Repairable or write off? Any clue?

[HunterZero]

repainting the panels that weren't involved but surrounding the door

It's not uncommon to do that when you are doing a proper job, to make sure the paint matches. If you eg have a damaged door and just repaint the door and don't do the surrounding panels, any slight mismatch in colour can be very obvious, especially in bright sunlight. The need to find suitable places on the car to 'lose' the edges of the respray usually means respraying an area much larger than the actual repair.

- HZ

[ChaosMaster]

Yeah, I know that a good repairer will blend it in. But these guys will re paint the whole next panel, and blend in the one after. Just incase, Lolz.

[Fredoops]

Yeah, I know that a good repairer will blend it in. But these guys will re paint the whole next panel, and blend in the one after. Just incase, Lolz.

and you wonder why your insurance is so high......

[HunterZero]

and you wonder why your insurance is so high......

Insurance is so high because people keep doing stupid things on the road and having accidents in expensive cars.

- HZ

[Fredoops]

Insurance is so high because people keep doing stupid things on the road and having accidents in expensive cars.

- HZ

.... then gets stupid high quotes for irrelevent works....

[HunterZero]

.... then gets stupid high quotes for irrelevent works....

It's not irrelevant work if the new paint would be noticeable from the old paint otherwise. But obiously some repairers think as you do and cheap out. I've seen a few cars around where you can tell one door or quarter panel has been sprayed and it doesn't match the panels next to it.

Solid colours are much easier to repair than pearlescent and metallic colours with clear coat. In the old days it was much easier to do a spot repair. Now, they have to also find ways to hide the edges of the clear coat repair as well as blend the colour and match the pearl. Often it's not possible to get a perfect repair (or near enough) without repainting a large area. I have heard of repairers spraying the entire side of a car to get an imperceptible colour match and clear coat blend with the rest of the paint. Because if the repairer doesn't get it right, it's going to be out of their own pocket when they have to rectify any repairs that are unsatisfactory. They can even go to the trouble of matching orange peel and gloss.

Besides, it's the insurer footing the repair bill, and usually when the insurer deals with choice of repairer, they aren't going to employ repairers who overquote repairs.

- HZ

[simonchau]

Hi guys, my car is still in progress with the stupid insurance, well apparently I picked Scott's paint and panel in artarmon, they quote the Damage to 18k, which they considered is a total loss, my insurance said it could be fix from there repairer, so is it possible of I have a choice to tell them to get it as a total loss since the repairer I wanted declared that it's a total lost and I don't want to pick one of there repairer? Cheers

[ChaosMaster]

You pay for the quality. Some people don't notice it, some people will. Like in my case, I found a repairer who was willing to fix my door for $1900. I figured, excess cost more than that, and I don't want a premium rise (which happens anyway cos insurance companies are run by vampires after our blood money), so I had it fixed. Very nice job, I could hardly tell the difference (slightly lighter graphite colour as compared to the others, but was well blended in, and only tell under direct sunlight). I was happy. Then, one day(about 2 months later), I got a scratch in it (typical bitch parks in carpark next to you and opens door with all the force she's got). I decide to use wax on it, only to find the wax is eating away at the paint. Now the mark is very noticeable. Went to Honda this time to get it fixed (they only charged 200 this time as it was just a paint over or something). Tried waxing it a week after the repaint and no problems.

[ChaosMaster]

Hi guys, my car is still in progress with the stupid insurance, well apparently I picked Scott's paint and panel in artarmon, they quote the Damage to 18k, which they considered is a total loss, my insurance said it could be fix from there repairer, so is it possible of I have a choice to tell them to get it as a total loss since the repairer I wanted declared that it's a total lost and I don't want to pick one of there repairer? Cheers

Yeah, you can ask them again. Or ask the repairer to tell them. Just be insistent, that is unless your car's market value is 28k or something, then they'll just ignore you.

[simonchau]

Well I asked honda, they say your car is worth 15-16k

[Fredoops]

Well I asked honda, they say your car is worth 15-16k

Well the "no repairable writeoff" rule in NSW is really having a lot of unintended consequences.... Just hope there is no hail storm soon...

[HunterZero]

Remember, it's your car, you are not at fault, it's your say who repairs your car and how your car gets repaired, so don't be pressured into using one of their cheaper repairers if you don't want to. At any rate, the other driver's insurance should cover your repairs, your insurer shouldn't be out of pocket, they shouldn't care less if your car is repairable or written off or not unless they're too lazy to deal with the other insurance provider or chase the at fault driver if uninsured - was the other driver not insured?

Scotts are a qualified registered repairer, they can't dispute the quote for repairs from them. Was the quote from Scott's using new parts? The insurers probably won't like paying for new parts, they like repairers to use cheaper refurbished parts or parts "appropriate to the age and condition of the vehicle" if they are available since the car is older than 3 years.

- HZ