You have the right to choose any collision repair facility to repair your vehicle. Select the shop you feel most comfortable with.
There is no need to obtain more than one estimate. Since you decide who will repair your vehicle, contact that shop for an estimate. There is no law requiring you to get estimates from multiple repair facilities.
Make sure the shop you select is able to manage the paperwork and negotiations with your insurance company. Pruitt's Auto Collision will handle everything on your behalf.
Never drive a vehicle that could be unsafe. Call Pruitt's Auto Collision during business hours for towing or call Lenox Wrecker (272-1785) after hours towing. On-site rental car pick-up and return are available so you don’t have to be without transportation.
Have your vehicle towed directly to the shop of your choice. Towing it to a storage lot can incur additional expense and leave your vehicle vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Pruitt's Auto Collision premises are secured to protect your vehicle from further damage.
You do not have to drive your vehicle to a claim center. Ask the insurance company to send the appraiser to Pruitt's Auto Collision to inspect your vehicle.
Choose a shop that is equipped to handle today’s high-tech vehicles. State-of-the-art systems, from frame straightening to paint mixing, as well as experienced technicians, come standard at Pruitt's Auto Collision.
Demand a lifetime guarantee.
Have a great day!
Liz Pruitt
Pruitt's Auto Collision
918-272-4499
www.pruittsautocollision.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Purchasing a New or Used car!
Well I went out with my parents recently to look at "new" used cars with them. I am not real good at car shopping at all. I like to go get what I want and be done with it as fast as possible. Well as it turns out I am glad I went.
We went to 3 different dealerships in Tulsa, the first 2 we did not really see anything that was what they were looking for. We ended up at the 3rd dealership and they looked at several cars that were later models but still looked very nice. The only problem that I could see with buying an older used car is that they would not have ANY factory warranty because the warrant is only good for 36 months or 36K miles. Well that is not 36 months from when you buy it; it is 36 months from when it is originally sold to the first owner. The sales man kept telling us about this warranty but when I called him on it he said well you are right but they will get a 12 month 12K miles because it is a certified car. Well ok at least there is some sort of warranty.
After all that we find a car that we all really liked and it is a little newer and really did have some factory warranty left on it. Well as I walk around the car looking at it I notice the pretty chrome molding around the windows is dented on the driver’s side and it has several spots not just 1 or 2. (Now keep in mind I was not the one raised in the body shop, Randy was. I sell houses for a living. But after being married to him for 14 years and actually working side by side with him for the last 2 years I have started picking up a few things here and there.) So when we went inside to start dealing with the salesman I mentioned I thought it had some hail damage and he very quickly told me “no that is not what that is”. Well humm, I am not the expert we will take it to the expert and ask him what he thinks.
So we took the car on a solo test drive and brought it home to look at a little closer. Keep in mind this is a PRETTY CAR! I called Randy on the way and asked him to look at it and see what he thought, so he did. Ding, Ding, Ding... Not only does the car have a little hail damage on the window trim like I noticed but it had been BEAT with hail. I am not tall enough to see the top of the car but he was. Well come to find out that someone had attempted to fix the damage but did not do a good job. There were holes drilled here there and everywhere in the car that proved the work had been done. If the dents are repaired by a GOOD Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) person (we use Top Dog PDR 918-440-5856) you will never see the holes if he has to drill them and he only drills them if he has exhausted EVERY other option. Now the problem with a bad fix on hail damage is that you take a chance that in the future the paint will lift from the car and then where does that leave you. A leopard print car… that is great for home decor but not a cars paint job.
If that car had been fixed the right way it would NOT have been a problem at all but it is all in the way it was fixed and the fact that the salesperson did not know or did not want us to know it had had work done on it. Nevertheless, when it was all said and done they did not buy that car. They went back to the 1st dealership and found a car that was even better and got an even better deal.
Moral of the story... ALWAYS have a professional look at a car New or Used before you buy it and base your decision off that information. You cannot trust that a dealership is acting in your best interest; it is not like buying a house at all. It is illegal for the seller or Real Estate professional to hide or misrepresent the condition of a home to a buyer but not a car. A good, experienced auto estimator or body damage specialist will be able to tell you if the vehicle has evidence of previous damage (hail, wreck or whatever). I can't even begin to tell you how many times we have had a wrecked car in the shop and we uncover previous damage that was not fixed right and current owners never even knew about.
For most families a car is the second most expensive purchase you will ever make, don’t get suckered! Do some research on your own! Have a professional look at the vehicle before you buy!
Liz Pruitt
www.pruittsautocollision.com
We went to 3 different dealerships in Tulsa, the first 2 we did not really see anything that was what they were looking for. We ended up at the 3rd dealership and they looked at several cars that were later models but still looked very nice. The only problem that I could see with buying an older used car is that they would not have ANY factory warranty because the warrant is only good for 36 months or 36K miles. Well that is not 36 months from when you buy it; it is 36 months from when it is originally sold to the first owner. The sales man kept telling us about this warranty but when I called him on it he said well you are right but they will get a 12 month 12K miles because it is a certified car. Well ok at least there is some sort of warranty.
After all that we find a car that we all really liked and it is a little newer and really did have some factory warranty left on it. Well as I walk around the car looking at it I notice the pretty chrome molding around the windows is dented on the driver’s side and it has several spots not just 1 or 2. (Now keep in mind I was not the one raised in the body shop, Randy was. I sell houses for a living. But after being married to him for 14 years and actually working side by side with him for the last 2 years I have started picking up a few things here and there.) So when we went inside to start dealing with the salesman I mentioned I thought it had some hail damage and he very quickly told me “no that is not what that is”. Well humm, I am not the expert we will take it to the expert and ask him what he thinks.
So we took the car on a solo test drive and brought it home to look at a little closer. Keep in mind this is a PRETTY CAR! I called Randy on the way and asked him to look at it and see what he thought, so he did. Ding, Ding, Ding... Not only does the car have a little hail damage on the window trim like I noticed but it had been BEAT with hail. I am not tall enough to see the top of the car but he was. Well come to find out that someone had attempted to fix the damage but did not do a good job. There were holes drilled here there and everywhere in the car that proved the work had been done. If the dents are repaired by a GOOD Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) person (we use Top Dog PDR 918-440-5856) you will never see the holes if he has to drill them and he only drills them if he has exhausted EVERY other option. Now the problem with a bad fix on hail damage is that you take a chance that in the future the paint will lift from the car and then where does that leave you. A leopard print car… that is great for home decor but not a cars paint job.
If that car had been fixed the right way it would NOT have been a problem at all but it is all in the way it was fixed and the fact that the salesperson did not know or did not want us to know it had had work done on it. Nevertheless, when it was all said and done they did not buy that car. They went back to the 1st dealership and found a car that was even better and got an even better deal.
Moral of the story... ALWAYS have a professional look at a car New or Used before you buy it and base your decision off that information. You cannot trust that a dealership is acting in your best interest; it is not like buying a house at all. It is illegal for the seller or Real Estate professional to hide or misrepresent the condition of a home to a buyer but not a car. A good, experienced auto estimator or body damage specialist will be able to tell you if the vehicle has evidence of previous damage (hail, wreck or whatever). I can't even begin to tell you how many times we have had a wrecked car in the shop and we uncover previous damage that was not fixed right and current owners never even knew about.
For most families a car is the second most expensive purchase you will ever make, don’t get suckered! Do some research on your own! Have a professional look at the vehicle before you buy!
Liz Pruitt
www.pruittsautocollision.com
3 Estimate Process
The whole blog thing is new to me, so coming up with topics is a little challenging. I have been putting this off for a year now because I did not know what to say. Well here it goes.
Welcome to the blog for Pruitt's Auto Collision. We are a small locally owned Body shop/Collision Repair facility in Owasso OK. The body shop business is new to me but not to my husband Randy. He has been in a body shop since he was a young teenager. If you would like more information about our history please visit our website http://www.pruittsautocollision.com/.
One of the most common things we run across at the shop is clients coming in wanting an estimate. Of course you need an estimate before you get the car fixed but the whole misconception that you have to have 3 estimates to turn into the insurance company is just a waste of time for the client. For all you clients that really do not have time for this and don't want to waste your time, here is the truth...
When you get in a wreck normally the first person you call is your insurance agent, you know the local person that you signed up with that represents the insurance company. You tell them that you have been in a wreck and they tell you to go out and get 3 estimates from different shops and turn them back in. When you initiate that phone call to tell the agent you have been in this wreck they turn in a claim for you to the insurance company and you are assigned an insurance adjustor from the claims department, at least with most major companies.
Most major insurance companies do not accept body shop estimates and require their own adjustor to inspect the damages and create their own estimate. The adjustor is responsible for writing the estimate and working with the body shop of your choice to get the vehicle fixed. Here is where you going out and getting those 3 estimates becomes a waste of your time. As I said the adjustor writes the estimate and then tells you to take it and get it fixed. Well when you take the car to the body shop you have chosen to do the repairs you give them a copy of the insurance adjustors estimate and body shop works off that estimate! If items were missed by the adjustor on the estimate, which is very common, the body shop creates a supplement estimate and sends it to the adjustor for him to approve the additional repairs and charges. Sometimes the adjustor will come out and re-inspect the car and other times the adjustor will just accept the supplement and tell the body shop to move on with the repair.
This is the estimate process for most major insurance companies but not for all companies. So always ask your agent when you call them to report the wreck if a claims adjustor will be coming out to write the estimate so you don’t waste your time.
I hope you have found this information helpful and as always if you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to call us at Pruitt’s Auto Collision 918-274-4499 or visit our website www.pruittsautocollision.com
Liz Pruitt
Pruitts Auto Collision
8231 N Owasso Expressway
Owasso OK 74055
918-274-4499
www.pruittsautocollision.com
Welcome to the blog for Pruitt's Auto Collision. We are a small locally owned Body shop/Collision Repair facility in Owasso OK. The body shop business is new to me but not to my husband Randy. He has been in a body shop since he was a young teenager. If you would like more information about our history please visit our website http://www.pruittsautocollision.com/.
One of the most common things we run across at the shop is clients coming in wanting an estimate. Of course you need an estimate before you get the car fixed but the whole misconception that you have to have 3 estimates to turn into the insurance company is just a waste of time for the client. For all you clients that really do not have time for this and don't want to waste your time, here is the truth...
When you get in a wreck normally the first person you call is your insurance agent, you know the local person that you signed up with that represents the insurance company. You tell them that you have been in a wreck and they tell you to go out and get 3 estimates from different shops and turn them back in. When you initiate that phone call to tell the agent you have been in this wreck they turn in a claim for you to the insurance company and you are assigned an insurance adjustor from the claims department, at least with most major companies.
Most major insurance companies do not accept body shop estimates and require their own adjustor to inspect the damages and create their own estimate. The adjustor is responsible for writing the estimate and working with the body shop of your choice to get the vehicle fixed. Here is where you going out and getting those 3 estimates becomes a waste of your time. As I said the adjustor writes the estimate and then tells you to take it and get it fixed. Well when you take the car to the body shop you have chosen to do the repairs you give them a copy of the insurance adjustors estimate and body shop works off that estimate! If items were missed by the adjustor on the estimate, which is very common, the body shop creates a supplement estimate and sends it to the adjustor for him to approve the additional repairs and charges. Sometimes the adjustor will come out and re-inspect the car and other times the adjustor will just accept the supplement and tell the body shop to move on with the repair.
This is the estimate process for most major insurance companies but not for all companies. So always ask your agent when you call them to report the wreck if a claims adjustor will be coming out to write the estimate so you don’t waste your time.
I hope you have found this information helpful and as always if you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to call us at Pruitt’s Auto Collision 918-274-4499 or visit our website www.pruittsautocollision.com
Liz Pruitt
Pruitts Auto Collision
8231 N Owasso Expressway
Owasso OK 74055
918-274-4499
www.pruittsautocollision.com
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