Thursday 29th of July 2010
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| 10 Tips: Shun financial fender benders when going to the shop |
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7. Clarify your rental car expenses. Auto-body repairs often take longer than expected – meaning you could be stuck driving rented wheels for a long time at a potentially high cost to you. If you regularly pay a nominal monthly fee for rental-car insurance, you might only be reimbursed for the rental of a compact car. If such a small car would never work for you, it might be time to reevaluate your coverage. 8. Do you have a European car? If so, the repair shop you use should have a special certification from the car manufacturer, along with specialized equipment to fix your vehicle’s aluminum and hard steel parts. Your insurer’s approved shops may not fit the bill for your vehicle, but your insurer still should pay for such specialized repairs. 9. Don’t be unduly swayed by your insurer’s warranty. As a way of encouraging you to use a shop in its network, your insurance company may offer a warranty on replacement parts. This warranty often isn’t necessary because most shops guarantee their work and parts manufacturers guarantee their parts. 10. Make your signoff a requirement. Especially when you’re on the hook for the repair costs, politely clarify with the shop that no work should happen until you’ve authorized it first. When the time comes to pick up your car, look the bill over carefully and make sure everything matches up with the estimate you had been given and the notes you had taken earlier. If you spot anything you didn’t authorize, speak up about it. By Laura T. Coffey |
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