Choosing a Shop
Nine Guidelines to Choosing a Repair Facility
Finding the right place to repair your car can become a tedious task and at Izmo Body Shop we recognize this. So, in order to better help your decision we have compiled guidelines to better help your search.
- The shop should offer a "Lifetime Warranty" on its body work, and a minimum of "5 years", preferably "Lifetime" on refinishing.
- Ask the repair facility if they use new "Original Equipment Manufactures" parts, purchased from the dealer, or imitation parts. If the shop says they use IMITATION PARTS, leave immediately. No one can perform quality work with junk parts.
- Make sure the repair facility is an "I-CAR” as well as an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified facility. This assures you all technicians have been trained, and certified.
- Tour the facility and look at the quality of work and cleanliness of the operation. Examine finished jobs and jobs in progress.
- Ask the shop if they have any affiliation with insurance company Direct Repair Programs (DRP). If they are under contract to work for any specific insurance company they cannot work for you. Working for both sides is not ethical. Look for a repair facility without insurance company ties. The DRP agreements require the facility to work on "their" cars first offering discount on parts and labor, as well as concessions on repair procedures which will affect the quality of repairs to your vehicle. This could cause extensive delays in your repair.
- Verify the repair facility is registered with the Ohio Board of Motor Vehicle Collision Repair and is a member in good standing. You can call the Ohio Board at 614-995-0714, on check their web page at www.state.oh.us/crb. This group maintains an "Arbitration Board" to resolve any problems you may experience with the repair.
- Check with friends, co-workers, or mechanics for a recommendation on a repair facility.
- Never listen to an insurance representative who surely has a friend that they can recommend. Remember their bonus is tied to "low price." In addition, the adjuster may secure favors (free work or cash) for recommending shops.
- Be wary of repair quotes that are significantly lower from that of a quality repair facility. What are they not doing in the repair process that will affect the safety, appearance, and value of your vehicle?