Need advice on minor hail damage

[JWC]

Has anyone had an experiment with the insurance company over minor hail damage? I was caught out in a hail storm 2 nights ago with marble to golf ball size hail and it put a few dents in the roof hood and deck lid. I know to us are cars a special but the insurance company may think I'm being petty.

Should I try to get these fixed? Some are hard to see unless you view it from the right angle.........it's a black car so the body man would have to be real good or it could look worse then it is.

[Guest tomt]

If there are only a few, there are companies which will take them out for as I remember about $25.00/ding. They have names like Dent/Master, or Dent/Dr. If you don't find anything in your phone book, go a a large car dealer, they usually have the names of these people on file for damage in their lots.

I had the work done, and the results were perfect. Based on the cost, if the dents are few, I wouldn't submit a claim, and it's also probably below your deductible.

If you don't find one, send me a PM, and I'll give you the name of the one I used in Chicago. He could probably find one in your area.

Tom T

[JWC]

Thanks Tom, my deductible is only $100 and I live way out in the country so a "large car dealer" is out of the question. There is a very small body shop not to far away and I may see what they have say also.

[Guest tomt]

Frankly if you call a dealer and ask they may tell you who they use. This is not a body shop type of procedure, but maybe your shop will recommend a hail specialist.

TT

[Reatta45]

IF they are light dents… Leave it setting out in direct sunlight, AFTER you get an estimate.

The heat generated by the sun on a dark color car will usually remove any small dents. KennyV.

[Guest kennyw]

How about $7,600 in hail damage on our 2008 saturn vue. The insurance co. is offering $2,300

[Guest MauiWowee]

Those "paintless dent removal" guys usually come to where the car is. If you've never watched them work, it's pretty slick, using special tools that resemble medieval torture devices.

[Guest EDBSO]

I would DIY.

[Guest TommyH]

I lost my first Reatta to a hail storm. Only the glass was left untouched. We paid $1900 for it after transportation, and insurance gave us $3900 after tax.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kennyw</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How about $7,600 in hail damage on our 2008 saturn vue. The insurance co. is offering $2,300 </div></div>

that's awful...proof GM should have stuck with the polymer panels

[JWC]

Well I took it to the body shop the insurance company recommended and the price is $2095 they found a lot more little dents then I seen So it looks like a block, prime reblock some filler in larger dents which can't be pulled then a total repaint of the car since the winds were so strong I have some hail damage on the side panels. I'm ok with a repaint since someone tried to rub the car out before me and burned thru the paint on the edges.

Waiting for the insurance company to approve.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

I remember your car now JWC

[JWC]

But Phil you haven't seen it with all the little dents in it.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

that is true, but I remember you showing how the paint was over-buffed

[JWC]

Well the Insurance called me today to tell me the quote from the body shop was only off by $23 (body shop $2095, insurance company $2072 in damages) and will send me the check in 2 days, so I will take it to have it fixed as soon as the body shop can get it in.

F.Y.I. the adjuster told me they will total the car @ 75% of it's value and this adjuster said they use N.A.D.A. pricing, I told them I don't trust any of the so called "Blue Books" due to the fact that they do not match what people are asking and selling these cars for and are not even close from one book to another.

Thanks to all for the advice.

[KDirk]

JWC-

Glad to see your car will be repaired and back on the road. I am actually amazed the insurance co didn't total it on you. $2100 or so has to be pretty close to that 75% value "cutoff" under N.A.D.A or Kelley pricing (which are both obscenely low in my opinion). This kind of scenario is one of my worst fears for my Reatta, and beating "the man" at the insurance company is usually not possible.

KDirk