Reader question:
Okay, so I decided to handle the repair of my car for my claim myself, and I got a ton of estimates and finally me and my car insurance company settle down. Now how do I make sure everything goes right with the repair?
Emmett
Great question.
Getting good service and having your repairs done well and quickly often depends more on how you communicate with your mechanic than anything else. They may know a lot more about cars than you do, but they aren’t omniscient, and so proper communication throughout the whole process will help everyone make sure that your needs are taken care of so you don’t have to come back again. If you and your insurance company already agreed on a place, then all they’re doing from here is paying the bill. You have to handle getting what is related to the claim fixed and provide the documentation.
- Try to talk with the mechanic who’s going to be fixing your car, and describe the problem to him completely. Offer the symptoms, tell him how it happened, everything. This will give him a head start wh diagnosing what is wrong with your car.
- Don’t diagnose it yourself. You might be wrong, and then the shop could end up repairing what you suggested instead of the real problem. Then you walk away and you still have the same exact problem.
- Test drive. If the problem is only obvious when the vehicle is in motion, you can ask the mechanic to go with you on a test drive, to show what the problem is.
- Get proof of their diagnosis. If you’re uneasy with what the mechanic says is wrong, you can ask for evidence. Usually, it’s pretty easy to tell when pointed out. Don’t let them tell you no by saying the car insurance company doesn’t allow customers to go in the repair area. It’s your car that’s getting repaired, and you need to know for sure, so insist.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.