbird damage repair

[Tyrod]

Re: Tbird damage repair

I had just the reverse happen to me. Some kid with "fly by night" insurance hit my Grand Prix. His insurance company started to nickle and dime me. I talked to my Lizard. He fixed my car right got their money and my money back from "fly by night". Course, I've been dealing with the Lizard for 30 years and this was my first claim.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Having spent 32 years in the property/casualty insurance field, I don't enjoy being referred to as a "lizard".

[Hannah3]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Having spent 32 years in the property/casualty insurance field, I don't enjoy being referred to as a "lizard".

lol. I thought he was talking about his Geico Agent as in the Lizard mascot?

[V8 Cat]

Re: Tbird damage repair

lol. I thought he was talking about his Geico Agent as in the Lizard mascot?

Sorry, I thought people were using it as a synonym for anybody that worked as as an agent or insurance adjuster for any property/casualty insurance company. Does everybody have Geico insurance?

[wtxbird]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Sorry to hear about your car , I would take it to another Ford Dealer that has the body shop.
I have State Farm and they have always treated me with respect, And there adjusters have always been on my side, They are the best in my book.
Here in Texas we have what is called diminished value claim, Make them give you more money for making your car worth less on resale, your auto will show up on Carfax as being in a wreck, you lose in the long run and make them replace the fender and door, if you dont the fender will recrack from stress and age. As far as reskinning the door, dont let them do it. The body shops cannot duplicate the factory welds and seal the skin properly. Tell the body shop manager to keep all the old parts for show and tell and when its repaired make sure they replace all the door panel clips and look for stress marks on the inner door panel, they are plastic and dont bend well. Mark the fender and door in a spot where only you know you did it., after the work is finished, check to see if you can find the markings.
Good luck!
The only lizards here eat bugs and I have seen lot lizards at the truck stops.

[mpn737]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Thanks Again for your inputs. The shop manager got with his GM and convinced the Insurance Company to replace the fender. He said I could also have the original. Scheduled for inspection on Monday. Mike P.S. I have access to a composite shop and will put an aircraft quality repair on the original fender shortly. If you see a "repaired 2003 RH Tbird fender" for sale on Ebay, you know it's history.

[Lonestar]

Re: Tbird damage repair

I have Nationwide – not the cheapest, not the most expensive. I have a Son-In-Law who works for Geico in a specialized claims area that deals with “high profile” clients involved in incidents or if a “high profile” individual is in an accident with someone insured by Geico. Interestingly, Geico discourages their claim representatives, at least this is his impression, from having Geico Insurance for themselves so as to avoid any possible conflict of interest if something was to occur.

These guys, including Geico, shouting lower rates can not achieve this if they repair all vehicles to the level all of us would probably expect. In most case people do not know the difference between replace or repair and do not care. As pointed out, is some cases repair is better than replacement.

A few years ago my daughter was traveling down I35 from Norman and a truck in front of her threw a recap that hit her car causing damage to the plastic bumper and hood. Took the car to the Nationwide claim center and the adjuster assumed repairing both instead of replacing. I left the claims center and went directly to my Agent’s office. I showed them the adjuster’s statement, told them I wanted the bumper and hood replaced (they were too far gone to even think about repairing them), and the ramification of not doing so was loss of my home and auto business after being a customer for many years. The hood and bumper were replaced at the shop I selected.

I found it interesting that if the tire from the truck had been thrown and landed on the road and then hit, the claim would have been collision meaning deductible. If the tire was thrown and hit the car while still in the air then it is considered comprehensive coverage and thus no deductible.

[Tyrod]

Re: Tbird damage repair

I didn't mean to make anyone feel bad. My reference to the "lizard" was ment to signify geico.

[SixPac]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Old thread, but it's the best one I could find to ask my question.

I'm having my windshield replaced Monday. My insurance is with 21st Century (formely AIG). Evidently I'm not very good at selecting coverage because I was shocked when they told me I was responsible for a $250 deductible. I've never i my life paid a deductible to have a windshield replaced. I have a $250 deductible on comprehensive for the Bird.

Where did I go wrong? This being the case, can I demand that they replace the windshield with an original?

[V8 Cat]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Old thread, but it's the best one I could find to ask my question.
I'm having my windshield replaced Monday. My insurance is with 21st Century (formely AIG). Evidently I'm not very good at selecting coverage because I was shocked when they told me I was responsible for a $250 deductible. I've never i my life paid a deductible to have a windshield replaced. I have a $250 deductible on comprehensive for the Bird.
Where did I go wrong? This being the case, can I demand that they replace the windshield with an original?

Charlie,
Some states mandate that no deductible be taken on windshield replacement under the 'comprehensive coverage". I guess the thought is they don't want a dangerous vehicle on the road just because someone may not be able to afford or not want to pay the deductible. Florida used to be one of those states - don't know if it still is. Georgia goes the other direction. The deductible is taken on windshield replacement. If you have a question about Miss., you could call the insurance commissioner, but it doesn't really make sense that the person handling the claim would not know what the law is in your jurisdiction. You may have a hard time getting the original Tbird windshield, but I would start by asking for it. All the insurance company has to do is repair with "like kind and quality" I believe. If the quality is the same (it might even be the same mfg.), I don't think they will pay the extra expense just to get the Tbird emblem on it. I came from an insurance background, but I was involved in PR/marketing with major accounts. I did not get too much into the everyday handling of property claims. Swalker is probably the expert on this.

[SixPac]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Thanks Claude. I was hoping that you would chime in on this. I had already made my mind up that I would be the loser on this

[My Raven]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Mike, I believe you can insist on genuine Ford parts. If it was their fault you have the choice (upper hand). It's your car so make sure it is fixed to your standards.

This is correct ... I have been down this road with those wonderful "good hands" insurers ... You can have it fixed at the shop of YOUR choice. If you don't have a shop in mind call one of the Japanese or German luxury brands and find out who does their repair work. Do Not Sign Anything until the repair is completed to your satisfaction. If you sign or endorse a partial settlement check until then you are done meat.

I personally have no trust in these insurance endorsed shops: There is a reason the insurer wants you to take it there and I suspect not in your favor. If you take it to a shop of your choosing they work for you and your interest.

JM2C .... Good Luck & keep us posted.

[My Raven]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Having spent 32 years in the property/casualty insurance field, I don't enjoy being referred to as a "lizard".

Oh Claude .... You know you and I both have been called far worse in this forum ....

[V8 Cat]

Re: Tbird damage repair

I personally have no trust in these insurance endorsed shops: There is a reason the insurer wants you to take it there and I suspect not in your favor. If you take it to a shop of your choosing they work for you and your interest.
JM2C .... Good Luck & keep us posted.

Joe,
You are much too cynical. My company had those kind of shops and the reason is there is so much fraud in the body shop business like charging for parts that are not used, replacing with used parts and charging for new ones, excessive labor charges, etc. Some shops say they will 'cover your deductible". We all should know how they would do that with excessive and fraudulent charges. That might, for the moment, work to your benefit, but is it ethical and did you pay a price from shortcuts they took on the repair to cover that deductible amount? I think we all know the answer to that question. Most of the shops if not all "recommended" (but not required to be used) by major insurance companies go through extensive background checks as to ethical behavior, reputation in the locality, quality of work, financial stability, etc. In the case of the company I worked for, repairs made by these shops were guaranteed as long as you owned the car. If the shop did not stand behind that warranty, they were removed from the program, and my company would stand behind those repairs. I know from experience as I approved the payment on a total loss because one of our recommended shops in Macon, Ga did a poor repair job on one of our insured's cars so we just took over the salvage and paid him the actual cash value of his vehicle. If he had picked his own shop, where would he have been with a problem like that? Not in a good place;especially since he lived out of state in FL. and did not notice the bad quality until he was back home from picking his car up in Macon.

[My Raven]

Re: Tbird damage repair

Perhaps so but unethical claims adjusters from the lizard company & the "good hands" folks have brought me to that conclusion on two different occassions. We will have to agree to disagree on this one ....