Body work,dent repair

Hi everyone, What a ride I've been on. My husband wrapped my truck around a tree last spring at Glass Buttes. We got it in 'the shop' for dent repair 3.5 weeks ago. And they never touched it! After $3,300..pre paid from my insurance, they hemmed n hawed not wanting to give me my truck back...Long story, But I just now drove my truck home and I am going to sand, fill and paint that dent myself. Yes, this is funny because I am a 61 year old housewife that needs all the advice I can get. I have filled a dent in the rear panel years ago.. covered it with stickers to make it look better. But-I am bound and determined to try again and do the best I can. Any tips will be so appreciated.

 

This is the first repair I did, years ago. I would like to do better this time-and not use stickers to cover the mess.

 

I’ll assume this truck is paid for. When you say prepaid, the insurance sent the check to the body shop? It should have been made out you. Then you can take where you want or choose not to fix, fix yourself and pocket the savings.

 

Yes, this shyster told my husband to give him our check up front (another life lesson learned). This Emmert motors had been taking my elderly husband for a long time with our mini cooper. Now he was doing the same with my truck. Normally, I let my husband do the guy thing and take care of all insurance, car work etc. I am now taking over as I see his capacities are diminishing-not sure how to politely put that-...Yes-my truck is paid for, and this 'collision repair 'man still has 3,300 for doing nothing! I don't know what else I can do without taking him to court. He is a pro-knows all loop holes. Has big people in town to back him..This sucks-BUT...I now have my truck! After not giving up 3x a day-I want my truck- and then an officer told me to ask for...Emmert head guy- shortly after that ,they finally gave me my truck- yay. I have called the insurance guy who is being very helpful. I'm giving receipts on all truck maintenance work ,replacements etc ,that was done in the past year. By my mechanic -a good guy-which will increase the value-in turn allow me some additional cash money to fix my truck. Meanwhile, my daughter says "Hell no! 'Emmerts not keeping that money for no work. She is gung ho and i think -that's fine. Let her do what she can. This place has and is continuing to try to take advantage of her elderly parents ,as she sees it. And I don't think the ones that own this place even know what their employees do...Well that's the long of it. I am learning much, learning to ditch the faith in those we should be able to trust-trust no one and cover my own ass(!) and just DO IT MYSELF with some help from my friends,or your friends,where ever I can get it. Thanks for caring. It helps. Have a great day. P.S. any tips on sanding, filling painting is appreciated.

 

Your story is a bit confusing, but the body shop can’t just take money from your insurance company and not do any work on the truck, and if you’re refusing for them to work on the truck after they gave an estimate, then that money needs to be refunded, unless they have already started work, but you claim that they haven’t.

I find it strange that the insurance company doesn’t have anything to say after they wrote a check for work that wasn’t done.

 

I only refused to let them continue hem hawing and trying to get even more money from my insurance. I am talking with insurance daily. And you are right-they should NOT be able to keep that money after no work. They are trying to charge me for storage,paper work and a couple parts they threw in the back of my truck when I drove away. They were supposed to be fixing that little dent for the last 3 n ahlf weeks. But they didn't touch it. What's going to happen with that money is yet to be seen. We are not done yet. But..insurance is working on my side. and I told them I'll fix it myself. You see Emmert guy wanted to charge 8,000 initially to repair that dent. That was the value of my truck-so it was called "totaled'. This is confusing. I don't know who said totaled-I know insurance was not going to give emmerts 8,000,then someone tried calling it totalled. When I was told by my husband to get my stuff out of the truck,I'm not seeing it aagain-I lost it. So in turn I LOST IT. This is MY truck. All these people that were going to fix it...just screwed my life up completely. No one will ...excuse me-(FUCKK ) with my truck again. I just want to take my truck and lick my wounds-so to speak. And this makes me so angry,I don't know what to do. I don't know how insurance works,I just need to be honest,quit trusting and figure out how to fix it myself.

 

I mean, I’m not going to lie, but it’s impossible to get car parts right now, especially for a 20 year old truck.

It took two months just for me to get a new instrument cluster lens for my 2022 Tacoma.

My neighbor’s Volvo has been in the body shop for two months now because they can’t get the necessary panels and glass to fix it.

 

I just want to add-this guy at emmert is a pro, smooth talker. Been doing it for years and getting away with it. But I was not going to give up and let my truck go...I don't know what's ahead, but I have to face it head on now, don't I? Most people obviously let him get by with this song and dance he gives. But I can't afford to just go buy another truck. This is my truck. I can't help but fight for it. Because this is wrong.

 

But getting the parts was never the issue. He has the parts. He put them in my truck as I left. My mechanic that has done all the replacements, maintenance,and all mechanical work has had no problem. This guy was supposed to do body work. He had all the parts. He just wanted to get all the money he could squeeze out of my insurance -even if it cost me my truck. Man, I didn't come here to argue or defend myself. If you look up reviews-as I should have prior to this-you will see others that have had problems with this man. He gave me no reason to not have any work done by now. And top all that with-He is charging me for storage. I just asked-here for tips to help me do this as best I can. I do my best to take care of my truck. I will not this greedy man have it trashed.