Bodywork repairs to your motor vehicle are a frustrating contingency that almost always seems to occur at the worst possible time. No amount of planning or preparation can prepare you for all the logistical questions you now suddenly have to find answers to once your precious motor gets pranged; how much is it going to cost? What about my no claims bonus? What about my insurance? Where do I go to get it repaired?
Regardless of the severity of the repair work, it’s a stressful circumstance for anyone to find themselves in. So, it’s important for any vehicle owner to consider the following before the unavoidable slams into the back of you (literally).
Don’t allow an insurer to dictate where your car is repaired
One mistake many panicked drivers can make is to take their insurers advice as gospel and select the first vehicle repair garage recommended to them rather than shop around and trust their own research. This can often lead to a garage which may not have the appropriate accreditation to complete your repair to the highest standard not to mention a much heftier bill stapled to the repair work being done on the vehicle.
When repair needs to be done on your vehicle, you should always do your own prior research beforehand and not let an insurer pressure you into opting with a particular repair garage. Look for specialist coachwork garages with good reviews, specialist accreditation such as a Kite Mark, a history of good service and evidence of a recent British standards audit.
Make sure you have courtesy car provision when taking out insurance
An often-overlooked facet of comprehensive car insurance – courtesy cars are vital if your vehicle is unable to be repaired in a short turnaround and if you rely on your car for day-to-day life, which let’s face it – most of us do. Most insurance providers offer a courtesy car as a standard feature of the policy but it’s worth checking if there are any costs involved.
The benefits of ensuring that you have a courtesy car provision is that if you have to pay at all, it will be a fraction of the cost of hiring a car. Some vehicle repair specialists also offer courtesy cars while the repair is taking place – if you do your shopping around the best repair specialists should have this in place.
Pick the right vehicle repair specialist
This seems pretty fundamental, but you’d be surprised how many vehicle owners make the mistake of selecting the first repair garage they uncover after a quick Google search. Rather than just looking at previous reviews, it’s important to look at the accreditation of the specialist, the work offered by the garage and their options for courtesy car provisions and recovery vehicles should you need it.
Tressler Coachwork boasts one of the strongest outfits in East Sussex and is a British Standard Approved Repairer and Kite Mark accredited specialist. Bi-annually audited to ensure compliance with British vehicle repair standards, Tressler Coachwork also ensures that repairs on manufacture-produced safety areas on selected vehicles are undertaken by qualified technicians up to manufacturer standards – a rare offering of other coachwork garages in the area.
Additionally, Tressler Coachwork provides services on all road cars including hybrid and electric cars as well as light commercial vehicles for both insurance and owner paying repairs. With an impressive fleet of courtesy cars (T&Cs apply), four-wheel alignment services and optional recovery vehicle availability (additional charges apply), Tressler Coachwork pride themselves on being the leading vehicle repair service in East Sussex – with free and friendly advice always available.
Tresslers Coachwork is a vehicle repair specialist delivering quality service for both standard road cars and commercial vehicles for over 50 years. Find more information on Tresslers by calling 01825 762262 or by visiting the website here.