Choosing a body shop in Beaverton Oregon

Regardless how responsibly you drive, somebody or something will run into, bump, or scratch your auto in time.

Don’t run to a big name store just yet. They offer a lot upfront, but these auto body repair services in Beaverton and Hillsboro frequently come up short on these promises.

Consider

1. Speed of repair. Does the car return to you on time? You’ll get a quote based on obvious damage, but hidden damage is found later. Make sure your estimate is based on a full inspection not a casual one.


2. Sticking to the estimate. Shops conveniently adjust estimates later in the process as they find new damage. They often knew the damage was their at the beginning, but quoted a low price to get a commitment. If you want to see if your shop sticks to estimates, Google their name.

3. Assistance with deductibles. Lots of shops maybe all of them offer to help pay your deductable. This is usually based on the initial quote, which is often artificially low. Once the full job is complete and cost overruns have been calculated, though, their promise to help with the deductible is forgotten. You may actually owe three times your deductible!

4. Quality of work. Interestingly, this is the source of fewest complaints from customers. The supply of good techs and top equipment is high now, and quality of repairs across the industry is at an all time high. But, once again, a little investigation into reviews on Google, Yahoo, Angies List, and the BBB will reveal if your shop has been making quality body of work.


5. Price. This is particularly true of minor damage, for which you will get a very wide range of quotes from multiple body shops. Large shops can charge up to double what smaller shops charge. You are paying for their overhead (multiple frame machines, estimators, multiple spray booths). These advanced tools are overkill for your small job, and good reason to choose a smaller shop for small jobs like bumper repairs and moulding repairs…any repair under $800.

On a final note about auto body repair in Hillsboro and Beaverton. Don’t always employ the shops that your insurance company suggests. Insurance companies and body shops have a referral kinship that does not favor you. You pay more and receive less because much of the money available for your fix was used up as commissions in the insurance/shop relationship. The very best body shops are not on busy roads with large signs. You can ask friends, family, and other automotive business enterprise* (mechanics are good resources) or read reviews on Google, Yahoo, Yelp, Citysearch, Angies List, and the Better Business Bureau to find out reviews about the shops you are deliberating.