Get the best quote, not the cheapest
After any kind of vehicle accident, securing a comprehensive repair estimate from a trustworthy repairer should be the first step to getting your car back on the road.
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Richard Green, national director of the South African Motor Body Repairersā Association (SAMBRA), a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation representing over 900 motor body repair businesses across South Africa, says when deciding which quote to proceed with, bear in mind the cheapest estimate is rarely the best option.
āThe disruption accident damage can cause should not overshadow the need to get a quality repair estimate,ā said Green.
āAlways choose the company that provides the most thorough quote and which you feel most comfortable trusting. Ensure the motor body repair facility is qualified and thorough enough to find and assess all the damage.
āWhile you can send in photographs of the damage or have a consultation over the phone, it remains important to take your car in for a proper inspection and comprehensive repair assessment.ā
Green said the first estimate will typically only include the visible damage. Once the claim is authorised and technicians start stripping the exterior of your car, they will most likely find even more damage which can result in additional repair costs.
āMost accredited motor body repair service centres use internationally accredited estimating programmes to create estimates and will forward these to your insurance company,ā he said.
And, as most insurance policies have excesses on vehicle repair claims, consumers should also understand their policy beforehand and what portion of the total cost of repair is for their cost.
āThe āexcessā is the portion of the claim you must pay for. The primary reason for an excess is to ensure motorists do not feel tempted to claim for every small loss.ā
Green advised that for your vehicle to be released by the repairer following the repair work, you will need to pay the excess, even if you are unhappy with the amount, and then dispute it with your insurance company.
āIf you donāt pay the excess you could, for example, end up having to pay storage costs to the repairer while you dispute the excess with your insurer. It is, therefore, always advisable to first resolve a dispute over excess with your insurer before commencing with a claim.
āIf you are still not happy, then your next step is to contact the office of the Ombudsman for short-term insurance.
āRemember too, when it comes to insurance claims, it is the depreciated value of your vehicle that will be considered.
The older your car, the smaller the insured value will be and the greater the chance that your insurer will choose to declare the vehicle uneconomical to repair and write it off, depending on the amount of damage and cost of repair.ā