Two repairers can look at the same dent and quote for different parts and different paint work. The same questions to each make their quotes comparable.
Quote sheetSmash repairs · Melbourne
Questions to ask each business, with a column for each of three quotes
Ask each business
Quote A
Quote B
Quote C
BusinessIts name, and who you spoke to.
01Are you quoting new genuine parts, aftermarket parts or repairs to the old ones?Ask for each part by name on the written quote.
02How will you match the paint?Ask whether panels next to the damage will be blended as well.
03Can you work with my insurer on this claim?Ask how they deal with the company and its assessor.
04Is a loan car available while mine is in the shop?And whether it costs anything.
05How long will you have the car?Ask what usually holds a job up, such as waiting on parts.
06Will you check for damage underneath before you start?Ask how they will tell you if they find more, and wait to approve any extra cost.
07Is there a warranty on the repair and the paint?Ask for it in writing.
08Is this the full price?Parts, paint, labour and any towing, all in one figure.
Ask each business the same questions and write the answers side by side. Printed, the sheet fills one page, with a column for each of three quotes.From melbournesmashrepairs.com.au, a concept page.
What changes the price
The parts chosen, how many panels are painted and how much damage sits behind the panels are the assumptions under each quote. Write them in one row and the difference between prices becomes easier to read.
If you are claiming through an insurer, ask them if you can choose the repairer before you book in anywhere.
Before you drop the car off
Take photos of the damage and of the rest of the car from each side. They show what was there before the repair.
Clear out your belongings, and keep the written quote with the sheet. When you collect the car, check the work against both in daylight.
Shows whether a business's ABN is active or cancelled, its business type and its GST status, and the Register says the public can use it to check a business before buying.