So last month I hit a deer. I have full coverage insurance with progressive(my first mistake). So I send in pictures through the app. They review the pictures with an instant estimate. I immediately call because the instant estimate appears way off. They tell me they do not send out adjusters due to COVID and that if I think it’s off I need to take it to a body shop and they’ll send their adjuster when the vehicle is in the shop.
I take the truck to the collision center that shares a parking lot with my job. They agree I’m going to need more parts than what’s on the estimate. I ask if I can buy and bring the parts from my job as it’s a dealership and I’d prefer oem for certain parts. Sure, no problem they say. So I order a door skin, fender, mirror and headlamp. A few at my cost and a few cost -50% from dealerships trying to offload them.
Insurance comes back that they will not pay for a new door skin they want it repaired. I disagree and am stuck with non returnable parts anyway so I tell them go ahead with the repairs. In the meantime I get a letter from my bank that Progressive has canceled by claims check and the funds have been removed from my account. Apparently they’ve cut a new check to the collision center.
It’s now a month later and I’m one back ordered part away from everything being done. They sent me an email today saying I’ll only owe them $132. Doesn’t sound right I say, there’s $900+ worth of parts on the estimate that I paid for out of pocket and supplied to you for the repairs. I realize I have a $500 deductible but there’s still $400+ difference. They say that they’ve credited me with what I paid for the parts but the difference between that and what insurance is paying is their mark up and they are entitled to that. There was also a window and install labor on the estimate which I declined to have replaced since it was a minor scratch in a spot that didn’t hinder vision. They credited me the part but kept the labor.
At this point what do I do? If they had told me in the first place they do not use customer supplied parts I would have just went somewhere else. If Progressive had not canceled my check they sent out I would have paid for my parts with that, offered the body shop a take it or leave offer of just my $500 deductible. Last thing the body shop told me was they messed up on figuring tax and that I didn’t owe anything I was free to take the truck when they completed it.
I take the truck to the collision center that shares a parking lot with my job. They agree I’m going to need more parts than what’s on the estimate. I ask if I can buy and bring the parts from my job as it’s a dealership and I’d prefer oem for certain parts. Sure, no problem they say. So I order a door skin, fender, mirror and headlamp. A few at my cost and a few cost -50% from dealerships trying to offload them.
Insurance comes back that they will not pay for a new door skin they want it repaired. I disagree and am stuck with non returnable parts anyway so I tell them go ahead with the repairs. In the meantime I get a letter from my bank that Progressive has canceled by claims check and the funds have been removed from my account. Apparently they’ve cut a new check to the collision center.
It’s now a month later and I’m one back ordered part away from everything being done. They sent me an email today saying I’ll only owe them $132. Doesn’t sound right I say, there’s $900+ worth of parts on the estimate that I paid for out of pocket and supplied to you for the repairs. I realize I have a $500 deductible but there’s still $400+ difference. They say that they’ve credited me with what I paid for the parts but the difference between that and what insurance is paying is their mark up and they are entitled to that. There was also a window and install labor on the estimate which I declined to have replaced since it was a minor scratch in a spot that didn’t hinder vision. They credited me the part but kept the labor.
At this point what do I do? If they had told me in the first place they do not use customer supplied parts I would have just went somewhere else. If Progressive had not canceled my check they sent out I would have paid for my parts with that, offered the body shop a take it or leave offer of just my $500 deductible. Last thing the body shop told me was they messed up on figuring tax and that I didn’t owe anything I was free to take the truck when they completed it.