Community Chat

[CoffeeNut]

I was at the mall for the afternoon last Friday and a Good Samaritan left a note on my windshield saying she witnessed a lady back into side of my car and leave.  She was able to snap a pic of the car still against mine and also got the license plate number. 

The police was able to track down the owner and their insurance and policy number which is Progressive.

I am so grateful to the lady that witnessed it.  I took my car to the Toyota collision center Monday and it's around 1800 dollars worth of damage.

The owner's insurance claim rep ( Progressive ) called today and said they are at fault and to take my car Monday to their preferred collision center and pick it up when it's repaired.  Then wanted to know what time Monday I would be there.

I said not so fast cause I want to compare invoices with Toyota and make sure it's going to be done correctly since the damage is not my fault.  I also want to make sure Progressive's place has good reviews.

I felt like I was being pressured to use only their repair place.  The rep said for me to send him a bunch of photos and they would review it and send me an estimate to compare.

Has anyone had any experience dealing with ?  Do they try and low ball you and you can say I don't think you are giving me a fair estimate.  I want done what Toyota says needs to be done and done correctly. 

I've never been in this type of situation before and I don't want to be taken advantage of.

[ID2]

Yep, we all have Progressive insurance. No problems. I would never take my car to a Toyota collision center!

[BirkiLady]

Stand your ground! I believe you should be able to take your car to the dealer for bodywork. They will use factory replacement parts rather than parts from a junk yard, which is often how some body shops keep their pricing lower. I have no knowledge about Progressive, but you've handled it very, very well so far!

Isn't is wonderful when someone comes forth and witnesses an accident? Hope the driver received a ticket for leaving the scene of an accident. He/she should be ticketed and, hopefully, their insurance will go up for being such a lousy person not to stop and leave a note themselves! SMH. 

Best wishes on a successful repair. 

[Kachina624]

Many states have laws giving the injured the right to select the facility where their vehicle is repaired despite what is "recommended".  Maybe your insurance company could advise you as to your rights.

[Love my grandkids]

@CoffeeNut I've seen these cases on The People's Court and Judge Judy and Kachina is correct. MANY states allow you to go to the repair shop of YOUR choice.

Call your own insurance company and find out what your rights are.

[drizzellla]

I had an accident. The insurance company said I could take it to any repair place that I wanted. So having a Toyota car, I took it to the huge local Toyota dealer.

Well, they took over a month to repair my car. 

When I got it back, you could not tell that I was in an accident.

My son inherited my car and I bought a new one. You should see the "repaired" Toyota now. On the invoice it stated only Toyota parts were used. Well, the clear coating on the paint is peeling on every "new" part. The hood has a large gap on one side. Your can actually see into the engine area.  I think from the hood being opened for routine maintenance. The hood looked fine until it was actually used.

The car looks a mess. My son doesn't seem to care. He drive to center city Philadelphia frequently. Think of the show Parking Wars. The show started in center city Philadelphia.

So please do more research on the repair places than I did. Just because it is Toyota, it might not turn out like you thought.

[CoffeeNut]

Thank you all for the good advice.  I will stop by my State Farm office tomorrow and show them everything and see what they advise. 

[NicksmomESQ]

@CoffeeNut  You have the right to take your car to any repair shop you choose.The Progressive adjuster will then work with the shop to come to an agreed price.They also must provide you with a rental car while the work is being done. You should not have to lay out any money.

    I used to be a regional claims supervisor & trainer for a major insurance carrier. Don't let anyone roll over you.

[Caffeina]

Don't deal directly with Progressive. Notify your insurance company and follow their instructions. Your policy might require that you notify them.

[sunshine45]

report it to your own insurance company also. they should send an adjuster to take a look at it and give you a detailed estimate.

you should be able to compare that estimate with the progressive estimate.

you do NOT have to use their recommended facility.

you can use whichever facility you choose.....an independent body shop or the dealer.

the body shop or dealer can be reimbursed directly from progressive OR they will send you the check to cash or turn over to the company doing the work.

if there are any issues found beyond what your estimate was, they will contact progressive to get a supplement on the damage.