Dealing with collision centers

my mother in law backed into wifeys Subaru (crumpled front fender) and her insurance based their estimate/check on some pics we sent them.
I called a reputable collision shop to get an estimate done but they wouldn’t do it without seeing the paperwork from ins company. Is this typical? Would it be bad form to withhold this info from body shops while we’re price shopping? I am not at all comfortable with lying and saying we’re not using insurance but the check is made out to me lol and I feel like I should shop around and not automatically fork over the entire check....

 

Shops should quote you before you even talk to insurance.. All the ones I have dealt with do.

Also interesting your insurance wrote you a check-- this is unusual from my experience. Usually they like to pay the collision center directly. Otherwise you can just pocket the check and never get the car fixed.

 

They didn’t even send an adjuster lol

 

Any other input?

 

Maybe the collision center is wanting to beat the price thus wanting to see the paperwork.

 

In my experience, a collision repair estimate can easily double depending on how extensive the shop gets with paint-blending adjacent panels. If you got the insurance check already, say you are fixing this out of pocket.

Did you visit the collision shop yet? Most shops in my area wouldn't provide an estimate without physically seeing the vehicle. Just go to the shop and say you are looking to fix this out of pocket and are shopping around. Visit 2-3 shops and use one that you are comfortable with.

 

...which would be OK. The real danger is the actual repair costing more than the insurance check because of some hidden damage to parts behind the body panel. A severe example would be a front end collision where the radiator fan is crashed into the timing belt cover on an interference engine...

 

Is the body shop under the impression you are using insurance?
If so that’s why they want the information. They are expecting to have to clear all their work through the insurance company and get payment from them.

Tell them you have already got compensation and just need a quote. You are paying for the work.

Now you better do your research on the body shops you use. You got a check from the insurance (which I have no idea how you knew what amount of money to accept from them without quotes... you could have accepted half the amount of money you actually needed and you can’t go back and ask for more).
When you go to your own body shop not through insurance you lose the help of the insurance company if the work is shotty. Which is fine, but if you have any issues with the repairs your insurance company can’t help you with rental cars or making sure the shop fixes the vehicle properly (if their repairs are failing).
So just make sure you do your research and go to a reputable body shop to mimimize your headache.

I’m a little concerned you accepted a check without an adjuster.
Newer Subarus are a bitch to fix for body work. They are made of flimsy ass steel and have the thinnest paint jobs in the world. Which means fixes are much more expensive than other vehicles...

Research your shop.

 

Def gonna do research
As far as the check being cut without an in person adjuster it does seem unusual.... but the accompanying letter says they’ll cover any gaps in the actual amount. Haven’t actually signed anything yet FWIW

 

Glad they have it in writing for gap coverage.
I don’t trust insurance companies as far as I can throw em!