Category: Auto Body Paint Repair

Minimizing Vehicle Depreciation After An Accident

When your vehicle has been involved in an accident, there is little doubt that its value will be reduced. Any accident that is serious enough to report will surely reduce the value to some extent. Even if you have it repaired and the shop does a flawless job, there will still be some reduction in your vehicle’s overall value. That being said, there are ways to reduce and minimize the depreciation of your vehicle’s value.

Don’t Try To Cover It Up

You might be thinking that you can simply refrain from reporting the accident to your insurance company or any other relevant parties. If you are talking about a very minor accident, concealing the accident might be possible, but it is hardly ethical. Besides, any reputable repair shop will make a record of the repairs. That record will become part of a Carfax report that anyone can obtain, and that isn’t the only way for a potential buyer to uncover your deception. A repair shop that doesn’t make such reports is likely not going to do a good job, so you really shouldn’t try to cover up a significant accident.

Get The Damage Repaired

The most obvious way to reduce the vehicle’s value loss is to get the issue fixed. More importantly, it needs to be fixed correctly. That means restoring your car to its pre-collision state. This is another good reason to avoid low-level repair shops. Yes, they will probably charge you less, but they cannot deliver the same quality of work. A competent repair job will not completely eliminate your car’s loss of value, but it will certainly reduce those losses significantly.

Make Sure They Use OEM Parts

As we said, you have to get your vehicle restored to its original state. Doing otherwise will probably reduce your car’s value, and will probably void the warranty. That means no aftermarket parts or used parts. Once again, remember that those service records can be checked by anyone who cares enough to look them up. Thus, if you use substandard parts or the wrong parts, you will be shooting yourself in the foot. You might save a few bucks in the short term, but you will greatly decrease the value of your car.

OEM stands for “Original Equipment Manufacturer,” and it is a label that is placed on machine parts of many sorts. Those three letters indicate that the part has been made by the manufacturer of the vehicle or someone they have licensed to produce parts. The OEM designation basically just means that you are getting a new part that is identical to the original one.

Consider Filing A Diminished Value Claim

Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you might be able to file a diminished value claim with your insurance company. This means that you will be compensated financially for your losses. So, let’s say your car was worth $8,000 before the accident, and then its value was reduced by half due to the damage. You would be able to recover that $4000 as a direct cash payment, but only if your claim is approved. So, even if you can’t necessarily stop your vehicle from depreciating in value, you can at least recoup your losses.

Every State Has Different Laws

There are laws that relate to these claims, and they vary from state to state. And so, the first thing you should do is look up the relevant laws for your state. This website might be a good place to begin. However, there are certain universal requirements. So, when should you file for a diminished value claim? Here are some things to consider:

If you were judged to be at fault, you will not be able to file the claim
Every state has a statute of limitations, and the claim must be filed within this period to be considered
If your vehicle was damaged by a random mishap like a falling tree branch, you probably won’t be approved
If your vehicle already had a lot of wear and tear, its value might be so low that the claim isn’t worth the trouble
If the other driver did not have car insurance, it could make you ineligible for the claim

Research And Documentation

If you want your claim to be approved, it pays to have as much knowledge and documentation as possible. You will definitely want pictures of your vehicle, showing its condition both before and after the accident. For the “before” pictures, use the most recent pictures of your vehicle that you can find. A receipt from the purchase of your car will also be helpful, and you should also have your service records handy. This is why you should always keep service records, by the way. The rules vary, so call your insurance company and ask about the types of documentation that they require.

Conclusion

Unless you plan to drive your car until the wheels fall off, resale value matters. If you want your vehicle to maintain a good resale value, it pays to follow all of these steps after an auto accident. It is also highly essential to choose the right shop, so ask yourself: “Where can I find the best auto body shop near me?” If you live in southern New Jersey or the surrounding areas, we can give you the correct answer. Just call Elmer’s Auto Body at (856) 218-0202.

Common Paintless Dent Repair Myths

When it comes to collision repair, dent removal is pretty important. For that reason, the invention of paintless dent repair processes has had a huge effect on the industry. Paintless dent repair, or PDR, is a set of methods that are used to remove dents and dings without the need for repainting or any other extra work. These methods are particularly effective on small dents, allowing people to save a lot of money on repainting costs. Unfortunately, there are still quite a few people who don’t understand PDR or how it works, so let’s address some common myths about paintless dent repair.

Myth 1: “I Can Just Buy The Tools And Do It Myself!”

PDR relies on the use of specialized tools, and so some people think that this is all you need. Even if you purchase all the specialized tools that are required (or improvise them in some way), you probably won’t be able to do a competent job. That is because PDR tools require specialized training in order to use them properly. Thus, it’s better to trust the job to a professional.

Myth 2: “It Will Mess Up My Safety Systems!”

Some new cars are equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) technology. This feature uses a network of specialized sensors to detect dangerous situations (like incoming collisions) and react accordingly to prevent them. It is true that the removal of any vehicle part can disrupt the calibration of these ADAS sensors. However, this is just another reason to trust the work of a professional. A technician who knows what they are doing will be able to re-calibrate those systems with no problem.

Myth 3: “My Insurance Won’t Cover That!”

When this technology was very new, some insurance companies refused to cover PDR procedures. However, this has long since ceased to be true. As long as you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance company will probably cover these repairs. Of course, you should call them and make sure of that beforehand.

Myth 4: “My Resale Value Will Be Affected!”

Some people seem to think that a PDR job will reduce their vehicle’s value. These people reason that it’s better to replace the part because PDR cannot fully remove the damage. This one is a little more complicated because it depends on the extent of the damage. Once the paint job itself has been damaged, PDR is no longer possible. Thus, PDR is mainly used for smaller dents, and that is why it will not affect the value of your car. In fact, it might help to preserve the value of your vehicle because you can keep the original part.

Myth 5: “It Will Stretch And Ruin The Paint Job!”

One prevalent myth is the idea that a PDR job will stretch the paint itself, causing it to eventually crack and peel. This one seems to make sense on the surface until you realize that most paints are capable of stretching, including vehicle paint. Also, the amount of stretching that will result from a PDR job will be very little. There is no need to get into a detailed discussion on the composition of paint, but you should be aware that most vehicle paints use latex as the main binder, and that is why they have a certain amount of elasticity.

Myth 6: “It Will Weaken The Metal!”

This is another myth that almost makes sense until you think about it a little more. Again, PDR is only used for small dents, which means the metal itself should still be intact. Steel is undoubtedly capable of flexing without breaking, as that is one of its main properties. In fact, it’s the main reason that we now use steel for most purposes instead of iron. When you combine that quality with the specialized tools and processes of PDR, it becomes obvious that you can pop a dent without weakening the steel.

Myth 7: “All Shops Do That!”

It should be noted that not all repair shops are able to do PDR jobs. As we said, it takes specialized equipment and training. Not all shops are going to have those things, so you can’t just take it for granted that a particular shop will offer PDR. If you want that service, you need to make sure that your repair shop can do it properly. Make sure to ask about training and certifications.

Myth 8: “The Dent Will Come Back!”

This is a ludicrous myth, but some people have fallen for it nevertheless. Some people will try to tell you that a dent that is repaired in this way will not stay repaired. They claim that it will “pop” inward and the dent will return. This is the kind of thing that can happen if PDR is done incorrectly, but that’s about all. When done by someone who knows what they are doing, PDR removes dents permanently.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a lot of misunderstandings on this subject. This might be surprising because PDR is actually a very simple concept: You reverse the forces that caused the dent by applying them from the other side. However, there are many subtle things that only an expert would know, and that is why PDR requires an expert. If you need such an expert, or if you are just asking yourself: “where can I find the best auto body shop near me?”, then we have the answer. Just call Elmer’s Auto Body at (856) 218-0202.

How To Shop For A New Jersey Body Shop Based On Reviews

It can be very difficult to select the right repair shop when you are in great need. Most of us depend on our vehicles to a large extent, so we will definitely be in a hurry to get the job done. However, it is important that you take the time to properly vet and evaluate the repair shops in your area. By making a list and using a process of elimination, you can figure things out much more quickly. Obviously, reviews are going to be your main source of information, so let’s talk about how you can use that information effectively.

Be Aware That Not All Reviews Are Honest Or Legitimate

The first thing you should understand is that rival companies will sometimes “review bomb” one another. This means that they create a large number of false complaints which are designed to make another company look bad. Even if there is no concerted effort to deceive, some bad reviews are based on unrealistic expectations and/or misunderstandings on the part of the writer. By the same token, you should remember that good reviews might also be forged by a company that is seeking some free advertising.

You want to look for criticisms that are consistent and reasonable. When the criticisms are all over the place and don’t make sense, they can be safely disregarded. Also, you should look for reviews that do not seem overly hateful. When someone shows that they have an agenda of some kind (i.e., dropping the name of a competitor in a bad review), that is also probably not legitimate. When it comes to good reviews, you want to look for those that praise the service and the overall experience without sounding like a commercial. For instance, if they insert the company’s advertising slogans into the review, it’s probably not an authentic review.

Ask Around For Personal Recommendations

You don’t necessarily have to get your reviews online. Instead, you can talk to your family and friends and see what body shop they prefer. By asking them some questions about the shop and how they do business, you can basically get a review from them. These reviews tend to be a little more trustworthy because they come from an in-person source.

Ask Your Insurance Company

If you are in need of a body shop, your insurance company is probably aware of that. Most body shops focus on collision repair, and all collisions need to be reported to your insurance company. As such, they might recommend a body shop in your area. In some cases, they might even attempt to pressure you into choosing a certain one. If this happens, just be aware that you do not have to go with their recommendation. The law protects your right to choose any repair shop you like.

If you choose to get a recommendation from your insurance provider, we would recommend that you simply get the name of the company without committing to anything. Once you know the name of the repair shop, you can look for some online reviews and ask around the area as well. That will allow you to decide if they are actually worth your time and money.

Prioritizing

We have talked about “good reviews” and “bad reviews,” but there are many reviews that fall into a middle-ground category. For instance, it is common to see a review that is mostly positive but with one or two small complaints. You might also see the opposite (i.e., a review that is mostly critical but still offers some praise). This is why you need to prioritize and decide which points are the most important to you.

For example, let’s say you find a consistent pattern in the reviews, indicating that this company does good work but takes a little longer than most. You have to decide which is more important: The overall quality of the work or the speed with which it is done? For most people, quality will be the more important consideration. However, if you really need your vehicle back in a hurry, speed might be more important to you.

Ask Plenty Of Questions

When you are evaluating a local New Jersey body shop, and everything seems to be good so far, the next step is to call them. Ask plenty of questions about who they are, how they do business, etc. Make sure you ask about I-CAR certifications, manufacturer certifications, and other relevant credentials.

Make sure you also ask about pricing, if they use OEM or aftermarket parts, hourly rates, etc. If you already know which parts are required, ask the shop if they have those parts in stock. If they do, it will mean less wait time on your repair. In the end, just remember that you have every right to ask for this information before paying anything.

Conclusion

Evaluating reviews and testimonials can be a difficult process because there are a lot of judgment calls that have to be made. In the end, you should look for patterns, as opposed to looking at the content of individual reviews. Any single review might be bogus for a variety of reasons, but overarching patterns tend to be more reliable. Of course, if you happen to be located in southern New Jersey, we can save you all that time and effort. If you live in this area, take a quick look here at our testimonials. We look forward to servicing your auto body repair needs. Give one of our Elmer’s Auto Body locations a call at (856) 218-0202.

Car Insurance: What Does “Total Loss” Mean

After you have been in an accident, you will need to have an estimate completed. Once the insurance company receives it, they can repair your vehicle or declare it a total loss. In that case, the insurer will reimburse you for a certain portion of the car without making any repairs. Unfortunately, that could leave you without a vehicle. Here are a few things to know about how a total loss could affect you.

What Is a Total Loss?

When your vehicle has been severely damaged in an accident, it could cost more to repair it than the vehicle’s actual value. The insurance company would deem the car a total loss in that situation. If you have comprehensive coverage, and the car was stolen, that vehicle will also be considered a total loss.

A total loss is similar to a regular insurance claim. The claim adjuster will review the damage and determine the amount you should be paid for the vehicle. Instead of deciding on the amount of repair costs to cover, the adjuster will put a specific value on your car. As previously stated, if the repair costs exceed the vehicle’s total value, insurance companies will consider it a total loss.

How Insurance Companies Determine a Total Loss

You need comprehensive, collision, or property damage liability insurance to receive a payout for the vehicle. In many cases, the claims will be handled through the vehicle owner’s own insurance. Unfortunately, it does not matter which driver was at fault for the accident. You will need to pay the deductible to receive compensation for the damages.

When the claim adjuster has determined that the repair costs exceed the actual cash value of the car, it will be considered a total loss.

Determining what is a total loss is not always straightforward and can change from state to state. Some states use a total loss formula that combines the actual cash value and the car’s salvage value. If the repairs exceed that, then the vehicle is a total loss. However, some states will use a total loss threshold where the damage will only have to exceed a certain percentage to be considered a total loss.

What Happens If a Car Is Declared a Total Loss?

Sometimes, you may disagree with the decision to total the vehicle. You will need to provide documentation and a few estimates to overturn the decision. Owners will have to submit paperwork that the vehicle is worth more than the claim adjuster’s estimate or that the damage is less costly than initially thought.

Most insurance companies will stand by their conclusion, but some car owners may have to use a lawyer to overturn the decision. However, if you agree with the total loss outcome, you will need to turn over the vehicle and the keys to the claims adjuster. After that, the insurance company takes possession of the car. The insurer will notify your department of motor vehicles, and a salvage title could be issued.

Sometimes, you may want to keep the vehicle. Remember that not all insurance companies will allow it, or you could receive less compensation for the vehicle. A few salvage cars may have valuable parts, or the owner wants to keep it for sentimental reasons. Unfortunately, some states will not allow a driver to keep a total loss vehicle. In those situations, you must return the vehicle to the insurance company.

With a totaled vehicle, finding an auto body shop that can fix and restore the car to its pre-accident condition is crucial. Keep in mind that not all totaled vehicles can or should be repaired. Safety should be your first concern. If any vital safety components have been damaged and cannot be repaired, you should consider allowing the insurance company to total the vehicle.

How Are Owners Paid for a Total Loss?

The same metric to determine the total loss will be used for your compensation amount. An actual cash value of the vehicle takes the pre-loss market value minus any depreciation. Age, wear and tear, and other factors may be used to find the car’s cash value. Many insurance companies use their own methods to determine the actual cash value, meaning it could differ from a value found on a website or through Kelley Blue Book.

After you have agreed to the amount, the insurance company will pay you. If the car was financed or leased, then the payout will go to those lending companies.

Many vehicle owners have a large amount of money left on their vehicles. With depreciation and other factors, you could be stuck with a large payment for the totaled vehicle. If you have a leased or financed vehicle, you should have gap insurance, which covers you for any remaining balance on the car.

Total Loss and Your Vehicle

You have limited options when an insurance company declares a total loss for your vehicle. You could keep the car, but it can mean a reduced payout from the insurer. Many times, you could challenge the total loss decision, but you need the proper documentation for your claim. Remember that some cars are severely damaged and cannot be repaired. With that, you may have to walk away and accept compensation from the insurer.

Need an Auto Body Shop Near Me?

If you need an estimate for your vehicle or want a repair completed, reach out to Elmer’s Auto Body. We have experience handling all types of vehicle repairs, from minor fender benders to major collision damage. Schedule an appointment by calling (856) 218-0202.

Why Cheap Dent Repair Can End Up Costing You More

Before you go out and pay for dent repair, beware of those who charge too little. As many find out, you get what you pay for in this business. Car owners try to save money because of a tight budget, but they later find out how much it costs them. Not all dent technicians apply the same standards of quality, nor do they have the same skill. Let’s look at how cheap dent repair can cost you more.

Cheap Materials And Rushed Dent Repair

When you work for less, you often work faster to earn more, and this will wind up costing you more in terms of quality. The lower quality materials can build into a costly disaster. Usually, cheaper dent repair will focus on metal integrity, paint finish, or the car’s trim and accessories. This could cost you more in the long run. In some cases, you could need to respray the whole car for it to look right again. That’s not good because the original paint job will always give your car the best value.

The Costs That Go Into Dent Repair

When it comes to paying the painter for the paint labor, the cost goes beyond applying the color and a clear coat. You have many other costs factored in that include:

Prep time
Time to set up and mix the colors
Procedures to ensure paint meets standards

If you want your car to look like how it did before, you must pay more for better quality materials.

Repair Fails and Causes More Damages

A repair failing and causing more damage is the greatest danger of going with one that’s too cheap. Good auto body repair shops understand how to protect the integrity of your car’s structure and the paintwork. Let’s say you paid $125 to repair a dent, but that low-budget dent repair can wind up costing you $1,250 because the original repair failed altogether. The $125 paid was a total loss.

Factory Paint Job: The Most Expensive

The factory paint job is the most expensive, and every auto body shop will struggle to replicate that paint job without a higher cost. When you screw it up with a cheap dent repair company, this can hurt the resale value of your car. At Elmer’s Auto Body, we have found that a car with a dent visible from 10 feet away will cost you from five to 10 percent of your car’s resale value.
When you go to repair a dent, every reputable auto body technician will focus all their efforts to keep from harming the original paint job. When you hire someone cheaply, you risk that they may cut corners, and they may care less about protecting the original paint job.

DIY Dent Repair Kits

You may have seen a DIY dent repair kit for $17. Let us give you some advice: Don’t buy it! It’s a laughable scam. When things sound too good to be true, they probably are. Let’s put this into perspective. Our auto body shop has invested over $10,000 into specialized equipment to remove dents. Why would we do that if we could use a $17 repair kit? The answer comes down to quality dent repair. You will see much better results from the $10,000 tools that we use over a $17 kit that may even further damage your car. We have had customers who used those kits enter our shop frantically telling us how they tried to use a kit first. You have another harmful myth on YouTube showing people using dry ice as a way to repair dents. They believe that the extreme cold caused by the dry ice contracts the metal to make it pop out. Here’s the problem: The people we spoke with who tried it said that it delivered uninspiring results. The other risk is that its rapid contraction will cause further damage to your paint job.

Dent Repair Scams

You have some legitimate operations offered for cheap, and we’re not going to put those down, other than to say that it often winds up costing you more because of limited resources and time to turn a profit. However, you have some actual scams in this industry, and one of the scams is where a “dent repair professional” drives up to your car. They tell you how they noticed that you have dents in the car, but they can fix them for a reduced price. The scam almost always follows the same lines where you need to pay in cash because they can’t let their boss know. After you pay, they apply this so-called dent remover liquid that does nothing. They then tell you to give it 24 hours before the dent comes out on its own. If you’re lucky, they used car wax, which is what they use most often. However, we have even heard of cases where the scammer uses body filler, which ruined the victim’s paint job. The insurance provider also refused to cover them. Don’t buy into the lie that a magical liquid exists that can remove dents. There is no such thing.

Final Thoughts

Google, “Auto body shop near me,” and you will probably see Elmer’s Auto Body come up on your screen. We would love the opportunity to look at your dents and determine a good course of action. Going with cheap dent repair isn’t worth the trouble that it often brings. You can call us today at (856) 218-0202.

What Can And Can’t Be Fixed With Paintless Dent Repair

Accidents will happen—you can count on it! At some point, you may experience dents or dings in your vehicle and wonder what steps to take next. First, you want to look at the cheapest option known as paintless dent repair (PDR), but unfortunately, not all cars will be good candidates for this fix. You need to know what it can and cannot fix to determine whether you should take this action or choose a traditional dent repair method.

Before You Start

First, you need to speak with an insurance agent about the damage to your car. Provided you carry comprehensive or collision coverage, they will cover it. For minor dents, you may want to cover it yourself because you will wind up paying more for your premium after filing a claim. Either way, your agent will assess the damage to determine how to proceed. In most cases, they prefer PDR because it costs less than traditional dent repairs, but it may not work for every situation.

Categories of Damage from Dents
Dent repair falls into four categories such as:
Paint intact with cosmetic damage
Scratched paint with cosmetic damage
Intact paint but has severe damage
Scratched paint with severe damage

Paint Intact with Cosmetic Damage

In most cases, PDR works best for minor dents and dings. The first category means that the paint suffered no scratches, and the key focus here will be to restore the metal.

Scratched Paint with Cosmetic Damage

This is the second category with a larger amount of damage to where it scratched the paint. For anyone who doesn’t know, the original paint job from the factory will always be worth the most. Damage to this can cause the resale value to drop slightly, but you should be able to repair it with PDR. With this one, you have minor dents in the car, and you will need to repaint the car after.

Intact Paint but Severe Damage

In this category, the car suffered serious damage, but the paint remains intact. They may have damaged the mechanical system. You don’t need to repaint the car with this category, however.

Scratched Paint with Severe Damage

You don’t have any way around it because the paint was damaged severely. You will need to go the full mile with this and pay the extra to bring the car back to normal condition. Many times, you need to repair or replace panels on the car due to the extent of the damage.

When Can You Use PDR?

The best times to use PDR will be when you didn’t damage the paint job. If the paint job was damaged, the technician will need to use body filler to repair the cracked paint, which will require more traditional methods of repairs. Even in cases where your car suffered severe damage, as long as the paint job remains intact, you don’t need to choose the traditional route. You may consider this as a way to save money. In fact, whenever you can preserve the original paint through PDR, use it because your car will retain its trade-in value. PDR won’t work where the dents sit at the edge of the panel or the car had previous auto body work done.

What Is PDR?

We have gone on about PDR and when to use it, but you may wonder about the repair method. PDR requires no body filler, which means that it won’t mess with your paint. Instead, our technicians will gently reset the metal back to its original condition with specialized tools in the hands of trained technicians. This method requires no sanding or replacement of your panels. PDR costs less than what most auto body shops usually charge, and they can perform it faster. It depends on the damage, but it may take five minutes. We don’t want to set the expectations too high, however, because there are cases where it will take one to two days. Most of the time, they can do this repair while you go to work or shop.

Metal Only

You can’t perform PDR on plastic bumpers, fenders, or non-metal parts. PDR only works on metal auto-body parts. The dent must also be accessible to the PDR tools. Don’t worry about PDR not working or causing damage to your car. You have some stories making their rounds that it will damage the car. That is false. In fact, this is one of the cheapest dent repair options that will truly work. You have many cheap dent repair choices that will often fail or wind up costing you more money, but you don’t have to worry about PDR. Google, “Auto body shop near me,” and all of the reputable ones will tell you the same thing. The only time where they wouldn’t is when they hope to scare you to make more money off you.

Final Thoughts

If you crashed your car, you may need to remove the dents from it. You can speak with the experts at Elmer’s Auto Body. We have been in business for over 70 years in South New Jersey. We’re family-owned and operated, and we seek to serve the community with quality auto body repairs. If you’d like to learn more, call us at (856) 218-0202.