Arnold Clark Accident Repair

[MrCippo]

So slightly kissed the back of a 4x4, minor damage of bumper, bonnet and one of the lights. Insurance suggested I go to Arnold Clark, they said they cant book me in no earlier than the 16th, I said fine, they give me a courtesy car while mine is fixed. They reckon is gonna take a week to fix it plus the time to order the parts.

Should I believe them? Would they do a good job on my car?

Edited by MrCippo on Friday 6th February 13:07

[S2red]

If its like the one I used down here

NO CHANCE

21 faults & re used some of the bits they damaged as they removed them eg door seals torn and put back on window trim bent straighted out and put back on caps/covers on door broken & missing speaker not connected central locking in door was not working for week before I noticed - at least they immediately gave me a brand new courtesy car in which the boot lock jammed with frozen food shop in it!


Hopefully someone will suggest a good bodyshop they have used

Edited by S2red on Friday 6th February 15:22

Edited by S2red on Friday 6th February 15:23

[oobster]

If their bodyshop department is run anything like their sales department i'd trust an AC Bodyshop about as far as I could pick one up and throw it.

I'd rather gouge my eyes out with rusty nails then pour bleach into the sockets than go near any Arnold Clark establishment.

[MrCippo]

The other suggest option from the insurance company is Arnold Clark (again) but the Volvo garage from Wellington Road.

Also available the option to get 2 quotes from other 2 garages and send it to them for approval. Any suggestions?

[S2red]

Surprised no one as yet has made a suggestion re a good body shop

[yellowbentines]

You don't actually have to use the bodyshop your insurance company suggest no matter what they try to tell you, and they'll suggest that you won't get a courtesy car if you use your own choice of insurer.

However, if you contact another bodyshop and tell them you need a courtesy car they can often sneakily build this into the bill to the insurer.

As for recommending a bodyshop, I haven't come across one yet that I've been 100% happy with.

ETA Arnold Clark would however be my last choice of bodyshop, I'd rather paint the car myself.

Edited by yellowbentines on Friday 6th February 17:44

[AMCDan]

MrCippo said:

The other suggest option from the insurance company is Arnold Clark (again) but the Volvo garage from Wellington Road.

Also available the option to get 2 quotes from other 2 garages and send it to them for approval. Any suggestions?

Specialist Bodyshop beside Wood Group on Greenwell Road or Kinghorn Bodyshop out in Inverurie would get my vote.

Or speak to Graham Neish at Evans Halshaw Bodyshop (Renault/Nissan at the top of Wellington Road)

Any three would get my vote.

[dxg]

AMCDan said:

MrCippo said:

The other suggest option from the insurance company is Arnold Clark (again) but the Volvo garage from Wellington Road.

Also available the option to get 2 quotes from other 2 garages and send it to them for approval. Any suggestions?

Specialist Bodyshop beside Wood Group on Greenwell Road or Kinghorn Bodyshop out in Inverurie would get my vote.

Or speak to Graham Neish at Evans Halshaw Bodyshop (Renault/Nissan at the top of Wellington Road)

Any three would get my vote.

If you're in that part of the world, there used to be a one man band (but with the appropriate oven) in an ex-farm outbuilding just by the Five Mile Garage at Kingswells. Can't remember his name, but he was good. Ask at the petrol station.

[MrCippo]

AMCDan, I'll give these boys a call, quite close to my work all of em.

Any idea if I have to supply my parts or could em get em?

Any other suggestions, more than welcome!

[MrCippo]

Car went into Specialist Cars - John Clark garage yesterday. Thanks for the suggestion Dan!

[AMCDan]

no problem, hope everything goes well!

[MrCippo]

Just for my piece of mind, if it proves too expensive to repair, would it be marked as Cat D and I get the market value for it from the insurance?

[AMCDan]

i don't think they'd CAT D it just because it's not economical to repair providing you buy it back from them. One of my colleagues has done this with his Accord (twice!)

[MrCippo]

ok, is there any chance they would fix it ,mark it as a Cat D and give it back to me like that?

[AMCDan]

nah, no chance!

[MrCippo]

Ok, the garage came back with the estimate, it's around 30% of the market value for the car. How is the Insurance going to react about this? Are they going to ask for another quote? I can't drive the car and honestly I don't want to move it.