Insurance Photo Estimate???!!

masterh · 03-16-2023, 10:58 AM

So I had minor fender bender last June and investigation took months.

Adjuster sent me accepting liability email end of Jan. It took me a month and a half of calling and I was able to talk to her yesterday.

I mentioned during conversion because it took so long I just wanted to get a check asap and be done with this. She is using this statement and not letting me take the car to the body shop unless I am going to repair it there.

She is saying because I want the check, I have to use the photo estimate app. She insisted it will be the same as going to the bodyshop since they will do the visual inspection there too.

I straight up told her photo estimate thing is not accurate and that's how insurance companies screw the customers. I ended up telling her 'yeah I will fix it!!!' just to get the list of approved bodyshop.

She sent me list of just 5 body shops in LA area and I am not allowed to just take my car there.
From email--Please call the body shop of your choice and provide me with the date/time of your repair appointment and I will set up an assignment for a Progressive Repair Rep to contact the shop to write the estimate--

It wont be a lot of money anyways ($2~3k) but it took months and she ignored my phone call for a while and is now trying to squeeze every dollar. I just don't want to get played by her.

Bottom line, I just want to walk out with a check at fair estimate. How can I do that?

Hoody007 · 03-17-2023, 05:23 PM

The other party is at fault, and you have this in writing?

Take it to a body shop you trust, and get an estimate of the damage. You can also take it to an insurance-approved body shop, and get two quotes. My experience is there’s some opportunity to come out ahead that way…

Submit a claim to your insurance company, and have them go after the other party.

Daaaaaaaan · 03-17-2023, 05:48 PM

Relative got into a not-at-fault accident.

How insurance payouts work varies by state.

For them, the insurance adjuster came to the house and put together the expected work.

Once the estimate is available, we could take it to their approved body shop for a "hands-off" repair. If it was more expensive than expected, they'd take care of the back and forth. But we'd also be able to take it to our choice of shop and they'd pay them $2800.

If we took a cheque, they'd only pay us $1900.

We took it to a neighbourhood mechanic, they found a Grade B bumper cover in matching colour from a wrecker and installed it and the impact absorber, etc. for $950 all-in. The car was far from perfect where the impact was, but they don't need to know that. Profit!

Probably would be better to find a crooked body shop to take the $2800, keep $400 for themselves and give us $2400, but I guess they have to provide evidence of the work so not sure that would actually work out.

03-16-2023, 10:58 AM	#1
masterh Second Lieutenant 58 Rep 291 Posts Drives: bmw 328i Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Los Angeles CA iTrader: (0)	Insurance Photo Estimate???!! So I had minor fender bender last June and investigation took months. Adjuster sent me accepting liability email end of Jan. It took me a month and a half of calling and I was able to talk to her yesterday. I mentioned during conversion because it took so long I just wanted to get a check asap and be done with this. She is using this statement and not letting me take the car to the body shop unless I am going to repair it there. She is saying because I want the check, I have to use the photo estimate app. She insisted it will be the same as going to the bodyshop since they will do the visual inspection there too. I straight up told her photo estimate thing is not accurate and that's how insurance companies screw the customers. I ended up telling her 'yeah I will fix it!!!' just to get the list of approved bodyshop. She sent me list of just 5 body shops in LA area and I am not allowed to just take my car there. From email--Please call the body shop of your choice and provide me with the date/time of your repair appointment and I will set up an assignment for a Progressive Repair Rep to contact the shop to write the estimate-- It wont be a lot of money anyways ($2~3k) but it took months and she ignored my phone call for a while and is now trying to squeeze every dollar. I just don't want to get played by her. Bottom line, I just want to walk out with a check at fair estimate. How can I do that?
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03-17-2023, 05:23 PM	#2
Hoody007 Major 1343 Rep 1,186 Posts Drives: 335i ZMZ LCI \| 850i/6 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Dunwoody, GA & Boston, MA iTrader: (0)	The other party is at fault, and you have this in writing? Take it to a body shop you trust, and get an estimate of the damage. You can also take it to an insurance-approved body shop, and get two quotes. My experience is there’s some opportunity to come out ahead that way… Submit a claim to your insurance company, and have them go after the other party.
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03-17-2023, 05:48 PM	#3
Daaaaaaaan Private First Class 93 Rep 163 Posts Drives: 08 323i Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Hamilton iTrader: (0)	Relative got into a not-at-fault accident. How insurance payouts work varies by state. For them, the insurance adjuster came to the house and put together the expected work. Once the estimate is available, we could take it to their approved body shop for a "hands-off" repair. If it was more expensive than expected, they'd take care of the back and forth. But we'd also be able to take it to our choice of shop and they'd pay them $2800. If we took a cheque, they'd only pay us $1900. We took it to a neighbourhood mechanic, they found a Grade B bumper cover in matching colour from a wrecker and installed it and the impact absorber, etc. for $950 all-in. The car was far from perfect where the impact was, but they don't need to know that. Profit! Probably would be better to find a crooked body shop to take the $2800, keep $400 for themselves and give us $2400, but I guess they have to provide evidence of the work so not sure that would actually work out.
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