What is Photo-Based Estimating? Our Long Beach Auto Body Shop Explains

You may have seen ads on TV for auto insurance and their 'hassle free' photo estimating. Take a few snaps of your car and the damage with their app then they send a check straight to you. Easy right? In most cases this is an extra step you just don't have to do. So here are a few things you should know if you're in an accident and want to try it.

No picture can create a comprehensive estimate without having a vehicle inspected in person. No matter how good they say they are!

The check you'll receive will only cover a fraction of the damage a body shop will find. Photos don't capture electronic failures such as sensors and cameras. Pictures can't show if a part is loose such as a muffler. Paint imperfections like scratches and scrapes are very had to capture. Cameras don't have x-ray vision to see if brackets, rivets or retainers are broken. All of these things can only be discovered during the disassembly process. Once your car is in the shop, we perform a disassembly and electronics scan then we get in touch with the insurance company to ensure that all the related damage is covered.

Photo based estimates and any visual estimate inspections are generally a waste of your time.

Again the only way to truly know what repairs are required is to begin the disassembly process. Insurance companies should not put the burden on you. They are going to repair your car. That's what you have insurance for right? The best thing you can do is select the auto body shop of your choice and schedule to drop it off with them to repair.

You can choose the shop of your choice.

Another suggestion the insurance company might make is that now you've got their estimate you have to take your car to a body shop in their network. This is simply not true. We often receive estimates that are pre-written from all the different insurance brands and they all work with us. We'll take their estimate and add what repairs are required as a supplement to ensure a quality repair.

Trust the experts.

it’s impossible to truly judge the extent of collision damage with a few cell phone snaps. There’s no substitute for the expert eye of collision repair professionals in an auto body shop. If you're in need of repairs, trust your vehicle to us and we'll ensure that your insurance company covers the extent of your accident related damage.

Give Craftsman Collision USA a call today at 562-426-2639.