My car got bumped today.. Need some advice/answers! - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

FRSTR90 · 07-10-2012, 07:54 PM

Well, I was at work today and it was just like any other day except I got some terrible news this morning that my Camaro got hit...

There was a young kid that was driving a company truck. Anyhow, I had the car parallel car parked right next the building as it is perhaps the safest spot on the lot (or so I thought). The kid in the truck was pulling out of a parking spot that was perpendicular to where my car was parked. He must of thought that he had enough space to clear the car, but he didn't. Luckily, there was a witness (a woman who worked in my building) who saw the whole thing. She confronted him about it, but she said that he looked back at the car and then drove off.

I have to admit.. The awesome thing about owning this car is that everyone knows who it belongs to. I bet I was contacted about the incident in a matter of minutes. I was able to speak to the owner of the company that the truck belonged. He states that he will make sure that everything is made right. He wants to pay out of pocket for the damage to avoid any new claims with his insurance company. I told him I was fine with that. All I care about is that the car is back to factory finish. I did, however, file a police report in case I have to get my insurance company involved.

The owner of the company would like me to take my car to a Chevy dealership that is approximately 50 miles from where I live. I believe he said that the reason is that he has a contract with that dealership to do collision repair work. I told him I would look into it, but I am very hesitant to do that. My reasons for being hesitant is the horror stories I see on the forum, the fact that I do not know anything about their quality of work, and it is 50 miles away! I contacted the body shop and I will be sending them emails of the damage to see if they can do a quote by email.

Luckily, I also have an appointment to see one of the best body shops in town tomorrow. This body shop is about 5 minutes from my house. I've never had work done there because I've never needed in the past, but I have seen their work. I am confident that they would have it back looking better than ever.

Here are the pics of the damage:

As you can see, the damage is all cosmetic.. I have to say someone was watching out over me. The door/hood gaps are perfect and the front bumper fits as if new. It is obvious that all these areas were not affected..

With me filing the police report, this will most likely go on a CarFax. I am just hoping that this incident doesn't kill the value of my car. I have been documenting every little mod that I do to the car, and now with this incident, I will also document every little detail. I don't plan to sell the car, but I'm 22 yrs old, a lot can happen in my lifetime..

Any advice or suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

heRS · 07-10-2012, 07:57 PM

I would insist it go to the shop of my choice and I would get 3 estimates from shops I would trust. If he chooses dealers like he chooses drivers you will want to go elsewhere than where he recommends.

FRSTR90 · 07-10-2012, 08:08 PM

You make an interesting and a very good point! I will do so..

Mr Snappy · 07-10-2012, 08:09 PM

First of all, I am sorry about your car....I know how bad this sucks.
Second, you are a very wise man to have the police do a report.
Third, YOU pick where it is fixed and if he has any trouble with that, call the insurance adjuster imediately and don't waste any more time with that clown.

MARINE1991 · 07-10-2012, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Snappy

First of all, I am sorry about your car....I know how bad this sucks.
Second, you are a very wise man to have the police do a report.
Third, YOU pick where it is fixed and if he has any trouble with that, call the insurance adjuster imediately and don't waste any more time with that clown.

PalmerGA · 07-10-2012, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Snappy

First of all, I am sorry about your car....I know how bad this sucks.
Second, you are a very wise man to have the police do a report.
Third, YOU pick where it is fixed and if he has any trouble with that, call the insurance adjuster imediately and don't waste any more time with that clown.

Absolutely! Don't put yourself out because this guy has insurance problems. Also, no offense to dealership body shops but rarely do they have top notch body folks. Use YOUR CHOICE of body shop and, yes, get written estimates just in case you have to press the issue with the guy. Good luck.

FRSTR90 · 07-10-2012, 10:19 PM

Thank you guys for all your feedback and support!

I will do as you all say.. I will take it to the body shop of my choice. When I get the estimates, I think it may be best to have them break down the parts and materials that will be used to do the repair. Also, I want the fender replaced with a GM fender, not some generic piece. I would say that is fair.. any thoughts?

mulletman · 07-10-2012, 10:32 PM

Do NOT allow anything but a GM fender. Chinese parts are inferior in many ways.

mstanfield · 07-11-2012, 11:02 AM

I would also request an apology (in person) from the kid particularly as what he did was illegal.

mcbeth15 · 07-11-2012, 03:18 PM

You might want to just go the insurance route from the start. This guy sounds a little shady at best. Lord knows what kind of deal he's got with his dealer. Besides it your car, your time, and your inconvenience. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out.

FRSTR90 · 07-11-2012, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulletman

Do NOT allow anything but a GM fender. Chinese parts are inferior in many ways.

I agree.. I took it to the body shop that I want today.. I made it clear I wanted a new GM fender.. The lady told me that she doesnt even believe that they make generic fenders for the Camaro, but she wasn't sure. She will email me the quote which should have a breakdown of the parts to repair. I will post to get all of your thoughts..

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstanfield

I would also request an apology (in person) from the kid particularly as what he did was illegal.

Actually, when the cop was doing the police report, guess who showed up? Yup, it was him.. He apologized saying that he wasnt going to F up my car and leave me like that. He swore up and down that he was going to tell his boss. The cop believed he was lying.. Therefore, he gave him a ticket for a hit-and-run. It was also at that time when I got the comany's insurance info..

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcbeth15

You might want to just go the insurance route from the start. This guy sounds a little shady at best. Lord knows what kind of deal he's got with his dealer. Besides it your car, your time, and your inconvenience. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out.

Trust me this is very tempting, but I gave the guy my word that I would try to work this out without getting his insurance company involved. I think I will get a few quotes, show him the quotes, and tell him where I will be going. If he gives me any trouble, I'll let my insurance handle it. They've already offered to take the claim.

I got to thinking tho.. He wants me to go out my way which in the end will be 200 miles on the camaro and another 200 miles on another vehicle (100 miles to drop it off and 100 mi to pick it up)... That would be about $100 in gas and lets say 4 hours out of my time to fix a screw up that should not have happened in the first place so he can get a better deal.. Yeah, I dont think so.. I agree.. I am just waiting to see what happens.

9072SS/RS · 07-25-2012, 02:54 AM

all good points, but make sure you get rental vehicle while repairs are made.

CamaroDreams07 · 07-25-2012, 10:22 AM

I would never drive 50 miles to a dealership I have no experience with. Screw that guy, take it where you want to take it.

Eli · 07-25-2012, 10:44 AM

Your doing him the biggest favor by not going to your insurance company. You pick the body shop. You've already bent over more then enough.

07-10-2012, 07:54 PM	#1
FRSTR90 Drives: 2010 Camaro 1SS/RS, 1973 Corvette Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Springfield, IL Posts: 261 View My Garage	My car got bumped today.. Need some advice/answers! Well, I was at work today and it was just like any other day except I got some terrible news this morning that my Camaro got hit... There was a young kid that was driving a company truck. Anyhow, I had the car parallel car parked right next the building as it is perhaps the safest spot on the lot (or so I thought). The kid in the truck was pulling out of a parking spot that was perpendicular to where my car was parked. He must of thought that he had enough space to clear the car, but he didn't. Luckily, there was a witness (a woman who worked in my building) who saw the whole thing. She confronted him about it, but she said that he looked back at the car and then drove off. I have to admit.. The awesome thing about owning this car is that everyone knows who it belongs to. I bet I was contacted about the incident in a matter of minutes. I was able to speak to the owner of the company that the truck belonged. He states that he will make sure that everything is made right. He wants to pay out of pocket for the damage to avoid any new claims with his insurance company. I told him I was fine with that. All I care about is that the car is back to factory finish. I did, however, file a police report in case I have to get my insurance company involved. The owner of the company would like me to take my car to a Chevy dealership that is approximately 50 miles from where I live. I believe he said that the reason is that he has a contract with that dealership to do collision repair work. I told him I would look into it, but I am very hesitant to do that. My reasons for being hesitant is the horror stories I see on the forum, the fact that I do not know anything about their quality of work, and it is 50 miles away! I contacted the body shop and I will be sending them emails of the damage to see if they can do a quote by email. Luckily, I also have an appointment to see one of the best body shops in town tomorrow. This body shop is about 5 minutes from my house. I've never had work done there because I've never needed in the past, but I have seen their work. I am confident that they would have it back looking better than ever. Here are the pics of the damage: As you can see, the damage is all cosmetic.. I have to say someone was watching out over me. The door/hood gaps are perfect and the front bumper fits as if new. It is obvious that all these areas were not affected.. With me filing the police report, this will most likely go on a CarFax. I am just hoping that this incident doesn't kill the value of my car. I have been documenting every little mod that I do to the car, and now with this incident, I will also document every little detail. I don't plan to sell the car, but I'm 22 yrs old, a lot can happen in my lifetime.. Any advice or suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

07-10-2012, 07:57 PM	#2
heRS Raised by Wolves Drives: IBM 2010 2LT RS M6 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 5,980 View My Garage	I would insist it go to the shop of my choice and I would get 3 estimates from shops I would trust. If he chooses dealers like he chooses drivers you will want to go elsewhere than where he recommends. __________________ Tori click the sig pic to view my build thread

07-25-2012, 10:22 AM	#13
CamaroDreams07 Drives: Slow V6 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: East Lansing, MI Posts: 9,361 View My Garage	I would never drive 50 miles to a dealership I have no experience with. Screw that guy, take it where you want to take it. __________________ [B]

07-10-2012, 08:08 PM	#3
FRSTR90 Drives: 2010 Camaro 1SS/RS, 1973 Corvette Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Springfield, IL Posts: 261 View My Garage	You make an interesting and a very good point! I will do so..

07-10-2012, 08:09 PM	#4
Mr Snappy Drives: Mercedes GL-450, Mercedes C300 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Olathe, KS Posts: 104	First of all, I am sorry about your car....I know how bad this sucks. Second, you are a very wise man to have the police do a report. Third, YOU pick where it is fixed and if he has any trouble with that, call the insurance adjuster imediately and don't waste any more time with that clown.

07-10-2012, 10:19 PM	#7
FRSTR90 Drives: 2010 Camaro 1SS/RS, 1973 Corvette Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Springfield, IL Posts: 261 View My Garage	Thank you guys for all your feedback and support! I will do as you all say.. I will take it to the body shop of my choice. When I get the estimates, I think it may be best to have them break down the parts and materials that will be used to do the repair. Also, I want the fender replaced with a GM fender, not some generic piece. I would say that is fair.. any thoughts?

07-10-2012, 10:32 PM	#8
mulletman Drives: 2017 Camaro SS Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: southern Illinois trailer park Posts: 636	Do NOT allow anything but a GM fender. Chinese parts are inferior in many ways.

07-11-2012, 11:02 AM	#9
mstanfield Drives: 2012 2SS 45th Convertible Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Carmel, IN Posts: 8	I would also request an apology (in person) from the kid particularly as what he did was illegal.

07-11-2012, 03:18 PM	#10
mcbeth15 Drives: '11 RS 2LT IBM Join Date: May 2012 Location: Havre de Grace, MD Posts: 673	You might want to just go the insurance route from the start. This guy sounds a little shady at best. Lord knows what kind of deal he's got with his dealer. Besides it your car, your time, and your inconvenience. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out.

07-25-2012, 02:54 AM	#12
9072SS/RS Drives: 2011 camaro 2SS RS Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Alaska Posts: 107	all good points, but make sure you get rental vehicle while repairs are made.

07-25-2012, 10:44 AM	#14
Eli Drives: 2011 Convertible SS/RS M6 Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Claverack, NY Posts: 71 View My Garage	Your doing him the biggest favor by not going to your insurance company. You pick the body shop. You've already bent over more then enough.