Our client John had a Nissan Versa was another case that was steered to a DRP shop by the insurance company. Geico used the fear of huge out of pocket expenses and no guarantee on the work to force John to go to their shop instead of the independent shop he had chosen.
There were some visible issues on the exterior, but it took a full forensic inspection to discover the real issues.
John saw visible issues with the work and instead of going back to the DRP shop, he brought the vehicle to us for an inspection. What we found was shocking but not surprising.
Geico’s shop cut corners left and right. The vehicle was left with remaining structural damage, body panels were only partially welded on and some panels were missing paint. Other panels were left without seam sealer or corrosion protection, leaving the vehicle vulnerable to leaks or rusting.
Geico’s shop were unable to fit and align the body panels correctly, due to the structural misalignment, and exterior details like the paint work were completed with poor craftsmanship. The work was guaranteed, but if the shop did this level of work, would you really want them fixing your vehicle to begin with?
After receiving our report and documentation, Geico declared the vehicle a total loss, something they likely should have done to begin with. With the help of Collision Consulting, Jeff was able to recover the pre-loss vehicle and our inspection costs.
PS this case triggered the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to investigate insurance appraiser Mr. Marinelli, which later brough about the Marinelli decision in Washington State. Click here to find out more about this ruling.
We helped John and we can help you too.
Call or email Collision Consulting of Washington TODAY!
(206) 367 – 5065 or info@ccofwa.com