Minor Car Accident Repair & Insurance Claim Advice Needed

LAplg on 26/10/2022 - 18:34
Last edited 26/10/2022 - 18:42 by 1 other user

Hi ozbargainer, please share your advise if u have. Thank you in advance.
Incident:
Few days ago, while changing lane to the right at a slow moving traffic (it was 40-50 speed zone), i hit a the car on the right lane. My right side mirror closed in and there were scuffs on my right fender part just below the side mirror (which was removed with wet wipes) .
The affected car was a black toyota kluger 2007. Affected his left side mirror and front door- had similar scuffs but no dent deep grove scratches etc. Nothing obviously significant was seen. I forgot to take pics.

We agreed to go privately and the owner refused to take it to my mechanic. Didnt think it would be costly. But now he has a bill of 2k+. I dont quite understand the details of bill either.

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/447504/99028/20221026_…

Can anyone advice on the bill if it is normal and
im with my insurance for 6months +, would it be worth claiming insurance? My insurance is budget direct and has adviced to pay first then claim. Excess is 1.5k.

Please advice. Thank u in advance everyone.

Automotive

Comments

  • zonra on 26/10/2022 - 18:39
    +3

    Can anyone advice on the bill if it is normal

    Without the invoice or any photos, it's anyone's guess really.

    Would it be worth claiming insurance?

    100%. Unless you feel like footing that $2k yourself.

    • Aplg on 26/10/2022 - 18:43

      Sorry new here, was navigating around to get the bill uploaded. Link is up. Thank u

  • spackbace on 26/10/2022 - 18:47
    +1

    Painting of the front bar, did you clip the front corner of the Kluger?

    Need pics of the damage on the Kluger but all seems fair for a professional repair (note that no one would want a basic touch-up job if they weren't at fault)

    $1500 excess on your car?! Age or accident history?

    A note as well that they'll likely claim a hire car while theirs is in the shop, which is a further charge you'll have to cop

    • Aplg on 26/10/2022 - 19:17

      Didnt think i did. Age 1500. Thank u

  • apsilon on 26/10/2022 - 18:48

    Looks fine to me.

    • Aplg on 26/10/2022 - 19:18

      Thank u

  • Drakesy on 26/10/2022 - 18:58
    +2

    This is how the crash repairers make their money lets not forget,
    They'll overquote knowing you'll have to stump up and ultimately it'll go to the insurers.

    The jacking fee is laughable
    Don't know what nec road rims as required means
    Don't know why they're touching the grill if you hit them on the side.
    Don't know why they're touching the radiator if you hit them on the side
    Don't know why they're touching the r/h headlight if you hit them on the side
    Don't know why they're touching the front bar if you hit them on the side
    Not sure why they're replacing the RHF guard liner when you hit them on the side

    It's a bit questionable, but without pictures anything is possible.
    Cop the $1500 excess and move on personally.

    • apsilon on 26/10/2022 - 19:03
      +1

      They're removing the front bar, all that stuff needs to come off to access fasteners.

      • Drakesy on 26/10/2022 - 19:12
        +1

        Sounds like OP might have impacted a bit harder than initially described.

        • Euphemistic on 26/10/2022 - 20:12

          RR is remove and replace with the same bits, unless there were new parts listed separately.

          If the front bumper needs repair (as quoted) the wheels, guard liners, grill etc will probably need to come off.

        • apsilon on 26/10/2022 - 20:21

          Maybe but all it needs is a scratch which doesn't take much in order to require being painted.

    • Aplg on 26/10/2022 - 19:19

      Same thoughts but yea no pics thank you

      • spackbace on 26/10/2022 - 19:30
        +1

        Why wouldn't you have taken pics at the scene of the accident?

  • Empharand on 26/10/2022 - 19:15

    I understand your desire to keep it away from your insurance therefore it doesn't affect your premium, but personally if I was the other party (The victim) I'd want it all done legitimately through the insurance companies repair centre as most offer a 'lifetime repair guarantee', and the other party have the right to dictate where their car gets repaired as you are the one cleaning up the mess for your mistake

    If the other party is happy to get it done privately and you have $2333.50 ready to go (Add minimum 10% encase they find other items while disassembling the car) then go for your life. If you're worried about the price get a second and even a third quote elsewhere, consult with the other party on their preferred additional repairers.

    • Aplg on 26/10/2022 - 19:21

      Ok thanks

      • Empharand on 26/10/2022 - 19:22

        *$2566.85 - I overlooked the second page with the total including GST

  • Euphemistic on 26/10/2022 - 19:59

    The RR section is ‘remove and replace’. They’ve got to take a bunch of parts off to repair the affected areas. L/H/F = left hand front. R = right

    Are they adding extra things that won’t really be removed and replaced? No idea as there are no pictures of the damage - but it really depends on the vehicle how much you have to peel off to to get the bumper off, most vehicles you don’t need to remove the headlights as the bumper is often one of the last pieces fitted. I just removed a bumper from a car for some repairs. There were lots of fasteners and the inner guard liners did have to be pushed out of the way (not removed) but headlights stayed on.

    It also looks like they are taking the rear door off which shouldn’t be necessary.

    Looking at that amount I’d be seriously considering making an insurance claim.

  • Muzeeb on 26/10/2022 - 21:39
    +2

    It's interesting how one car can be repaired with 2-3 baby wipes and the other requires $2-3k

    • netjock on 26/10/2022 - 22:27

      Because the other is making a (extremely good) living

  • bobbified on 26/10/2022 - 22:23
    +1

    I forgot to take pics

    This will play a big part in how you're going to get screwed over.

    They charge over $100 to "jack and support vehicle as per OH&S" and….. a "wheel alignment"? I'm almost surprised they haven't got items in there for the 'removal and replacement' of the whole engine, front and rear seats, etc.

    • apsilon on 27/10/2022 - 06:22

      They charge over $100 to "jack and support vehicle as per OH&S" and….. a "wheel alignment"?

      You think their staff should work for free? Running a business you need to account for a portion of every cost, every action. If you were to vacuum the carpet you not only account for the time of the person pushing the vac but also depreciation on the vacuum, wear/use of the filter, the bag if it has one, electricity if you're responsible for that, insurance, time of the person creating the invoice, the paper, envelope and postage for the invoice, tax, the accounting software, rent on the office, depreciation on the PC used as well as the desk and chair and on and on. You do not do things for free, at least not if you want to remain in business.

      Wheel alignment is standard in basically any accident. Not only does an impact effect wheel alignment but it's also an extra check that could show up additional damage.

      Every charge shown is completely reasonable if you actually understand what's involved.

      • bobbified on 27/10/2022 - 11:37

        You think their staff should work for free?

        Noone is suggesting they should work for free, but in what world does it cost more to jack a car up than a wheel alignment?

        Wheel alignment is standard in basically any accident. Not only does an impact effect wheel alignment but it's also an extra check that could show up additional damage.

        If a wheel alignment was required for a scrape (that can be wiped off with wet wipes) like the OP describes, I'd hate to think what's required each time the car is driven over a bumpy road.

        Every charge shown is completely reasonable if you actually understand what's involved.

        Repairs to L/H Door, L/H Guard, Front Bar - the scrape went all the way across? And they're painting the L/H Rear door as well?

        There's "reasonable" and then there's "overquoting". We obviously haven't seen the car, but if OP's description is anything to go by, this is a clear case of overquoting.

        • apsilon on 27/10/2022 - 19:30

          Noone is suggesting they should work for free, but in what world does it cost more to jack a car up than a wheel alignment?

          So how much should it cost to pay someone to place a seat protector, move the car into the work area, get the jack and stands, position them and raise the vehicle then reverse all that plus cover insurance, and wear and tear on equipment?

          If a wheel alignment was required for a scrape (that can be wiped off with wet wipes) like the OP describes, I'd hate to think what's required each time the car is driven over a bumpy road.

          The difference is they've taken on a duty of care via the repair and a warranty on the work. If they don't check and something happens do you think the owner will just shrug their shoulders and move on or come back, complain and expect compensation? While the wheel alignment is done the suspension and brakes will be visually inspected to ensure nothing is damaged.

          Repairs to L/H Door, L/H Guard, Front Bar - the scrape went all the way across? And they're painting the L/H Rear door as well?

          Maybe more than one panel was damaged we don't know, or it could be restricted to one panel but the paint type requires blending into adjacent panels. This absolutely isn't a case of over quoting. It may look that way to someone with no experience in the industry but it's not.

          • bobbified on 28/10/2022 - 14:48

            @apsilon:

            This absolutely isn't a case of over quoting. It may look that way to someone with no experience in the industry but it's not.

            Back in the day when I did this for a living as an assessor for a large insurer, I would've asked for an "explanation" for this kind of quote to see if they could reasonably justify it. I get it - overquoting is/was rife and they have to make their money somehow - so I often turned a blind eye to this kind of thing. But if it was clear that they were taking the piss, I'd tell them to get stuffed.

            It was (and I bet it's still) a common tactic for smash repairers to issue an inflated quote and then ask their "competition" on either side of them to issue even higher quotes so that the insurer awards them the job because they're the "lowest" of the two or three quotes.

            • apsilon on 28/10/2022 - 15:19

              @bobbified: By "explanation" I can only assume you mean bribe because I have explained it and if you have the experience you claim you shouldn't have needed an explanation at all, blending of panels is extremely common for modern paints as is everything else listed.

              • bobbified on 28/10/2022 - 15:24

                @apsilon: I wouldn't be stupid enough to accept bribes - unless it was quite a few million bucks that I could retire on.

                I agree that blending of colours is important and common. That's not the main thing in question. It's the amount of damage. We can only go by what OP has said and that is there were only scuff marks on the door. For that quote of this magnitude, I would be expecting at least a long scrape from the door to the front bar.

                • apsilon on 28/10/2022 - 16:32
                  +1

                  @bobbified: Damage is damage. If it's scratched, no matter how minor, it should be repaired to it's previous condition, not bodged up by some kid with a touch up pen from Repco. I wouldn't care if the scratch was 5mm long, I'd want it repaired right. My own car was hit while parked earlier this year, while most of the damage was the front guard, the drivers side mirror housing the indicator lens had separated slightly. You could see about a 3mm length where the glue had parted from the force of the impact. Similarly the sill had a tiny scuff near the wheel. I had both replaced with new so the vehicle was back to it's previous condition. Most people would never notice and it had no effect on how it worked but that's not the point. Either way the vehicle is devalued (you'd know how easy it is to pick aftermarket paint) but at least it'll look back to normal to the owner.

                  As for OP, they've presented no photos so we're just guessing and you're guessing that the quote is inflated where in all likelihood it's spot on for the type of accident described. It's not like an at fault party has never understated the damage they caused before and what's minor to one is significant damage to another.

                  • bobbified on 28/10/2022 - 17:55

                    @apsilon:

                    If it's scratched, no matter how minor, it should be repaired to it's previous condition, not bodged up by some kid with a touch up pen from Repco

                    I totally agree with you there. Any damage should be fixed properly.

                    As for OP, they've presented no photos so we're just guessing and you're guessing that the quote is inflated where in all likelihood it's spot on for the type of accident described. It's not like an at fault party has never understated the damage they caused before and what's minor to one is significant damage to another.

                    I agree with you here too! Especially about the at-fault party understating the damage. We'll never know in this case haha.

                    • apsilon on 29/10/2022 - 06:52

                      @bobbified:

                      We'll never know in this case haha.

                      Which seems to be the norm here with people rarely following up and as they say, there's always two sides to a story.

    • Euphemistic on 27/10/2022 - 07:39

      The charge for jacking it up is probably as a result of insurance companies screwing them over on every cent. They have to allow time/cost for every single thing they do.

      it’s a charge for the time to jack it up and out stands under front then back - then reverse the procedure at the end. Panel shops won’t use a hoist because the car will likely sit there in pieces for a few days.

      Also wheel alignment is important if the vehicle has been in an incident. Pushing the vehicle off line could affect the alignment and prematurely wear the tyres.

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