Mistake #1
“It’s just a little hail damage, it’s probably just a couple hundred dollars worth of damage, so I’m not too worried about it”
Consensus: Even if hail damage is purely cosmetic, the damage may not be in the hundreds but thousands to repair. You should pony up the money for the insurance deductible, because all the small dents from hail damage decreases the value of the car which you will realize when it is time to trade or sell your vehicle.
Mistake #2
“I will wait until hail season is over before I get the damage fixed, just in case I get caught in another hailstorm.”
This approach to fixing hail damage is not only risky, its practically insurance fraud, since you are using one insurance claim for two incidents. Some folks do get by with this approach but it’s risky. Furthermore, depending on the damage of the second hail storm you can go from a repairable vehicle to a total loss due to extensive damage.
Mistake #3
Car Owners file a claim right after a hailstorm and follow the insurance company’s recommendations to have their car repaired.
Many people make this mistake and file a claim right after the hail damage occurred. This approach to getting your vehicle repaired sounds like the logical approach, however, ask yourself a valid question. Does my insurance company want to give me as much money as possible in the fastest time? Absolutely NOT.
Two things you should know: one, there may be a waiting period due to the high number of claims before an insurance adjuster can come out and inspect the damage to your car and offer you a settlement check. Two, the initial inspection done by the adjuster may undervalue the cost of the repair of your car. It takes a seasoned hail damage repair technician to provide accurate estimates. Many car owners will take the money and run, not knowing the full extent of the hail damage.
Consensus: Do not wait for the adjuster to come out and look at your car, it may be weeks before your inspection takes place, so try to make arrangements to get your car inspected sooner. Secondly, you do not have to get your vehicle repaired at any of the recommended hail repair shops suggested by your insurance, the law allows car owners to choose ANY shop to take care of your repairs.
Choose a reputable hail repair company in your local area and get an estimate for the cost of repairs. The repair shop will contact the insurance company, file the claim, and set an appointment to have an adjuster come out and assess the hail damage. You won’t have to wait weeks for an adjuster and it will get you past the low ball settlement checks.
Note: If you already filed a claim and got a settlement, no worries, most hail repair companies will have the adjuster come out and do what is called a “supplement” if the original settlement is less than the hail repair company’s estimate.
Mistake #4
“I don’t want to file a claim for hail damage, my insurance premiums may go up. I don’t think it’s worth it”
This is one of the most common mistakes, many car owners mis-judge the amount of damage that has been done to their car. Furthermore, there is no increase in the premium.
Consensus: Hail damage is a “no fault” claim known as an “Act of God” because you cannot be singled out for a premium increase because you filed a hail repair claim. When there are extensive hailstorms ALL rates may go up, whether they file a claim or not.
Mistake #5
“All Hail Repair and Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) companies are the same, it doesn’t matter where I get my car repaired.”
This is not true in most cases, Paintless Dent Repair is considered a better option than traditional auto body shops.
Consensus: Paintless Dent Repair is considered the best method for hail repair. There is no bondo, grinding, sanding, resins, fillers, primers and painting involved. However, with traditional auto body shops bondo has to be sculpted perfectly, the paint has to be matched and blended in flawlessly with the surrounding areas. Custom Jobs like this can cost thousands of dollars more in labor and materials, so PDR is the better choice.
Summary
Automotive hail damage is not something most car owners will encounter on a regular basis, however in parts of Colorado and Texas, hailstorms are just a part of everyday life. If you encounter a hailstorm and need repairs, choose from our list of recommended Car Care Providers to repair your hail damage.
Texas Hail Repair
Colorado Hail Repair
