Topic: Lithia Body and Paint

[Mascampo]

Does anyone have any experience with them? The other day, my wife and I were hit by a Utah driver who tried making a left turn from the middle lane which happened to be into my car. The guy's insurance company is trying to get me to go to Lithia Body and Paint. He was cited for "improper turn". I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[SEVERED]

I work at a body shop in mtn home... by law you can take it where ever you want. I have always heard good things about Lithia. They will try tell you that they only warrenty it if you take it to "their" shop but most major shops will give their own warrenty. Can i ask which insureance company it is.

[Mascampo]

Progressive, the same insurance company that someone rear-ended my 2001 Honda Civic with. I hate dealing with insurance companies.

[fj40mojo]

Having been through a similar situation my best advice is take it to someone that YOU trust, screw where they want you to take it.

[charlie76]

Here is my two cents on Lithia. Don't go. I only say this as four years ago I was one of many veterans that their stealership screwed over. Selling cars, letting you take them home for a week, then calling back and saying oh the "bank" needs more money to approve the loan. After a week? Really? No screw them take it some where else.

[Jaggy13]

Parks Royal is the best.
The law is on your side, you can take it where ever you want.
Take it to Parks and have it done right. They are downtown by BSU.

[Mascampo]

I am looking at Kadel's but they will not even take a look at the car without an estimate from Progressive. So no matter what it sounds like they are going to try and call all the shots.

[DCR]

Ditto on the recommend to Parks.  They have a west-side shop on Five-mile by Emerald/Executive if that's closer.  I've taken my truck there and loved their work, and have had occasion to see them on the professional side as well, and was again impressed by their facilities and people.

[Bill, Idaho]

You are (probably) required by YOUR insurance company to take YOUR car wherever they recommend-if they are paying. HOWEVER:
You are NOT required to take YOUR car to where the other guy's company want you to take it. And you do not have to take it to three different places for an estimate, another common misconception, once again, unless it is YOUR company.

There is another thing hardly anyone else knows about called "subrogation rights". I was told about that years ago, and a wreck I was in finally proved my friend right-to the tune of several thousand dollars in MY pocket I would not have had, had I not known about subrogation rights. And this ploy happens every day.
  Long story short.   Basically: You get into a crash and YOUR vehicle it totaled, according to your body shop's estimate. (Important part here-the vehicle CAN be fixed, or has numerous good parts left, such as engine, tires, etc.)  You take the estimate (totaled) to the other guy's insurance company. They offer hypothetically $12,000, and then they always say something like "Ok, we'll sell it back to you for $10,000, and let you keep it. Where do we send the check?......" EVERYONE (who has never heard of subrogation rights) thinks to themselves that's a deal- "I'm saving $2000 and I get to keep the rig after all."
 WRONG.
   If it is your car and the other guy's insurance company (other driver was at fault), you can demand them to replace your vehicle with an exact replica in your driveway, right down to the miles (within reason). Color, options, etc. OR.....................

[Bill, Idaho]

(I could not finish my last post, it wouldn't let me add anymore letters....that's strange)
Anyway: Remember, this only applies if it is your car and the other guy's insurance. Negotitate your best deal. Argue with them, wheel-and-deal. DO NOT ACCEPT their offers of low-book, it-was-worn-out-anyway thinking.  So let's say you finally get them to agree to the hypothetical in this case $16,000. Avoid anything to do with the "well let you keep it for .....". Get them to agree to send the check for $16,000. THEN, when they toss the ol' "we'll let you keep it for $xx,xxx ( less than the agreed upon price)", you say no. They WILL say "but that's how we do it. That's how it's done", or some other such crap.  In fact, that might be how "they do it" with their clients. You are NOT one of their paying clients. The other driver IS one of their clients. They can offer him less. Those are the "subrogation rights" I was talking about.
   Tell them you are not going to pay them to let you keep your own rig. It's your rig, not theirs, even if they are paying it off (the agreed upon $16,000).  In my crash, it got to the point of telling the other guy's agent if he (or a tow-truck driver) step foot on my property (the vehicle was already in my possesion, but that makes no difference) I would take it as a serious trespassing issue, and dealt with as some crazy people do in these parts.
 Every day people are taken advantage of with this scheme, out of ingorance. I got into a crash, another guy's fault. It was a year after I was told about all this. I did exactly as I was informed, and after holding firm and literally arguing with the other guy's agent, got three thousand more dollars to begin with, and kept the rig. I parted out the rig and made even more money.

[SEVERED]

Most shops wont look at a car with progressive untill they write their own estimate. the reason is they hack most shop estimates down and then the shop has to do a supplement to get the rest of the repair paid for (most all jobs have a supplement because of part increases or hidden damage that you cant see till its apart). If you tell them you refuse to go to that shop you can tell them you want a field adjuster to come look at it.

And it doesnt matter if its your insurance or someone elses you can take it where ever you want and only have to have one estimate. thats state law. And you can fight with your company just like someone elses if it is totaled to get as much as you can.

As for keeping a car after a insureance company totals it and getting the money that is very rare. most insureance companys will not cut a check with out the car being signed over to them or they will sell you the scrap for usally 10-25% of what they are willing to pay out on it. And it may be your car but they are buying it from you for x amount to replace it. And there are new laws now that if a car is totaled you have to send the title to the state and they are going to brand it so you cant half way fix it and sell it to someone else with out them knowing.

[Grumblecakes]

i cant speak for the quality of other body shops. but when i clipped the post at my apartment i filed a claim with my insurance (allstate) asked them who the recommended and they offered me a check to fix it or they could pay for it directly, i elected to let them pay for it in case it cost more. with the good driver discount it literally cost me nothing to fix. I went to treasure valley collision on state, west of walmart. they did their own estimate and came to a similar number. took about 2-3 days for them to fix it. got it back and it looked perfect they even filled and painted in some of the rock chips further up a completely different panel. Was talking to the guy and he said it came in 300 dollars less than they both quoted, wish i woulda taken the check heh.

any way people have good and bad experiences every where. Im happy with both companies.  i recommend tvcc they did a great job quickly but im sure their are plenty of good honest shops in town.

Lithia is probably decent but really i would shop around and find out what each shop recommends hell you may even talk to your insurance co and get them to do a quote. some times there is damage you cant see like was noted above. (example) if say progressive is saying that its just a dent and they can fill it and repaint it. but 3 other shops are saying there is likely damage underneath, progressive may just pay for the fill and paint and you could get screwed with an improper fix or paying for it on your own. remember many shops cut deals with the insurance companies. Some may be less than honest and lean toward keeping the insurance happy rather than the customer.

[hessmanca]

Just FYI, Progressive has a contract with Lithia, so they always try to pressure their customers into going there because Progressive actually gets a kick back for every car they send to Lithia. 

I had a similar incident with them before I came to my senses and dropped Progressive.  That being said I have a friend that used to work for Progressive and actually had an office at Lithia, he was the one that told me about the Kick backs.

[eddymunster]

Peter Lewis ceo of Progressive Insurance is a libtard. Buddies with Soros and donates to the ACLU and other less than savory progressive groups. That is reason enough to dump them.

[SEVERED]

Just FYI, Progressive has a contract with Lithia, so they always try to pressure their customers into going there because Progressive actually gets a kick back for every car they send to Lithia. 

I had a similar incident with them before I came to my senses and dropped Progressive.  That being said I have a friend that used to work for Progressive and actually had an office at Lithia, he was the one that told me about the Kick backs.

All insureance companys have a contract with a one body shop or another, usally call prefered or pro shops. Its not so much of a "kickback" as they get a discounted repair rate and the shop agrees to do extra stuff usally for free. and in return they argree to recommend people go there. So yes they are saving money by getting you to go there but most shops are around the same labor rates. I know we are the pro shop for three insureance companies. I think they get a $2 discount off of the hourly rate and we cant charge for some little stuff and have to do some extra stuff like some of the cars have to be completley detailed even if we do something small to it. And most all of them make their proshops have all their employees up to date on training or you cant be in the program

Some insureance companys are better then others for sure. I would stay away from progressive or geico... state farm, allstate and farmers are ok and usaa has to be one of the better ones to deal with. most people dont read what type of insureance they have and only find out once they need it. since i deal with them a lot i know how to read a policy so i know what i have and make changes to what i want.

[WTF]

Here is my two cents on Lithia. Don't go. I only say this as four years ago I was one of many veterans that their stealership screwed over. Selling cars, letting you take them home for a week, then calling back and saying oh the "bank" needs more money to approve the loan. After a week? Really? No screw them take it some where else.

this is a common scam among dealerships, to get you to sign a higher interest rate loan. when in fact your signed contract is legal.