jchan2

Ok, so I was rear ended on Sunday morning driving out to run errands (no injuries, just about $300 worth of scratches on my rear bumper in an area about 3/4 the size of a license plate; the bumper will have to be repainted most likely since paint was taken off)

The other person's insurance company inspected my car today and asked where I was taking it (to which I said Ed Voyles Acura in Atlanta, about an hour and a half away) and said I could have it done at the independent body shop here in Athens. I'm thinking it's probably a better idea to drag the car to Atlanta, but is it worth the trip?

Also, when I asked if the accident would show up on the CarFax (there was no police report), he said that it would, but then when I asked about a diminished value claim (purportedly for the car having an accident on its record) he said that paint work doesn't qualify. Is he right, or can I reasonably pursue a diminished value claim? (I know it's a small accident and that I am probably being a bit overzealous, but still... if it shows up on the CarFax that could scare off potential buyers if I ever need to sell)

The check hasn't been issued- I have to talk to the handler on the phone tomorrow (separate person from the inspector today) and arrange things. As of now, I'm thinking I'll stick with taking the car to the dealer in Atlanta, but I just wanted to get some thoughts on this.

merlinsbeard101

I would definitely take it a dealership or a very good paint shop. I think insurance will pay for anywhere you want to go, so choose somewhere good. And even if it does show up on a carfax or anything, keep the receipt to show that you went to a reputable shop to get it repainted.

And I would take some pictures of the car now and keep them for when you sell it just to show people that it was very little damage and doesn't impact the car structurely. When I was looking at TSXs, I looked at one with a salvaged title because it was rearended really bad. Besides the salvaged title, I didn't want to buy the car because the accident could have hurt the cars structure. But if it was just a small fender bender and the seller had pics and a receipt of a good paint shop, that wouldn't change my mind on buying the car.

nj2pa2nc

I had the bumper on my car repainted. It had a few small dents and scrapes caused overtime from runaway shopping carts. I took it to a reputable body shop near where I live. They did an excellent job. I put the receipt in with the rest of the service records I have on the car.

Simba91102

Too bad the the insurance companies are involved. If it shows up on Carfax (it may not, they get way too much credit), you'll lose way more on resale than the $300 (which let's face it, is peanuts). I won't give a car a second look if it has any history on Carfax; I never inquire of the details (and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone). Plus, a dealership will use it against you if you ever go trade the car (as with many things we think are so great, Carfax is a double edged sword). You should check with the insurance company if you want to pursue diminished value, I assume they each have different rules and.... you're basically at the mercy of whoever answers the phone. I can't imagine they'd entertain anything that is most likely less than the deductible. It always pay to ask around for a good paint man, even if you don't need one (yet)(and they're rarely working for a dealership). The dealers I've dealt with farm out the small (if not all) jobs anyway. And.... bumpers can be tough. They're a different material than the body of the car and many colors tend to look different because of it (I don't know why, but I have personal experience, plus study a few bumpers in a parking lot sometime, you'll see what I mean)(and it's actually referred to as bumper cover, since...... that's all it is).

jchan2

I know... It's an all around lose situation for me, but about the only positive aspect is that I avoided a much more serious accident by being able to stop in time and avoid hitting the car in front of me- the insured person was 2 cars behind me and nudged the car in between us into me...

And at least I didn't have plans to sell soon- I had planned on keeping the car as long as I possibly could anyway, and by the time I would sell, hopefully it won't matter as much since the car will be worth so little by then.

I'll probably ask about diminished value again today (hey, doesn't hurt to ask) so we'll see what happens...

RkFast

If youre keeping the car, I wouldnt sweat it.

jchan2

Definitely keeping the car. She has to get me through 4 yrs of undergrad (3 left to go!), a few years of work, and hopefully graduate school. The goal is 200k miles!

nj2pa2nc

If you look at the bumpers on even new cars-some of them will look like the bumper is a different shade. While getting my tsx serviced I noticed that. My neighbor has 2 tl's that have never been in accidents. The bumpers look like they have a different shade than the rest of the car. It is because the bumper (cover) is made of plastic and the rest is steel which causes this.