SMB stuck on Grapevine was that YOU?

[Kathryn]

Exactly what a hose should fix. Hence the reason I'm so mad.

Glad to hear the ph should be ok. I've been worried about that.

[BrianW]

I'm curious why Progressive would make you go to a mechanic/service provider so far away from you. Most insurance companies let you choose a repair shop from a list of places in your area (at least).

Hope it all works out OK for you, but be sure to document all these issues in case you need to take it to court down the road. Not to be negative, but if the repair place missed these obvious things, I'd be worried what other non-obvious things they missed. :-(

[Kathryn]

Basicly progressive gave me the choice of using my mechanic or theirs. If I used theirs however the work would be garenteed. Normally I would never choose a mechanic I didn't know but in this particular case with all the possible reoccurring problems that are likely I felt it might be best to go with the garenteed work. Progressive told me that because of the size of the job that if I elected to have them do the work they would do it in Bakersfield so it would be closer to their headquarters so their people could check in on the van and make sure the work was done right.

I'm sure I could have insisted they take it to LA but their reasoning seemed logical enough. Anyway hind sight is 20/20. Lesson learned.

[BrianW]

Originally Posted by Kathryn

Basicly progressive gave me the choice of using my mechanic or theirs. If I used theirs however the work would be garenteed. Normally I would never choose a mechanic I didn't know but in this particular case with all the possible reoccurring problems that are likely I felt it might be best to go with the garenteed work.

Ah, makes sense. Having the guarantee is definitely a good idea!

Good luck

[Jeffrey]

Sorry, I don't buy the 'closer to headquarters' or 'work guaranteed' bullshit for a second. ANY good shop would warranty their services for a period of about 90 days or so. The guarantee story is a scam to direct work to shops they use. The people in their office wouldn't know what they were looking at even if they did visit the shop. Progressive is a high volume discount insurance dealer that wants to work with shops they know or have 'business agreements' with in order to get the job done for the least cost. This likely includes working with local friends and associates, regardless of who is the most knowledgeable to do the job correctly. Kathryn, although you've been through hell, you must dig your heels in and hold your ground to get everything right.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey

Sorry, I don't buy the 'closer to headquarters' or 'work guaranteed' bullshit for a second. ANY good shop would warranty their services for a period of about 90 days or so.

Most good shops have a 1-year warranty.

But.... if you go outside the insurance network, once the initial work is closed and settled, they wash their hands of it. You get shop warranty, but if any scope is missed, you are most likely SOL.

Staying within their network means the claim remains open to missed scope. Downside, they do the bare minimum because you can come back if there is a problem. Upside - you can come back if there's a problem.

It's a touch decision. If you go outside the network, you are are relying on the shop adjuster to capture all necessary scope, but if they capture too much, it could end up exceeding the "repairable" value threshold, and the vehicle would then be totaled.