Things To Know Before Automotive Hail Damage Repair

Hail damage used to be such a hassle that we built a business around repairing the damages it causes to local residents’ vehicles every year. In 92′ when VIP Hail Service first opened, hail damage was feared in a financial sense. People had very few options for trust worthy hail repairs and there was rarely ever deductible assistance or deductible-free hail repair that’s offered today.

Paintless dent removal wasn’t as prevalent of a service then, leading to more hail damaged cars being sent to body shops for traditional repairs, where the damage and repair was reported on the title or worse, the vehicle could be totaled completely in the eyes of insurance.

Thankfully these are mostly all worries of yesterday; Plano residents now have easy access to fast, reliable and affordable options for repairs if a hail storm hits close to home. In this article you’ll find ‘must know’ facts and information about automotive hail damage repairs that should ease your mind and provide a better experience if your vehicle is ever hit.

Thankfully these are mostly all worries of yesterday; Plano residents now have easy access to fast, reliable and affordable options for repairs if a hail storm hits close to home. In this article you’ll find ‘must know’ facts and information about automotive hail damage repairs that should ease your mind and provide a better experience if your vehicle is ever hit.

As we mentioned in the introduction, paintless dent repair is the backbone of every automotive hail repair shop in existence today. The many benefits for this repair method can not be overlooked with a few of the obvious ones being no need for parts or paint, it keeps the vehicle title clean, and will perfectly restore the exterior of the vehicle to it’s pre-damaged condition.

As we mentioned in the introduction, paintless dent repair is the backbone of every automotive hail repair shop in existence today. The many benefits for this repair method can not be overlooked with a few of the obvious ones being no need for parts or paint, it keeps the vehicle title clean, and will perfectly restore the exterior of the vehicle to it’s pre-damaged condition.

When choosing a shop to repair automotive hail damage, looking for the words ‘paintless dent repair’ on the company’s website or business profiles is the fastest way to build a viable list of options. If you see these 3 words, this is the kind of shop you’re looking for. Excluding the standard body and collision shops is an absolute must as they tend to use body fillers, sanders, paint and new parts costing you double that of PDR. This one simple tip will save you time, money, and the value of your vehicle if it has hail damage.

On the topic of hail repair shops in the area, they do not all provide equal value, quality or urgency for your repair. If your insurance company allows you to choose who completes the repair (versus sending you to an insurance operated disaster site), reading reviews and researching the shop is equally important to filing a hail damage claim.

We advice narrowing it down to 3 shops after doing a Google search for ‘auto hail repair.’ Complete a separate Google search for each of the 3 business names individually. For the most reputable shops with years in business, the search results should provide a page full of their website(s), social profiles, business listings and reviews. Use this information and your better judgement to decide which shop you trust with repairing the hail damage to your vehicle.

It’s also important to understand the possible outcomes of hail damage claims to alleviate unneeded stress and surprises along the way. There are 3 main possibilities you can expect when filing a claim with your insurance, the first being the most common. In these cases your provider will allow you to choose a local hail repair shop to take care of the damages.

If this is the direction you go, the next step will be researching the shops in your area followed by giving your #1 choice a call to arrange getting your vehicle in for repair. Once at the shop, expert technicians begin a bumper to bumper inspection while documenting each imperfection caused by hail stones.

This allows the shop to provide your insurance with a written estimate for approval and then the repair can begin. Hail repair shops that focus on excellent customer service (like VIP Hail Service) can often have your vehicle looking new in about a week.

The second most common practice for insurance providers is to set up a local disaster site where all vehicles they cover that were damaged by the hail storm will be repaired. Disaster sites are typically used with an area is hit by a severe hail storm resulting in 1000’s of hail damaged vehicles covered by the same insurer. If you are referred to a disaster site don’t worry, the insurance company will contract plenty of skilled paintless dent repair technicians to handle the repairs. In the worst case, it may take an extra week to get your car back.

The third and final outcome is rare but we do see it a few times each year. Some who experience this are a little weary when they first hear the news but they are typically ecstatic with the results if this happens with VIP Hail Service on their side. Under the right circumstance, with an older vehicle and severe hail damage, sometimes the cost to repair the damage outweighs the overall value of the vehicle. When this happens, the owner will receive a check from the insurance company for another vehicle and they’re allowed to keep the damaged vehicle to sell or use for parts. If VIP Hail Service is the shop to determine the vehicle is totaled, our technicians fight to get you the biggest check possible for your hail damage claim.

Don’t forget to check out our service pages if you’re eager to continue learning about paintless dent repair and hail damage repair. Continue reading about the history of paintless dent repair in the ‘Up Next’ article or check out the ‘Previous’ article on what to do if your vehicle has hail damage.