Alright, First of all. Let me apologize for making so many different threads regarding the Damage on my F56.

Currently my car is under repair, The Body Shop claims they pulled the dent out as much possible and bondo it, then sand and blend the paint...

However, I am having a sick gut feeling about this and is having a second heart about this repair.

I have spoke to many different people about this, everyone have given me different suggestions. Ultimately i feel more comfortable with getting a brand new hood and fender, repainted and clear.

Because when they damaged my car, it was only 5 days old. It was a BRAND NEW CAR, and the car should be better than new by the time the repair is done.

However the Tint Shop owner is not claiming his insurance for this, but paying out of pocket.

I plan on taking a day off from work, and pay a visit to the shop personally to this this addressed. However I know for a fact he is going to try any way possible to not claim this under his insurance. As he is already having an attitude with me about this simple repair with the body shop i currently having work done.

And when this happens, HOW CAN I APPROACH THIS?

 

My advice is stop right now and contact your insurance company.

Let your insurance company deal with it.

They will recover from him or his insurance company.

It sounds like a slock repair being done. Plus, you should consider suing him for diminished value, especially if he's got attitude and making you use a substandard shop.

 

The body shop was my choice, as i know the owner.
However the original quote was $1500, the Shop that damaged my car only agreed for about $700-800. So now i feel like they could have a deal going on under the table and I'm getting screwed!!

Suing for diminished value does not apply unless he is claiming it under his insurance right?
Or can i sue him either way?

 

I'm not a lawyer. I just know that if a repair makes it way to CarFax, you will pay for it come trade in time. If you sell yourself, you may take less of a ding.

But, unless your state is different, your insurance company cannot raise your rate for an accident that is not your fault. They can only charge you your deductible, and that is then returned to you when they recover all expenses for the repair from the at fault party (the individual or their insurance company).

And if the shop is required to have any type of license, you can file a complaint if they refuse to cover the full repair or will not involve their insurance company.

The only complication to all of this is what your insurance company can say or do when you did not go to them in the beginning. But if you need their help, it's only going to get worse the longer you wait.

If the shop has a Facebook page, or appears on Yelp, politely yell them you have 48 hours to fix this, or you are going to social media with the absurd treatment you are receiving.

 

I didn't know i have to alert my insurance, I just thought i need to get in touch with THEIR Insurance, however i have a feeling that they will not tell me who their insurance is with, because he is trying to avoid claiming it under the shops insurance.

Also a side note, since they are paying for repair, but it is just ME who wants a new HOOD AND FENDER. Is it possible that their insurance could deny it and also just offer a bondo repair work?

 

I was an insurance claims rep for insurance companies for 25 years, dealing with body shops and their repairs of cars. Bondo is acceptable in repairing body damage. The key is how it's used. There is a stigma about Bondo because it can be used by unethical repair shops to do cheap shoddy work. Some body shops will do little or no bump work and fill that huge cavity with Bondo. Then, down the road it breaks loose and you now have a bad repair and Bondo gets the blame for it. I don't know about today but not too many years ago there was a good chance Bondo was on many if not most new cars being sold. If you have a good shop and they do good body work they will probably want to put a film of Bondo over the 'bumped out' part of the repair to get a perfect finish. If you trust the shop, go with them on this.

 

That is what the body shop guy told me.
I knew him back when i was still in High School, about 5-6 years ago.
He insist that he knows what he's doing and i should have faith in him.

But then at the same time, since he is not getting paid as much as he originally quoted.
I am afraid he is taking short cuts to compensate for that.

 

New hood....
The Hood will flex, the bondo/filler will crack....
Hoods are replaced and rarely repaired for this reason....
If an insurance company, known for being cheap, skips the cheap way out (bondo)....there is s reason...take the hint.

 

Something to keep in mind: many new parts are delivered to the body shop with little dents and dings that result from being handled. Guess how they're probably repaired. I know you've got a sinking feeling in your gut right now. Be sure your buddy is aware of your thoughts about Bondo and at the same time you have to accept the fact that properly used and applied correctly it is an accepted method of repair.

I don't know if you've ever watched the t.v. shows 'Fast and Loud', 'Counting cars' or many other shows of that type but you will most often, if not always, see them finishing up a panel with a light coating of Bondo. The key word there is light. It's the shops that try to hide their shoddy work with Bondo that has caused the stigma.

 

I wouldn't worry about the bondo. I would though want them to respray the entire hood. At least they should clear the entire hood and other panels to the edge of the panel. Otherwise there could be a weak spot at the edge of where the new and old clear come together.

 

This is what I recommended last week. Work it through your ins co., pay your deductible, and take it to a BMW certified shop. All new OEM parts on such a new car and you know the paint job will match. If you're getting estimates, and having to get the owner's ok, then you're not gonna be happy. It's ok to change your mind, you're the victim in this case. If the repairs haven't started, you can do this.

 

Well repair has already started....
Will i still have the rights to make changes?

 

It's your car and you do have the right to make a change. Keep in mind however, if additional costs are incurred because of your making this change your insurance company or the other insurance company is only liable to you for the cost of repairs, not the costs generated because of changing horses in mid-stream. Something else to keep in mind: just because you go to a dealers body shop is not a guarantee you'll get a better repair job or even a better paint match. The quality of work depends on the individual doing the job and has nothing to do with what shop he works in. If you really want the best repair shop, ask your agent who he recommends. They deal with body shops all the time and know which shops generate complaints and which shops don't.

 

Not as true as it used to be. The stuff they use now still has some elasticity to it and can flex. When I was rear ended, they pulled the dent out as much as possible and then use the filler (don't want to say bondo as that really isn't what it is) to level it out. After that there was a nice respray and it looks great. My shop also warrantied it for life. This was my back hatch that was damaged and you really couldn't even tell it was done.

As for the OP, it is a new car, but insurance companies probably aren't going to replace everything with factory. I know it sucks, but if you want total replacement, you will probably have to sue for it. Your friends repair will probably be just as good.

 

I hope....
Filler on the sides and roof I am OK with...but large movable parts that have flex...makes me worry. Good to hear the boot latch is holding up....
With such new, unfaded paint, bet it will be a perfect match if done by a pro with good materials. Good luck...sounds like the repair is underway....so should have it back in a day is my guess!!
Even if the info does get reported to a "Carfax" type of service, the low $$ of the repair, less than $2000 should mean minimal impact to the cars value if any...especially since it was cosmetic and non collision....

 

the insurance company does whatever it takes to avoid a scandal

 

Sorry to hear about your issue.

FWIW, I always contact my insurance broker to ask questions before proceeding with anything. She is an independent so our conversations are always confidential.
In a case like yours, I would wager she would have told me to contact my insurance company and let them fight out reimbursement between companies, Not to deal the tint shop owner or the body shop.
I would wager that this is a comprehensive claim so your premiums would not increase.. If anyone's rates would increase, it will be the tint shop's

I realize that for you, this is a huge deal. To the insurance, this is nothing more than day to day business. You pay the premium, let the insurance company do their job. They will know what repairs are acceptable and which are not.

You are likely too far down the "rabbit hole" now to change course. Consider this a learning experience for the future. There is will be a time when "out of pocket" makes sense. I think this is not one of those times..
.

 

A good paint touch up guy at a detail shop could fix that scratch to where you’d never see it. They should do that for you at least.