Not so long ago, a neighbor backed into my driver's door. The damage isn't so bad - the door skin has a shallow 12" dent. I told her I would go and get quotes and we could work this 'issue' out. So, I have taken it to Magnum and Artcraft. Both very impressive shops. I showed her the 2 quotes and asked her to pick one. She has asked my to get a third quote - which I am OK with doing; I get 3 quotes for just about everything. Well, not groceries. So, she has suggested: http://concordbodyshop.com/ http://www.f1automotiveinc.com/collision.html http://atlantaroadbodyshop.net/ Anyone have any experience with these shops? Or, can anyone suggest a good shop closer to Magnum - I work right by Kennesaw Mtn. Smyrna is not exactly convenient. Marietta would be. Thanks!
I would not bother looking for a 3rd shop, as between the two of those your car will be fixed accordingly. Your neighbor backed into you, not the other way around. I would have just picked one shop and told her this is where the car will be repaired.
Go with magnum. They do GREAT work. My dad had his Durango repaired there. You pick the shop, she hit you. The way I see it, you could go somewhere and find a cheap quote. But what if you're not happy with the work? Wouldn't you rather take it somewhere you know will treat your car right. I mean they work on Ferrari's and Maserati's. If I got to pick a shop I'd definably pick them.
Thanks chaps. You're all quite right - I ought to just hand her a bill. Especially since I did her the favor of not calling the cops or her insurance company. But, you know what, she could have driven away and pretended it never happened. But she didn't. She left a note on my windshield admitting that she had hit me. She is a good neighbor and I have enormous respect for that kind of integrity. I am inclined to work with her on this - most people would not have left that note. So, I expect the next quote will be an exercise in futility - the cost will be in the same neighborhood as the Artcraft and Magnum quotes. I just wish I knew of a reputable body shop near Marietta.....
Thought I ought to report the conclusion to this saga. Artcraft fixed the dent. I picked it up yesterday. I did look for that 3rd quote. It took a while to find the 'right' one. It was slightly cheaper than Artcraft, but came with no reputation that I knew of. I talked to neighbor and said, "look, this is where I want my car fixed. The other 2 quotes show that they are competitive". Neighbor was fine with it. Artcraft did an awesome job. I had them do the hood-scoop also - due to the usual poor quality Subaru paint issues. Both door (dent) and scoop look perfect. Brand new. Excellent color match on both. Flawless bodywork repair on the door. Jeff's crew also did something I had never expected: they practically detailed my car inside and out. I felt rather guilty about that - the inside was far from clean to begin with.