03/15/2024
Just wanted to give some advice for those of you who need hail repair on your cars. There's a lot of great companies in DFW, but there's a lot of bad ones too.
1. Choose a company in DFW who has a brick and mortar facility, who is always here. There are a lot of companies from out of state that come in town and rent a shop for two, three, four months, and then they are gone "storm chasers" & if you ever have issues, you would not be able to go back to them.
2. Choose a company that is BBB accredited and check out the reviews.
3. Choose a shop that specializes in Hail Repair; and preferably one who has an actual owner that can do PDR. The body shops that the insurance companies send you to do NOT specialize in Hail Repair. Obviously, a lot of the hail we got from the storm was large, and will require some paint work and replacement parts. However, if you choose a good PDR shop, they will do as much PDR as possible. Best advice is to also check their social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube)
4. You can choose whatever shop you want to do your repairs. The insurance company might try to push you toward using one of their “preferred” or “in network” shops. You do not need to go with one of those. Most of the time, the repairs are done cheaper and that’s why your insurance pushes you to use them. That does not necessarily mean they will do the repairs better or faster.
5. If you have somebody solicit your business and tell you that they can fix your car in your driveway, do not let them. It may be convenient, but it will not be fixed right. I have seen way too many botched jobs from “deals” like this. Take it to a specialized shop or a small business with great reviews, BBB accredited and an owner that has the same knowledge & skills their technicians have.
6. You personally will not be penalized for filing a hail damage claim. It is an act of nature and considered a comprehensive claim. However, insurance companies will raise rates for entire ZIP Codes based on the number of claims in a specific ZIP Code. So it is highly likely that, regardless if you file a claim or not, your rates are going to go up.
7. Lastly, keep in mind that with this type of damage repairs are often going to take weeks. Insurance companies will be backed up on doing inspections and parts availability is not within the shop’s control.
DFW Auto Recon Pro
