FAQs
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Insurance FAQs:
Absolutely not. Insurance companies’ direct repair programs or preferred shops are simply an option. You may always go to the collision repair shop of your choice. It’s Your Car, Your Choice. Choose Us!
Claimant: Someone hit you. They were at fault. Their insurance company is paying the repair bill.
Insured: An accident happened and your insurance company will pay for the repair and you will also pay the deductible.
Private pay: Something happened to your vehicle but you don’t want to go through the insurance company, so you pay the bill yourself.
No. Unlike health insurance, your auto policy allows you to go to the collision repair center of your choice.
No you are not required to get more than one estimate. It is up to you to decide how many estimates you would like and if you want to discuss the repairs with more than one shop. If you have selected a shop, have your insurance company deal directly with them.
No, many customers prefer to pay for their own repairs so that a claim does not result in higher insurance premiums.
Subrogation is the process by which your insurance company pays for the repairs to your vehicle, and is obligated to collect from another insurer or party. Your collision coverage will require you to pay your deductible, which may be refunded once the other party pays.
The cost of repairs plus the value of the vehicle in damaged condition (salvage value) – is greater than the actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle prior to the accident. Basically, this means it will take more money to fix the car than for what you could sell it, so the insurance companies “total” the car and pay you the value of the car as if you were trying to sell it.
You have the right to retain ownership of the vehicle, but the amount of the settlement may be reduced by the salvage value. Salvage value is the estimated resale value of an asset at the end of its useful life.
The insurance company will assign an appraiser to inspect the vehicle to determine its condition prior to the accident, or in some instances allow the repairer to make the determination. They may use a vehicle evaluation service or the newspaper to determine pre-accident value. The owner should also determine the value independently. You can use multiple sites to help determine your ACV, but commercially the NADA (nadaguides.com) site is used and for person-to-person sales, Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) is often used.
Sometimes. If you feel the ACV offered by the insurance company is too low, then you are obligated to prove this either through documented receipts of vehicle enhancement or written statements by qualified experts to determine the proper value.
No. If your claim was deemed comprehensive or you had hail damage, these are considered comprehensive claims and do not count against you as an accident, thus have no impact on your insurance rate. Depending on your insurance policy, you may have a deductible to pay.
Collision FAQs:
Yes. You will receive a written warranty that covers labor and workmanship.
Yes. When repairing vehicles, our mission is to get your car to its pre-accident condition and this includes matching the color of the rest of your car. We use sophisticated camera-to-computer color matching software to get the closest color possible. Our 62 toners allow our expert painter to create thousands of colors that seamlessly blend with your new or weathered vehicle.
We prefer that you make an appointment to minimize your wait time. Each estimate normally requires 30 – 45 minutes to complete in excellence. We have flexible hours and can usually accommodate same-day appointments and some walk-in’s.
At the initial appointment we collect basic information, take photos of damage, and complete documentation required by your insurance company. We are part of more and more insurance company’s Preferred Repair Programs, therefore not even requiring that customers spend time to get an estimate.
Yes, 24-hour emergency towing is available by calling our trusted partner, Miner’s Towing at (636) 349-1975 or, you can have ANY company tow it to our lot at any day/time.
No, because we offer Paintless Dent Repair which is a lower cost, high quality method to repair small dents that have not scraped or broken the paint surface. These dent repairs preserve the factory paint finish, which is the most durable finish available. Average tie-up time for a vehicle getting PDR is one day.
All claimants against another person’s insurance company are eligible for a rental paid for by that insurance company. If a person’s claim is with his or her own insurance company, rental coverage on their policy must be in place for the insurance company to pay. If you don’t have rental car insurance, you will have to pay for your rental out of pocket, but will be able to utilize our company rate with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, if you choose.
Through an arrangement we have with Enterprise, they will pick you up at our location and streamline the rental pick-up/drop off process.
Wagner Collision Centers are continually streamlining the repair process while increasing quality. There are even more advantages if your insurance company partners with our Repair Planning Program: no estimates necessary and only one visit needed. In general, our repair process has 50% fewer steps compared to other shops.
When you bring in your vehicle for an estimate, one of our damage appraisers will be able to tell you the length of time it will take to repair your vehicle based on the parts being used, their availability and the labor hours it takes to complete the repairs.
You must talk with the insurance company to determine the payment arrangement for the repairs. Your insurance policy states the insurance company will pay you (or in the case of insurance companies which we are a direct repair shop, they will pay us) directly for the repairs, less any deductibles or depreciation. When you receive the check from the insurance company, you can bring the check to our office and sign it on-site to have the check applied to your repair bills. Alternatively, you can deposit the check in your own account then pay for the repairs from those funds.
- Do not wax the car for 90 days as it could cause the fresh paint to lose it’s glossy appearance.
- Wait 72 hours before applying any bumper stickers.
• Do not “dry wipe” your vehicle. Dry wiping can scratch the finish.
• Avoid parking under trees and utility lines which are likely to attract birds.
– Bird droppings have a high acid content and will damage a freshly painted surface.
– Also, tree sap can mar or spot a freshly painted surface.
– Do not spill gasoline, oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, or windshield solvent on the new finish.
• Do not scrape ice or snow from the newly painted surface. Scrapers can act like a paint scraper on a newly painted finish.
Get a Free Estimate
Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced damage appraisers!
- 645 Carriage Drive
Arnold, MO 63010 - (636) 296-7801
- 6348 US Highway 61-67
Imperial, MO 63052 - (636) 464-4686
