Should I go with the lowest car repair estimate?
Should I go with the lowest car repair estimate?
Hi everyone. I recently bought a brand new Lexus and a week later it got keyed (small mark but it was pretty deep). I took my car to three shops and got three different totally different estimates: $250, $460, and $500. The $250 shop is a foreign import car repair shop --I saw a lot of high end cars in there while getting the estimate. the $460 came from a Lexus-backed body shop, and the $500 came from another independent shop. Should I be suspicious of the shop that's asking for only $250? Why on earth is it so much lower than the other two?!
Answers:
FishJ: I needed body repair once, and I asked the dealer where I purchased the car for a recommendation. Generally they know of a body shop that is fair priced (dealers are misers) yet fair quality (the cars have to pass the customers approval). I had outstanding luck with my reference.
2007-10-03 21:43:15
2007-10-03 21:43:15
Chosen Answer
Eric S: Look, my buddy owns a paint shop that can paint a suburban for 700 bucks excluding body work. 250 sounds fair. It is simply a matter of taping it off, sanding it smooth. Then primer and paint are applied and it is wet sanded and buffed until the transition lines are invisible. Do it, take the lowest bid. Check the car when you pick it up, if you aren't satisfied let them know, they have to fix it. That's the way they keep customers.
2007-10-03 21:47:11
Eric S: Look, my buddy owns a paint shop that can paint a suburban for 700 bucks excluding body work. 250 sounds fair. It is simply a matter of taping it off, sanding it smooth. Then primer and paint are applied and it is wet sanded and buffed until the transition lines are invisible. Do it, take the lowest bid. Check the car when you pick it up, if you aren't satisfied let them know, they have to fix it. That's the way they keep customers.
2007-10-03 21:47:11
gearnofear: Ask them what the $250 dollar repair involves. That's the best way to find out who is going to offer you the best repair. It's possible they are only going to scuff the damaged area and repaint just that small area. While this is an OK repair it often times gives problems a year or so down the road. the paint may start chipping in theses areas, you might develop rust, you never know. I would talk with all three shops and find out exactly what they are going to do to repair the damage. then from there make a choice with the shop that is going to do the best work for the best price. Sorry about the damage, I hate it when people are complete losers and feel they need to damage others property to make themselves feel better.
2007-10-03 21:49:36
2007-10-03 21:49:36