Insurance Repairs Suck

[Undisputed]

I was struck by a plywood board on the freeway a few weeks ago. The adjuster came out and I told him that that the upper and lower bumper needed to be replaced, not repaired. Basically everything below the headlights (I put it in dummy terms). He wrote the repair estimate incorrectly. I dropped off my car to the shop on 6/19. I talked to them on 6/23 and they said that the estimate was wrong (big surprise) and that an adjuster would have to come back out to review the damage so that the estimate could be re-written. They said, "Your insurance company said that they would call you to let you know" Obviously nobody did. They could not do any work on the car until it was corrected.

Then I talk to them on 6/28 and they said that the car would be ready on 6/30.
I called them this morning at 8:30 and asked if my car would be ready. It had to be ready today because my insurance was only paying for the rental car thru today. They said no problem, "We will call you when it's ready, we just have to wrap it up and clean it for you." The car would be ready and waiting. I left work early, I work in Santa Monica and drove 100+ miles to Bakersfield to pick up my car. The shop closes at 5:30PM. I called them at 4:45PM to make sure that they'd have it ready. Big surprise, they said that the car wasn't ready. He said that they were attaching the lower bumper and found that the upper bumper was damaged and needed to be replaced. They ordered the part and the car should be ready by Friday afternoon.

Needless to say, I'm pretty pissed right now....

[SoCalS4Avant]

Screw that! Experienced some problems before with insurance companies and repair shops. That's never a fun thing to go through.

Who's your insurance co. BTW? Maybe it's time to switch!

[oc-drop]

i hope it's not Mercury

[bakerstech]

what body shop? So we can all stay way. Sounds like Family motors body shop

[Undisputed]

The insurance company is Progressive. I've already signed a new policy with Safeco so as soon as this claim is closed, I'll be cancelling the Progressive.
The shop is Rosedale Collision Center. I thought that they and Carriage Motors were supposed to be the best but the communication has been completely non-existant. The only ones who've done anything close to right has been Enterprise. Progressive paid for my rental car thru them. When the girl came to the shop she brought me a PT Cruiser and I was unhappy to say the least. She was sweet enough to swap out the car for a Jetta. Not the best, but better than a PT Cruiser.

[exorcet]

huh.. I was rear-ended by a Progressive insured lady, and filed my claim with her insurance.

I can't believe the level of customer service I received from Progressive. The guy called me everyday to update me on status, recommended some local body shops that he knew did good work, from experience with other claims (with no push to actually use them). I was completely amazed at the level of service from an insurance company that isn't my own!

[Undisputed]

When I initially filed the claim, they did a great job of getting me a claim number and a referral to the shop. I think that part of the reason that I'm so upset about it is that I know that the shop didn't touch my car until the other day.
If they had, then they'd of known that the upper bumper needed to be replaced also. I just wanted to be kept in the loop. Progressive boasts about using their network shops and priority repairs and such but this doesn't seem to be the case at all.
If I'm going through all this over a minor repair, what kind of headache can I expect for a major one?
Anyway, I'll let you guys know tomorrow if I'm able to get my car back.

[Quattro]

didnt you go to the shop I told ya too go??

[exorcet]

When I initially filed the claim, they did a great job of getting me a claim number and a referral to the shop. I think that part of the reason that I'm so upset about it is that I know that the shop didn't touch my car until the other day.
If they had, then they'd of known that the upper bumper needed to be replaced also. I just wanted to be kept in the loop. Progressive boasts about using their network shops and priority repairs and such but this doesn't seem to be the case at all.
If I'm going through all this over a minor repair, what kind of headache can I expect for a major one?
Anyway, I'll let you guys know tomorrow if I'm able to get my car back.

sounds like a shop problem not a Progressive problem. I was 'recommended' a shop by Progressive, but obviously chose my own.

[Undisputed]

Quattro, I was gonna go but I had to put out $1200 on my truck so I decided to wait to fix the car. Then I just decided I'll go ahead and do it. I was going on vacation and wouldn't be driving my car so I figured I'd turn it in to the shop up here by my house.

[Undisputed]

BTW,
I called the shop yesterday and told them that I was leaving work early AGAIN to pick up my car. They said that they still do not have the bumper. My rental has been extended until Monday.

[GhostSquadGarage]

I HIGHLY doubt it was the insurances fault.
I can almost gurantee the bodyshop was just sitting on their ass not even letting the ins know the car was ready to be inspected.
I just put mine in the shop for work and Progressive did a 3way call with me and my shop to insure dropoff time and he was out there 1hr afterwards writing up a VERY reasonable quote. Even replaced a tire\wheel which had nothing to do with anything I could think of on the work, but it "might" have been so he did.
Updated me several times a day etc... and this will be the ONLY insurance I carry from now on.
The ease of online and superior service is above and beyond anywhere else in my lifetime.

[Undisputed]

Oh, I'm certain they were sitting on it. My problem with the whole process is that the shop didn't get started in a timely manner and nobody, not even the insurance company bothered to communicate with me and keep me in the loop. My adjuster did say he was new but I would think that he'd be even more customer service oriented than a seasoned employee.
Anyway, they said that they got the bumper in today and the car would be ready today but not until late this afternoon. I'm leaving work early tomorrow (Tuesday) to pick up my car...we'll see.....

[Undisputed]

finially got my car today!!!
Geez I'm glad this is over.