How can it take a MONTH to fix my car?

Let’s take a closer look at the process.

Day 1 – Monday:  Best case scenario, you drop off your car with an approved Insurance estimate and we have pre-ordered those parts. Today your car is checked in, paperwork processed, washed and has a pre-repair inspection done with digital photos to protect you and us.

Day 2 – Tuesday:  Your car is dispatched to the first available technician so he can check all the original parts against your vehicle and start the disassembly process.

Day 3 – Wednesday:  Technician finishes finding all of the additional damages and the estimator goes out to the vehicle and reviews every part with the technician in his stall with a laptop adding each item to the estimate, creating a supplement.

Day 4 – Thursday:  Often this was not finished the day before because of lack of information in the systems. Now that the estimator has researched what is really needed and gotten it on the supplement it is sent into the insurance or 3rd party reviewer.

Day 5 – Friday:  Almost all insurance companies have a 24-48 hr. Window to respond to a supplement request.

Day 6 – Saturday:  The weekend

Day 7 – Sunday:  The weekend

Day 8 – Monday:  Today is technically the end of the 48 hrs. It has now been a week and “nothing” has been done to your car. In reality a lot has been done as you can see. With some luck, the adjustor shows up today and goes over what we have found. We show them every part; they actually take a picture of each item to. Then they leave.

Day 9 – Tuesday:  We are still waiting for a copy of the approved supplement. We get one today, but for some reason it doesn’t match. How can this be? We literally showed the adjustor every part, they even took photos. So we match what they gave us and start another supplement for the things left off and send it in.

Day 10 – Wednesday:  Another 24-48 hr.

Day 11 – Thursday:  Today is technically the end of the 48 hrs. It has now been 2 weeks and “nothing” has been done to your car. This is true, we are on hold. With some luck the adjustor shows up today and goes over what they missed. Still no copy though and we wait.

Day 12 – Friday:  Finally an approved copy of the supplement with all the parts we need to do the repair. But wait, what’s this aftermarket and recondition parts. Oh yeah your policy allows for “alternative parts, that are Like Kind and Quality” So we order all these parts.

Day 13 – Saturday:  The weekend

Day 14 – Sunday: The weekend

Day 15 – Monday: If lucky all your parts where in stock or got shipped over the weekend. So today our technician can pull you vehicle back in and go over everything. Our technician starts the repair and goes as far as he can, but we run into issues with the “alternative parts” and they won’t work. So another supplement gets sent in.

Day 16 – Tuesday: Another 24-48 hr.

Day 17 – Wednesday: Today is technically the end of the 48 hrs. It has now been 3 weeks and “nothing” has been done to your vehicle. Because it still “looks” the same in the pictures. But in reality as soon as good parts get here it will be close to ready for paint. The adjustor shows up and approves things, but again no copy. At this point we order what is needed since we know this is just a waiting game for paperwork.

Day 18 – Thursday: Parts show up and the technician test fits everything again. Keep in mind “test fitting” is something the insurance world does not recognize as a needed operation. Your vehicle now goes into the paint process. Loose parts get the edges painted and repaired areas get primer applied. Primer should dry for 24 hrs.

Day 19 – Friday:  Meanwhile since the primer is curing for 24 hrs. Parts that were edged get hung on the car so it can be ready to be sanded before paint. 24 hrs. are up and the prepping begins, every inch that is painted has to be sanded and cleaned before paint is applied.

Day 20 – Saturday:   The weekend

Day 21 – Sunday: The weekend

Day 22 – Monday:  Great the car is ready for painting, over the weekend the painter came in and got it ready. Thanks painter you’re the best. Now the car goes into the paint booth for the magic. And it comes out, that fast. Actually paint application usually takes place all in the same day. It is everything else that takes the time. But its fresh paint.

Day 23 – Tuesday:  We let the fresh paint sit overnight usually before we start polishing, the paint process is baked like an oven so you can touch it right away but experience has shown us you should not polish right after it comes out of the paint booth. Polishing is very underrated and is truly what you see when the repair is all done. This process takes a while.

Day 24 – Wednesday:  On a medium size repair we are done polishing today. Note this is another operation you Insurance states is not required and we rarely get paid to do. The technician can now start the reassembly process which is very stressful as he has to be extra careful not to touch the perfect paint.

Day 25 – Thursday:  Today the technician finish’s putting it back together and now he can finally test drive the car for the first time since the accident. Usually an alignment is needed so now it goes to the Mechanic for this process. If anything is found it is another supplement. That’s right 24-48 hrs. But let’s pretend the alignment went fine. But wait what’s this dash lights that we cannot reset.  Now your vehicle has to go to the dealer.

Day 26 – Friday:  First thing we take you vehicle to the dealer in hopes they can stop everything they are doing and push your car in front of other people. They actually do this for us but cannot get it finished by the end of the day.

Day 27 – Saturday:  The weekend

Day 28 – Sunday:  The weekend

Day 29 – Monday:  The dealer finishes your vehicle and we go and pick it up, once back we start the cleaning process. Repair work creates a mess so we clean the entire vehicle. Also something your insurance feels they don’t owe for. Today we also finalize the paperwork as parts prices changed so we have to do another supplement. By the time all this is done it is too late for you to come and pick up your vehicle but you will be down tomorrow.

Day 30 – Tuesday:  Today you show up and as promised your car looks amazing an Invisible repair. And this is the story of how it takes a Month to fix your vehicle.