Vocabulary: The Repair & Parts

My last two posts went over a lot of new information. If you've made it this far, good news, it gets easier from here! Now that you have learned some new vocabulary and you're starting to familiarize yourself with the estimate and repair process, you can be much more involved and informed.

So, schedule that repair with Olsen Auto Body and we can take some weight off of your shoulders. We will handle all the other correspondence with the insurance company, we'll be taking care of the billing as well as any supplements that might come up too.


Here I will discuss some other terms we missed in the last posts

Disassembly: This involves taking damaged parts off the car so we can see what may or may not be damaged beneath those parts. Also called Tear down, which means the same thing but may sound concerning to some people. It is a systematic disassembly, no tearing or ripping apart involved!

Total Loss: Total loss, or just 'Totaled', means the value of your vehicle before the accident is less than what it would cost to fix the damage from the accident. This does not mean your car CAN'T be fixed, it just means it would cost too much to repair it back to the way it was before your crash. When it comes to auto body, this is probably the most concerning phrase you can hear and we will cover that in a different post in length.


Parts usage is a hot topic in this industry. Insurance company's want the shop to use a certain part, the customer wants something else and here we are in the middle. Our goal is always to just fix the car correctly and provide an excellent finished product to our customer. We have your best interest in mind because you, as our customer, are our best interest.

Here is a list of different part options, the abbreviations and what they mean:

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer, these are parts made by and sold by the same company that produced your car. A brand name part.

 

LKQ: Stands for 'Like Kind and Quality'. LKQ are recycled parts originally manufactured by the builder of your vehicle. A used brand name part.

AFTERMARKET: This is a part made by a company other that the original equipment manufacturer. A generic part.
 

RECOND: Stands for reconditioned. This would be a OEM part that was on another car that has been rebuilt and resold. A remanufactured brand name part.

 

The customer asks: "What part is right for me? Is there a better choice? What about cost?"

 

Those are all great questions. Each of these part options serves their purpose, of course a new brand name part might have a better fit to the car, but you could potentially find a recycled one that works just as well and save yourself some money.

What about aftermarket parts? Do they fit the same? Truth is, not always, but the job we take on here at Olsen Auto Body is to make sure to inspect each part before we install it. If it does not fit to your car or if it is damaged in any way we reject it, return it and order another one.

You always have a say on what part goes on your car. Remember, if you are using your own insurance company you have signed a contract with them. Somewhere in the policy you signed up for will most likely have a clause about part usage. The insurance company will stick within those guidelines. If that means paying only for an aftermarket part, that still leaves you with the option of replacing it with an OEM part and paying the difference in the part cost. It's a good idea to ask the body shop questions if you are concerned about part usage. We are here to help!

Written by Lanni Waschke
Olsen Auto Body & Collision
Bellingham, WA

Vocabulary: The Estimate

In my last post we covered some of the lingo you'll hear when dealing with an insurance claim, but what about the repair? And the estimate? What is an estimate anyway!?

The estimate itself comes with a set of words and abbreviations that would be confusing to anyone that hasn't dealt with this before. When you're handed an estimate from a shop, the estimator should go over it with you line by line to explain what they'll need to do to fix your car, like we do here at Olsen Auto Body. Trying to read the estimate sheet on your own won't make as much sense as looking at it with someone who is experienced and that can actually show you on your car what needs to be done.

  

Here is a list of some of those terms:

Estimate: Usually the first step on your road to repair. An estimate is our best educated guess as to what is needed to be repaired, how long it will take and how much it will cost.

Supplement: Any additional damage found after the estimate, usually during the course of repairs. This can still be billed to the insurance company and we will handle that for you.

Sublet: Any part of the repair not done in house. We don't do a wheel alignment here at our shop, but we'll handle that for you as part of the repair. We take that to another shop and sublet the work to them. Then we cover that bill so we can bill everything out to you or your insurance company on one invoice.

The following is a list of abbreviations you'll see on your estimate and final bill:

Rpr: Repair, a physical repair of a part.

Repl: Replace, a new (or recycled) part put on the car in place of an existing damaged part.

Refn: Refinish, Paint.

Blnd: Blend Paint .

R&I: Remove and Install. Physically taking a part off a car to repair or paint the area around it, and then reinstalling that part after repair and paint is done.

Our next post will contain even more vocabulary, if you can believe it! We will go over more of the short hand that you'll see on the estimate and repair order and what it all means to you.

Email us with questions! olsenautobody@gmail.com

-Lanni

Vocabulary: The Insurance Claim

Let's face it, most people don't like reading all the information and fine print that you get when you sign up with a new insurance policy. Maybe some of you do but I don't expect anyone to remember every last detail of their policy ten years down the road after they've had an unfortunate accident.

It seems as though insurance companies speak their own language, a language you don't want to be too familiar with because being familiar means having multiple claims. And multiple claims means multiple accidents and probably an increase in your premiums. Nobody wants that.

So what do we do? We don't want practice in claims but we want to be in the loop with the lingo used so we can keep informed and be part of the process. We all want to be educated customers.

Here is a list of frequently used insurance terms what they mean:

Adjuster: This is the person within your insurance company that is handling your claim, this may also be called the Internal Claims Adjuster. They are the best person to call with any questions relating to your insurance claim. The word adjuster may also refer to a Field Adjuster, the person your insurance company sends out to inspect and write an estimate on your car.
For more general info on Claims Adjusters, Click HERE

Agent: A licensed person, company or organization authorized to sell and service insurance policies for an insurance company. This is the person who can tell you if they may raise your rates after a claim.
Want to read way too much detailed info on Insurnace Agents, Click HERE (Thanks Wikipedia!)

Claimant: The other party (vehicle), if any, that was involved in the accident.

Claim Number: The reference number assigned to a specific accident.

Date of Loss: The date the accident happened.

Deductible: The amount of the bill that the policyholder is responsible for paying. Similar to a copay at the doctors office.

Facts of Loss: Details on how and where the accident happened.

Policyholder: The person listed on the insurance card, the owner of the insurance policy.

Policy Number: The number on your insurance card, like your insurance account number.
 

Rental Coverage: Some insurance policies have rental coverage. This is the amount of money the insurance company will pay towards your rental vehicle while your car is in the shop. It depends on your specific policy, so make sure to ask your insurance company about your rental coverage when you have them on the phone. (If you are not at fault for the accident and using the other parties insurance to repair, they will always pay for a rental when your car is in the shop. More about that in another post.)

Supplement: Any additional damage found after the estimate, usually during the course of repairs. This can still be billed to the insurance company and we will handle that for you.
 

Anything missing? Is there a word or a phrase that you've heard that you need clarified? Please email me your questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
olsenautobody@gmail.com