Recently, my V70 had a bad day and now requires some body shop work to offside rear panel. Volvo dealer quote £2500+. Local indy shop used by friends for their bmw and volvo quote £325. Wife says there must be some catch. Anyway will go with indy and if it's a poor job will go cap in hand to dealer. Indy guy showed me his current job - body work for a complete renovation of a 1960s mustang. Beautiful pale blue. Because the indy quote is less than compulsory and voluntary excess I won't bother my insurers just yet.

Dealers normally put damaged car to a local indy anyway. Maybe they do that and keep a bit for themselves?

I'd get some personal recommendations if possible but a guy willing to show you his work is a good sign.

make sure the Indy uses new panels or beats them out, rather than filler. Most main dealers outsource to an independent anyway , then whack on charges for courtesy car coffees, and vat

thanks Aspman and bluvrs2.

Dealer said it would need a panel. Indy said damaged panel would be fixed by his panel beater. Also I told dealer it was an insurance claim whereas I told Indy I was paying for the repair out of my own pocket. Whether this plus offer of courtesy car by dealer plus coffee plus VAT accounts for the £2000 difference in quotes or some padding of insurance claim I don't know.

Easy to check afterwards, if it has been filled a magnet will find it out, just ask your indy not to fill

Easy to check afterwards, if it has been filled a magnet will find it out, just ask your indy not to fill

thanks for that. I've got a few fridge magnets around somewhere.

Had a similar thing last year....took it to main body shop and they wanted 1600 euro and a recommended indy said 500 euro!!...the work was top class and couldnt be faulted :)The indy told me that if he's doing through the insurance then theyl want him to charge more!!...go figure!!

K:)

Had a similar thing last year....took it to main body shop and they wanted 1600 euro and a recommended indy said 500 euro!!...the work was top class and couldnt be faulted :)The indy told me that if he's doing through the insurance then theyl want him to charge more!!...go figure!!

K:)

Surely the insurers are wise to this sort of overcharging. Am I being too cynical to think insurers don't care because they just pass on the cost thru ever higher premiums?

They dont seem to care over here! Thats why i have to pay 600 euro to them evey year!!...The indy wasnt over charging, its the insures telling him to charge more!! I just dont know how i can be charged that amount...im over forty and have a ten years no claims!!

K:)

The big difference between the different repair shops is that work done by the dealer will not invalidate any makers corrosion guarantee.

The big difference between the different repair shops is that work done by the dealer will not invalidate any makers corrosion guarantee.

My insurance broker has given me the names of insurer's approved bodyshops in my area. None are part of manufacturer's (in my case volvo) dealer network. Does this mean the makers corrosion guarantee is lost? If so then there must be thousands of cars on the road that no longer have corrosion gtee merely because insurers "suggested" bodywork accident repairs be carried out by their approved indy bodyshops.

My volvo dealer told me that insurers cannot force anyone to use a particular bodyshop therefore I'm entitled to use volvo, but he didn't mention anything about invalidation of corrosion gtee if I go elsewhere.

My insurance broker has given me the names of insurer's approved bodyshops in my area. None are part of manufacturer's (in my case volvo) dealer network. Does this mean the makers corrosion guarantee is lost? If so then there must be thousands of cars on the road that no longer have corrosion gtee merely because insurers "suggested" bodywork accident repairs be carried out by their approved indy bodyshops.

My volvo dealer told me that insurers cannot force anyone to use a particular bodyshop therefore I'm entitled to use volvo, but he didn't mention anything about invalidation of corrosion gtee if I go elsewhere.

If there's any corrosion under non maker approved repairs, the car maker will say that the corrosion warranty is void because the repairs have been carried out by a unapproved repairer. If you have proof that the repair was done by the dealer or their bodyshop repair agent then the warranty should be OK. Yes there are 100s of thousands of owners that have fallen into this trap.

My wife recently pranged her Polo and we intially went to the insurers approved repair shop . I then realised that this repair shop was the same place that made a complete mess of repairing my son's car some 12 months before . This repair shop had a "lifetime guarantee" on its repairs . When I pointed out that even VW do not give a life time guarantee on a new car or it's repairs they replied they did ! I eventually went to a VW approved bodyshop even though I had to pay an additional insurance excess of £200. I was very pleased with the quality of the repair.

Edited 26 April, 201115 yr by vwcabriolet1971

Went to another volvo dealer for second opinion. Repair with replacement panel £2500 to £3000, repair with panel beating and filler £1000. Gtee 3 years. Original corrosion gtee 8 years. Next month car will be 3 years old. Definitley can't afford £3000. So it's a choice between dealer's cut price £1000 job with 3yr gtee and indy £300+ job with God knows what gtee. Perhaps I'll toss a coin - best of three goes!