Questions

We have the answers ...

-How do I get the process started?
-Do I need to get more than one estimate?
-How do I make a shop choice?
-Is it necessary to pre-order the parts for my vehicle?
-What are your hours of operation?
-What forms of payment do you accept?
-Do you provide courtesy shuttle service?
-Will the paint color match?
-Can I get other service work done on my vehicle while it is at your facility?
-How will I know when my vehicle will be ready?
-How can I get a car rental?
-Do I have to pay a deductible?
-Who do I pay a deductible to?
-If the frame is damaged is my vehicle a total loss?
-What are Betterment Charges?
-Is there a guarantee on the repairs to my vehicle?
-Can I wash and wax my vehicle?

HOW DO I GET THE PROCESS STARTED?
If you have had a minor collision and expect to pay for the repairs yourself, then simply come in to our office and one of Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center’s professional claims handlers will guide you through the process.

If you decide to have an Insurance Company involved. You will need to initiate a claim with them. Contact your Agent and they will take the information needed to establish the claim. Once you have reported your claim, a claim number will be given to identify your loss. When you have that number, bring your vehicle along with the claim number to Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center and we can do the rest. We deal with this day in and day out. Our professional claims handlers are experts in dealing with the Insurance process and will make it easy for you.

DO I NEED TO GET MORE THAN ONE ESTIMATE?
Short answer, No you do not.
Actually what you need is not an estimate; what you need is your vehicle repaired. You shouldn’t be asked to run around shopping for price for the responsible parties benefit.

You may feel the request doesn’t sound too unreasonable. Why not get a few estimates?

Why not, takes a little longer to explain. We need to touch on the ideology of it.

Occasionally certain insurance companies will tell people to get three estimates. This line of thinking is pretty antiquated. Years ago when vehicles were not as parts intensive in design it was easier to write a complete estimate on the fly. Conventional wisdom was that most shops were the same in the sense of equipment and ability to write a complete estimate. The insurance adjusters worked in the field and did not write many estimates, if any at all. Generally the estimators graduated from the technician side of the shops and because of this, had a good working knowledge of the vehicles and what it took to repair them. After 1980 the entire collision repair industry really started changing. There were more changes in the construction of the automobile from 1980 to 1990 than there were from the Industrial Revolution to 1980. We also began using computers to write estimates and the software had a lot more information and graphics to compare to the vehicle. Consequently we see more people writing estimates today that have never worked on an automobile before. With this in mind it is easier to understand why you should not drive around shopping for price for the insurance company. The design of the automobile and the quality of estimators make it too easy to get estimates that can vary by hundreds of dollars, most of the time these differences are not lesser amounts by one shop over another for the same services; it is because one estimator has failed to include items on the estimate that are required to repair the vehicle properly, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. If you get three estimates and the insurance pays you off the lowest bid, it could be difficult to get approvals for additional supplemental items, once the vehicle goes to that shop and the repairs are started. This can also cause unnecessary delays and cause the repair time to drag out.

HOW DO I MAKE A SHOP CHOICE?
Most times folks will ask friends and family. Your insurance agent can usually offer some suggestions. You can search the internet and check the Better Business Bureau or type in Collision Center and your hometown in the search engine and gather some names there.

Once you have a shop in mind, go to the shop or shops and ask to be shown the facility, look around and see the shop, is it clean and organized. Ask to see some finished repairs, ask about the guarantee, and have them explain the process to repair the damage and the process to deliver the proper color match, things of this nature. Usually when someone is explaining what process they will perform to repair your vehicle, you can tell if it makes sense, or if they are talking in circles.

Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center can explain the process in exacting detail.

IS IT NECESSARY TO PRE-ORDER THE PARTS FOR MY VEHICLE?
Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center can check availability of the needed parts to repair your vehicle. This way we can identify any parts that may be listed on backorder and schedule the vehicle in for repair based on that information. It is not necessary to pre-order parts in most cases. With the systems in place today, if the parts are not in stock at a local dealer, you can get virtually any part overnight from the manufacturer warehouse. Should a critical part not be available, Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center will guide you through the best option for you until the part is released.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOURS OF OPERATION?
Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center is open Monday through Friday 7:30 AM till 6:00 PM. If you are having trouble getting in during those hours, give us a call and we will do our best to make arrangements to accommodate you.

WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
We accept MasterCard and Visa cards up to $1,000.00
We accept Debit cards, Cashier Checks, Money Orders and Cash.
We accept properly endorsed Insurance Checks.

DO YOU PROVIDE COURTESY SHUTTLE SERVICE?
Absolutely, we can take you to your home or office up to 10 miles from our facility.

WILL THE PAINT COLOR MATCH?
Our Paint Formulating room houses all the technology needed to precisely measure and mix the formula for your vehicles finish. The exclusive X-PERT computerized paint mix system automatically pours the exact amount of each toner needed to reproduce and match perfectly the color code for your vehicle. MORENO VALLEY AUTO MALL COLLISION CENTER IS THE ONLY COLLISION CENTER IN THE SURROUNDING AREA THAT HAS THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

CAN I GET OTHER SERVICE WORK DONE ON MY VEHICLE WHILE IT IS AT YOUR FACILITY?
Absolutely, Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center performs most all types of repairs you might need, however, should there be a need to have other maintenance performed outside our list of services we can gladly assist in taking your vehicle to any of the local dealerships on your behalf.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN MY VEHICLE WILL BE READY?
It depends upon the amount of damage. Most every vehicle today needs to be disassembled to have complete knowledge of the extent of damage. We will keep you updated throughout the repair process and once we have the discovery process finished and parts status information, we can then begin to get a clearer picture of when your vehicle will be finished. You will be contacted throughout the repairs by one of Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center associates and updated so you will know the date of completion.

HOW CAN I GET A CAR RENTAL?
We have rental car companies in the surrounding area. Enterprise Car Rental is right next door to us. If you will be paying the charges yourself, you will need to have an active credit card and valid driver’s license. If your insurance company is paying the bill then they usually set up a reservation with the rental car company. Let us know if you will need alternative transportation and Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center can handle getting the arrangements made on your behalf.

DO I HAVE TO PAY A DEDUCTIBLE?
Deductibles are like co-pays in the medical care fields. When you are repairing your vehicle under your policy you generally will have a deductible to pay. The amount you have to pay is established when the policy is written and placed in force, for example $500.00. What this is saying is you will be responsible for the first $500.00 of the charges to repair your vehicle. Once this amount is surpassed your insurance company is responsible for the balance.

On occasion an insurance company will “waive” a deductible. This is usually done when both parties involved are insured by the same carrier. So if you have XYZ Insurance and the other person has XYZ Insurance generally your deductible will be waived regardless of who is at fault. However this is still subject to your insurance company’s policy regarding this circumstance.

If your claim is against a party that hit you and they have admitted fault, then you will not be responsible for any deductible.

If you are not at fault and the other party is not cooperating with your insurance company, you may, at your choice, file a claim with your insurance company and pay your deductible. Later once the facts are in; your insurance company can subrogate against the other party and get your deductible back. This is usually the case when you are in a situation where you need to get your car back quickly and cannot afford to wait while all the details are being sorted out.

WHO DO I PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE TO?
The deductible is paid directly to the repairing facility.

IF THE FRAME IS DAMAGED IS MY VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS?
No.
This is also an antiquated theory born out of the early years of collision repair when the equipment was less sophisticated and the vehicles were built substantially different. Prior to the mid 1980’s the frame of the vehicle built in the U.S.A. was made of heavy thick mild steel. Measurement devices and pulling equipment were extremely limited as were the technicians capable of performing these types of repairs. It was not uncommon for frame repairs to be improperly done and consequently the vehicle would not drive or ride correctly. The public opinion began to create the attitude that the vehicle would never be right and therefore should have been totaled.

Today’s vehicles for the most part are not utilizing this kind of construction. These vehicles are using mild, high strength, and ultra-high strength metals. In addition the measuring and straightening equipment available is far superior to years past. The good news is the vehicles “frame” can be repaired back to the manufacturer’s specifications. The bad news is, the technology is so advanced that the technicians must be highly trained and experienced to operate this type of equipment. It is absolutely critical that you choose a repair facility that has mastered this. If these types of vehicles are not restored back exactly as the manufacturer designed them you can have myriad issues of problems up to and including failure of the supplemental restraint system (airbags) and steering and handling conditions. Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center has the technicians and equipment to properly repair your vehicle. When you bring your vehicle in for repairs just ask for a shop tour and we will show you the equipment and the technicians.

WHAT ARE BETTERMENT CHARGES?
Betterment charges is the difference price between the value of an item lost in the Claim, and the price it cost to replace it.

Here is an example of this. Say your vehicle has tires that were originally rated to last 50,000 miles with a tread depth of 8/32nds. At the time of the loss, the tire has 25,000 miles on it and has a tread depth of 4/32nds. In essence you have used 50.0% of the tire. Because the tire is destroyed, we have to install a new tire. The new tire is good for 50,000 miles. The responsible party only owes for what is lost. Therefore, since the old tire was 50.0% worn, they owe for the 50.0% that was remaining, not the 50.0% you got the use of. The remaining balance is charged to the vehicle owner. If they did not charge you the difference, they would be “bettering” what you had; hence the terminology Betterment. These types of charges are generally taken on items that wear out, like batteries, struts, paint, etc. Not all Insurance Companies will charge for betterment, some just pay the replacement cost and go on.

IS THERE A GUARANTEE ON THE REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE?
Yes.
Moreno Valley Auto Mall Collision Center offers a limited lifetime guarantee in writing on the repairs to your vehicle. We make a copy of this Guarantee available as soon as you walk in the door.

CAN I WASH MY CAR?
Yes.
It is recommended that you keep the freshly painted surface clean by washing it with a mild detergent and water mixture. Be sure to use a soft sponge or cloth to wash it with. Wash the vehicle out of direct sunlight.

You may wax the vehicle after 90 days. During this period the final solvents are purging and you need to avoid sealing the pores of the finish until this process is complete.

THINGS YOU SHOULD TRY TO AVOID.

Avoid using commercial car washes. The equipment could mar the finish and damage the surface.
Avoid wiping the vehicle with a dry cloth. Dry wiping can scratch the finish.
Avoid parking in areas that birds gather in or roost in or under trees. Bird droppings can damage the paint finish faster than most anything else. If you notice bird droppings or tree sap on the finish, wash it off as soon as possible with water.
Avoid chemicals on the finish such as, gasoline, oil, transmission and brake fluids and windshield washer solvent.
Never scrape the finish to remove ice or snow.