Repair Advice/Recommendations

I've had my California just 5 months and some one decided to back into it in a half empty carpark. So it's got a big dent in it now just below the water and electric points.

It's a "no fault" claim so the repairs will be covered by insurance and I won't use my no claims bonus.

But my question is: where to get it repaired?

It's brand new so obviously I want it to be repaired well.

The insurance company have recommended garages that they use but the one in Leeds (where I live) doesn't seem to be VW approved and the nearest VW approved one is in Barnsley (and their company network on Trustpilot doesn't get very good reviews)

I could choose my own garage to get the repairs done but then I have to pay an excess (which I should then be able to claim back I think)

Has anyone got any recommendations?

Thanks for any suggestions
Mike

Has

Mike Leeds said:

I've had my California just 5 months and some one decided to back into it in a half empty carpark. So it's got a big dent in it now just below the water and electric points.

It's a "no fault" claim so the repairs will be covered by insurance and I won't use my no claims bonus.

But my question is: where to get it repaired?

It's brand new so obviously I want it to be repaired well.

The insurance company have recommended garages that they use but the one in Leeds (where I live) doesn't seem to be VW approved and the nearest VW approved one is in Barnsley (and their company network on Trustpilot doesn't get very good reviews)

I could choose my own garage to get the repairs done but then I have to pay an excess (which I should then be able to claim back I think)

Has anyone got any recommendations?

Thanks for any suggestions
Mike

Has

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I had the same issue in Dec ‘20
Some a$$h0le drive into my tailgate.
Had a £3k new claim of a new tailgate and paint (2tone)
Insurance said I could go to Coventry VW. They did an amazing job.
So recommend you going to VW repair.
At least you will keep up 10 year paint warranty.
I’m not sure if VW will keep the paint / body work corrosion warranty if a none VW repairs.
I’d get it in writing from VW if they will before getting a local dealer to repair.
Have you already asked your insurer ?
If yes, it’s done and dusted.
It is in the record now….

Go to VW. Any VW. While technically they don't have to do the repair to maintain paint and rust warranty if they don't and you have an issue they will have a stronger case to say “no warranty guv”.

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I think it's worth making the trip to Barnsley from Leeds to get it done at a VW credited garage. Just surprised that the insurance company don't have one in Leeds in their network. I think the negative reviews may be for other garages under the same franchise.

Guess I need to double check that it is VW approved, there must be a list somewhere..... sorry thinking out loud here.

For info here's some pictures of the damage:

HI @Mike Leeds
Try this:

DMC said:

HI @Mike Leeds
Try this:

Accident Repair

volkswagen-vansapprovedrepair.co.uk

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Ha ha!

Perfect!

Thanks DMC.

Where you based. You could try a paintless dent removal guy. I had one at my house local to me. Great kid. You would be surprised what Magic they can work using glue guns and hammers. If your near Doncaster area I can out you onto him. He will give you a quote and sticks to his price.
Is the paint damaged or is that paint from the bell end who did it?

flying banana said:

Where you based. You could try a paintless dent removal guy. I had one at my house local to me. Great kid. You would be surprised what Magic they can work using glue guns and hammers. If your near Doncaster area I can out you onto him. He will give you a quote and sticks to his price.
Is the paint damaged or is that paint from the bell end who did it?

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Thanks flying banana, I'm in Leeds, but as the van is brand new I want to use a VW approved garage,. Still trying to figure out which one to use as the insurance companies preferred garages get bad reviews and the one that gets the best reviews ( Vehicle Bodycare Centre Ltd Leeds) isn't on their list, and if you decide not to use one on their list you have to pay the excess up front and don't get a courtesy car.

I feel your pain. My son put a nice scratch on the sliding door and rear panel of my 3 week old Cali last year by getting too close to a gatepost. A VW approved bodyshop did the repair and the resuilt was superb - absolutely no way to tell there's been a repair so in the right hands, yours should be good as new.

Mike Leeds said:

I've had my California just 5 months and some one decided to back into it in a half empty carpark. So it's got a big dent in it now just below the water and electric points.

It's a "no fault" claim so the repairs will be covered by insurance and I won't use my no claims bonus.

Click to expand...

Mike Leeds said:

if you decide not to use one on their list you have to pay the excess up front and don't get a courtesy car.

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Are you claiming off your own insurance or the other parties? If its not your insurers you wouldn't be paying the excess & they would provide a courtesy car & it would still be your choice of repairers.

andyinluton Well their insurer will be paying for it. My insurer Admiral use a company called Auxillis who arrange the repairs and claim the money back from the 3rd party but Auxillis have their "approved" garages and if I use those I don't have to pay the excess but if I want to use a different one (I do) I have to pay the excess up front to my garage and then try and claim it back from the 3rd party, I also have legal cover so I can make that claim using that.

It's a lot of effort to get your head round how it all works.

Mike Leeds said:

andyinluton Well their insurer will be paying for it. My insurer Admiral use a company called Auxillis who arrange the repairs and claim the money back from the 3rd party but Auxillis have their "approved" garages and if I use those I don't have to pay the excess but if I want to use a different one (I do) I have to pay the excess up front to my garage and then try and claim it back from the 3rd party, I also have legal cover so I can make that claim using that.

It's a lot of effort to get your head round how it all works.

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Put simply, Admiral have done nothing but dumped you in the hands of a third party accident management co.

Has the other party admitted it or have you got witnesses? without either you won't get your excess back.

I would be giving the list that DMC provided to Auxillis & asking them which of those its going to. I would be expecting them to collect & deliver back so distance shouldn't be an issue. On a recent vehicle still covered by a manufacturers bodywork warranty its not unreasonable for it to go to an approved workshop. If your van is on a PCP it may be a condition of your finance agreement.

If they intend putting a new panel on that side the whole kitchen is going to come out first & thats not a job for a garage that has no experience of Californias.
Having said that if it was my van I would prefer it to be pulled & filled as welding of panels strips the galvanising & replacement panels always seem to rust quicker than the originals.


I've just been through a similar experience with my Morgan, once the 3rd party insurer realised that there were only 2 qualified repairers & 1 source of body panels they agreed that it made sense to use the one only 4 miles from home. Not many bodyshops keep stocks of brass woodwork screws & seasoned ash, let alone know what to do with them.

Good luck.

andyinluton said:

Put simply, Admiral have done nothing but dumped you in the hands of a third party accident management co.

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Yes, it looks like that is their process.

andyinluton said:

Has the other party admitted it or have you got witnesses? without either you won't get your excess back.

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I don't know, I wasn't there when they reversed into me, but they did leave a note, and I do have a
witness so I think it would be hard for them to deny liability.

andyinluton said:

I would be giving the list that DMC provided to Auxillis & asking them which of those its going to. I

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Yes, I'm going to use a garage off that list: Vehicle Bodycare Centre Ltd Leeds

andyinluton said:

If they intend putting a new panel on that side the whole kitchen is going to come out first & thats not a job for a garage that has no experience of Californias.

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Yes, I'm hoping that won't be necessary.

andyinluton said:

Having said that if it was my van I would prefer it to be pulled & filled as welding of panels strips the galvanising & replacement panels always seem to rust quicker than the originals.

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That's useful information that I didn't know, thanks.


I'll report back on how the process pans out, thanks for your thoughts.

This might be a little late as it sounds like you have started the repair process, but here's some possible useful information for anyone. I'm with LV and their approved repair shops include a company called Motofix who are also VW approved repairers, so I didn't have to pay extra for my 'own fault claim' by going to a noinsurance approved but VW approved repairer. The one in High Wycombe did an excellent job and give 4 year guarantee and VW 'certificate of authenticity' for the work. It might be that insurance approved workshops are also VW approved for other people who have cover from LV or, perhaps, other insurers.

Repairs done, it looks good.

They did it without needing to take units out.

Got a hire care and didn't have to pay the excess in the end.

Just out of interest did they replace the panel or was it pulled/filled and repainted? Either way it looks good as new!

GrahamB said:

Just out of interest did they replace the panel or was it pulled/filled and repainted? Either way it looks good as new!

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Pulled and filled. I don't think there's a panel to replace, I think most of the body work is just one piece of metal.