Common Questions:
Where can I have my car repaired?
You have the right to have your car repaired at any state registered repair shop in Massachusetts. Your insurance company may have what is called a preferred body shop list or a direct repair shop program in your area. A preferred body shop list or a direct repair shop program simply means that the body shop has entered into an agreement with the insurance company. This should not be the only factor used when selecting a body shop.
At Arnie's Auto Body we repair your car with the same standards whether we have an agreement with your insurance company or not. Our promise is to repair your car in a safe and efficient manner with no extra cost to you. At Arnie's Auto Body, we treat every customer and repair the same. We have
excellent insurance relations and we guarantee our work, so whether we
are on your company's program or not we hope you will choose us.
How do I decide where to have my car repaired?
Use your best judgement in determining who to have repair your car. Remember, the choice is yours. The best decision is based on word of mouth from friends and family and shop reputation in the community. We all know this is the best referral any small business can obtain. Do not let the mere fact that a shop is on an insurance program be the only factor used in determining where to have your car repaired. We thrive on our reputation. It takes many years of hard work to develop a good one. We maintain ours by waking up every day determined to make each and every customer happy with the service we perform.
Do I need to get an estimate from the body shop?
You do not need to get an estimate written by a body shop. If you are in an accident your insurance company will need to document the claim on its own. You may have field appraiser come to you to look at your vehicle, or an independent sub-contractor or you may be requested to go to a drive-in appraisal service. After you have that done, bring your estimate to us and we will take it from there.
The only caveat is if your damage is under $1500 per the MA CMR your insurance company can accept our estimate. This is typically called a desk review. If you think the damage is minor come by our shop. We will take a look at it for you. If it is minor we can call your insurance company to see if they will accept this form of claim documentation from us. If so, we will be happy to take digital photos, write an estimate and fax or email the information directly to them.
We work off the insurance company's written estimate. If there is something we feel should be done differently or there is hidden damage we will work with your insurance company directly to obtain a supplement. The important thing for you to know is this process has no impact on you. We have excellent insurance relations, so we can guaranty our customers will not be charged anything additional for the claim related repairs.