[mr.e90]

Hey guys, my car recently was in an accident. Two weeks ago I took my car to get a wash and towards the end, the driver ran into a metal gate. My bumper, headlight, and wheel got damaged. The owner of the car wash place apologized and said to get an estimate or two. I got an estimate one for $4100ish and other for $3670ish. The first estimate includes vinyl wrapping my front bumper, since the car is wrapped. Second estimate only for body work and paint.

Long story short, I have them the estimates and he said he would like me to take it to a Kirby dealership shop that his managers dad owns and get an estimate. I said no because i believe it's my right to choose the place because if I take it there, they get 40% off they said. I want them to pay for what the guy did. I told him give me check for the $4k or court. He said if we go to court the consumer gets to choose the shop and he said that would be him. I don't understand if im the owner of the car and they crashed it.

What shall I do? Just have them fix it and end of story? Or go to court or what else? I'll post pictures tonight since I'm on the e90post app.


I did lci conversion with msport and he later goes on ebay and tells me the headlights are 300. He wants to pay cheap for everything.

[mythek]

The shop is asking u to take to their shop to get the estimate, you don't need to have the repairs done there. By law u have the right to choose ur own repair shop, but the other party also have the right to have their shop to estimate the repair. That's totally fair to me.

[mr.e90]

Originally Posted by mythek

The shop is asking u to take to their shop to get the estimate, you don't need to have the repairs done there. By law u have the right to choose ur own repair shop, but the other party also have the right to have their shop to estimate the repair. That's totally fair to me.

I wasn't aware that the shop also had the right to have their shop estimate the damage.

[mythek]

Obvious when u get the estimate, specifically request that all replacement parts must be OEM original.

[deadmn1337]

just have their guys quote it out. Look at the quote and tell him which parts need to be OEM and what not so they quote it correctly.

[mr.e90]

Originally Posted by mythek

Obvious when u get the estimate, specifically request that all replacement parts must be OEM original.

Yes I have already done that.

[mythek]

Originally Posted by mr.e90

I wasn't aware that the shop also had the right to have their shop estimate the damage.

Of course man, I mean how else can they make sure that you're not cheating them. You can have your shops replace things that aren't even related to the damage.

[dm0ng]

You the owner have the right to choose the shop, but it does not hurt to get an estimate from them. Just beware that even though on the estimate it says OEM parts, when they fix it. just make sure it was replace (that its OEM) and be sure to ask for the old parts back.

[Jeef]

He has the right to ask for an estimate at a shop he wants but you don't need to get it fixed there.

[E92GRL]

wow you must have to be a complete idiot to drive cars through a car wash all day and crash one of them... LOL I hope that dude was fired...

yes it is the owner's right to have you take it to a shop of their choice to get an estimate (like everyone else said you don't have to get the work done there since it's your car)


ONLY THING you need to be careful and aware of is...
aftermarket parts RARELY can be claimed.

So if you take them to court you'll most likely only get money for everything OEM..

IF you have insurance, I'd threaten to go through them, and order them to pay you what YOUR shop estimated. That would be your best bet.

[blacknbean]

sounds like they are paying out of pocket if they are looking to get a discount. if you go that route then they can do whatever they want. if you get your own quote and its double theirs they will probably come back saying they dont want to pay that much so then youll have to go through insurance anyways. might as well just call your insurance and have them handle it. dont deal with them at all.

[jiajesse0923]

what the name of the car wash place?

[canny714]

Get his insurance info and get a lawyer. This shit is how people get fucked

[Sfvalley135i]

go to the dealer with him and get a quote... then ask for the average of the 3 quotes and find a place of your liking to do the repairs. Most shops will ask if your paying for repairs or insurance... if its the later they'll quote something higher.

[techwhiz]

He does not get a choice of repair place.
You got two quotes. If your car is wrapped, that needs to be in the quote. They need to put is back like it was.
You can take it to "their' shop for quote, but you do not have to. They have NO rights.

If you go to court they will lose. You have the option to "cash out" and sign a waiver releasing them from future claims related to this.

Take it where you want, they will pay.
If not file a claim with your insurance (your rates will not be affected) and they will collect from the car wash.

I rarely deal directly with other people, since that is what I pay my insurance for.
For $4k? I'd file a claim and let the insurance company get their money from the other guy.

Not your fault, they cant touch your rates.

[ckegg]

Got rear ended a month ago, and he doesn't want to go through insurance either.
I got 3 estimates but he couldn't afford that much, and he then want me to go to his friend's shop for an estimate. I basically told him I will only go to shop I trust, period.

Later on I used the estimate information to get part's costs from both http://getbmwparts.com/ and http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/ , showing him it is the parts costs (plus shipping). I also got a quote for just the paint job while I will do installation myself, total everything up, pay it or claim insurance while it is not my fault. He paid with cash.

I also set a deadline telling him pay me or I claim insurance immediately after the deadline, no negotiation on this.

[aandrew335]

Tell him to give you a check for the repairs on bases of the average of the shops, or go through insurance.

Going through insurance, you rates won't be affected and they will do the fighting for you to get the money you are owed. He will lose in court also. He has no right to pick the shop, but can get his own estimate.

Source: My dads an insurance broker.

[BRGmatthew]

My friend owns a body shop and I help him out every now and then with insurance. Insurance will only cover parts that are attached to your vin. So if you had a prelci base model with halogens and did an lci conversion with lci xenons, insurance will only pay you for the nonsport bumper and prelci halogens. They will not cover anything you put on even if it is oem. Your wrap is only covered if you carry accessory insurance. Right now you just have a quote from the shop(s) but when the shop(s) talks to insurance and they come out to inspect the car your quote will drastically change from what the shop(s) gave you.

From my own personal experience, my car was wrapped and I had accessory insurance up to $1000 so they paid me out that full amount and that was all. I also had oem performance sides and oem m3 mirrors but insurance did not cover that, they only paid me out for my basic parts. So dont be disappointed when you drop your car off and insurance comes and inspects it and they deny all the parts you added oem or not.

[paprmkr]

Originally Posted by mr.e90

Hey guys, my car recently was in an accident. Two weeks ago I took my car to get a wash and towards the end, the driver ran into a metal gate. My bumper, headlight, and wheel got damaged. The owner of the car wash place apologized and said to get an estimate or two. I got an estimate one for $4100ish and other for $3670ish. The first estimate includes vinyl wrapping my front bumper, since the car is wrapped. Second estimate only for body work and paint.

Long story short, I have them the estimates and he said he would like me to take it to a Kirby dealership shop that his managers dad owns and get an estimate. I said no because i believe it's my right to choose the place because if I take it there, they get 40% off they said. I want them to pay for what the guy did. I told him give me check for the $4k or court. He said if we go to court the consumer gets to choose the shop and he said that would be him. I don't understand if im the owner of the car and they crashed it.

What shall I do? Just have them fix it and end of story? Or go to court or what else? I'll post pictures tonight since I'm on the e90post app.


I did lci conversion with msport and he later goes on ebay and tells me the headlights are 300. He wants to pay cheap for everything.

if they have accepted the liability then just get car wash info and take to your insurance. if you have full coverage or not it doesn't go against you. they will just make sure you take car to where you want the repair. the insurance will deal with car wash place for payment. but agreed that car wash may ask you to take to certain shop to get estimate. doesn't mean they can make u repair it there. they just want to compare the estimates and have something to negotiate.

[zivyn]

Must be different in California, because I would have thought that the insurance for the car wash would be involved; not your personal auto insurance. Basically it's the same process, you just have to get the info from him.

I thought your insurance was only involved if your are driving or the car is parked.

Replacement parts depends on the shop and how well they work insurance. My friend had an Msport bumper put on after an accident because it was cheaper than the stock non-Msport bumper he had that got wrecked. Not sure how, but the shop made it happen.

[mythek]

Originally Posted by zivyn

Must be different in California, because I would have thought that the insurance for the car wash would be involved; not your personal auto insurance. Basically it's the same process, you just have to get the info from him.

I thought your insurance was only involved if your are driving or the car is parked.

Replacement parts depends on the shop and how well they work insurance. My friend had an Msport bumper put on after an accident because it was cheaper than the stock non-Msport bumper he had that got wrecked. Not sure how, but the shop made it happen.

I would imagine that the car wash business insurance is going to pay for the expenses...unless the carwash owner made the employee pay out of his personal insurance to keep the job?

[Eric E92 335i]

Originally Posted by mythek

I would imagine that the car wash business insurance is going to pay for the expenses...unless the carwash owner made the employee pay out of his personal insurance to keep the job?

These guys can walk down the street for another job, they are not going to pay 4k out of their pocket.