Today, we are answering one of the common questions we get asked and that is; “Should I Buy a Vehicle with Hail Damage?” We have actually had two cars come in on consecutive days where the customer purchased the vehicle with hail damage already on it.
We here at Sioux Falls Dent Repair, get calls from across the country on a regular basis with customers wanting to get an estimate of how much it would cost to get out hail damage on a vehicle they are thinking about purchasing. Also, we get calls from customers who have already purchased a hail damaged vehicle and are looking to get the damage out.
Our advice to anyone looking to buy a hail damaged car is to not do it because it doesn’t matter how big a discount you got on the car, it will never cover the cost to repair the hail damage. Out of the two cars that came in with hail damage, one was a 15-year-old Chevrolet Equinox and the customer got an $800 discount on it from the car lot where they purchased it. However, when the customer brought the car in, it turned out that there was several thousand dollars’ worth of damage. Even when the customer requested that we look at a specific part of the car, our estimates were higher than the $800 that they received as a “discount” from the car lot.
These kind of cases are deemed total losses by the insurance companies and car dealerships therefore have no other option but to sell them at a lower price. Nevertheless, the sellers never run at a loss and entice customers with “unbelievable” price cuts and discounts. We have come across cases where the cost of repair supersedes the price of vehicle. So, any hail damaged vehicle should be avoided at all costs unless you get the car for free or the damage is very minor.
This brings us to the follow-up question we get asked. “What is the vehicle has very minimal or medium amount of damage?” Again, with us being in this business for so long, we have seen a lot of hail damaged cars and generally the estimates for those vehicles end up being anywhere between $3,000 – $5,000. That number goes up with heavier damage and drops when the damage is not as severe. When it comes to $800 – $1,000 in hail damage repair, a regular car owner won’t even recognize the damage because the damage would have to be that minimal.
Another common mistake customers make is think they have a couple of dents on their car and ask for an estimate based on that and here is when we ask them to bring the car into the shop because we know that there cannot just be a few dents after the vehicle was caught in a hail storm. It is only under the PDR lights that the true extent of the damage is visible.
There is a lot of work before we can actually start getting the hail damage out and we inform the customer of that in our estimate. On a bigger job where hail damage is throughout the body of the car, without actually touching any of the damage, we first have to remove the hood, take off any kind of assemble (if there is any), remove the trunk lid, take off the headlights and taillights, both the front and/or rear bumper, and other panels. The cost only to have these panels removed and installed (R and I), is about $500 – $800. So, as you can see, buying a hail damaged car and then looking to repair it just does not make sense.
Eventually, the decision is the customer’s and it all depends on the situation. If a customer is looking to buy a cheap car just to drive it, a relatively new hail damaged one can save them a pocket full of cash. However, if the customer is buying a hail damaged car to fix it and then resell it, it is definitely not worth it.
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State Farm offers a wide range of claim service options for vehicle repairs and estimates, including hail repair and damage. It has a particular ‘Select Service Program’ that involves a network of auto repair workshops committed to providing professional and quality repair services to its customers.
Sioux Falls proudly announces that we accept State Farm insurance for paintless dent repairs (PDR) and strive to get your vehicle all fixed up after that horrendous hail damage. All you have to do is bring your vehicle to our workshop, get an estimate, and relax while we complete rid of the dings and dents for you.
Additionally, you can also avail the following benefits by having a State Farm Insurance:
A written, national limited lifetime repair warranty
Guaranteed completion dates
Direct payment to the shop once hail repair is complete
How Does State Farm Insurance Works?
Step 1: Choose a shop for your Hail Repair
You can quickly and conveniently choose Sioux Falls Dent Repair as your choice and get rid of the dents and dings from our expert PDR technicians.
Step 2: Contact Us to Schedule an Estimate
You can call or text us at 605-205-8865 to schedule a free hail damage estimate.
Step 3: Repair Begins
Once the estimate is approved, then PDR begins to undo all that heart-breaking hail damage.
Step 4: Simply pay your deductible directly to our shop
Step 5: Lastly, State Farm will receive the bills as soon as the repairs are dealt with.
Insurance Accepted for PDR at Sioux Falls
The PDR or Paintless Dent Repair process eradicates hail dents and other kinds of damage from a vehicle’s external surface panels without disturbing the original factory paint.
How Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) Works?
Specialized PDR tools are used to apply pressure on the backside of the damaged panel to remove surface dents and dings.
It also involves bonding a device or a tab to the exterior of the damaged surface and pull the dent from the topside.
Refinishing is not required
The expert PDR technicians at Sioux Falls will guarantee customers’ satisfaction for their impeccable job at paintless dent repair.
What Are You Waiting For?
Our expert PDR technicians do their best to get rid of those dreadful golf-ball-sized dents and dings and make sure that the original factory paint of your vehicle remains intact. Give us a call or leave a text at 605-205-8865 to use your State Farm insurance for your next PDR job. You can also click here for a free hail damage assessment.
Have you ever witnessed how one moment the weather seems amazing, but in the next, the mighty mother nature decides to create havoc and leaves a massive trail of damage in her wake?
Car hail damage is one of the devastating outcomes of such scenarios. Dents and dings of the size of a golf ball or a grapefruit, are often witnessed by several vehicle owners. The US alone bears an average of insured hail damage losses of about $15 million each year for both auto and home claims.
Read on further to know how hail damage assessment is done by professional technicians at Sioux Falls to ensure you can timely claim for the insurance, get your car fixed and put it back on the road.
Hail Damage Assessment at Sioux Falls Dent Repair
Often there are times when hail damage can result in a total loss for customers. But we at Sioux Falls try out best to help our customers in the best possible way to not just get their car fixed but also to claim for insurance for the catastrophic hail damage.
Hail Damage Assessment Process
When a vehicle reaches our workshop for hail damage repair, our expert repair technicians carefully assess each nook of the car for probable damage. Before initiating the fixing process, mark each damage according to its severity.
Cracked Vehicle Paint
Cracked paint is the result of an ice piece hitting the surface of the vehicle with so much force that it hits the car’s inner structure and leads to the paint cracking outwards. Our expert technician analyzes the car for any indication of cracked paint and marks it either with a circle or writes ‘cracked paint’ on the spot with a temporary marker.
Over-sized Dents
A very simple but effective way to assess over-sized dents is using a magnet that is the size of half a dollar coin as a reference to analyze hail damage. If the damage is more significant than the magnet coin, the damage is considered to be over-sized. These over-sized dents are marked with the alphabet ‘X’ for reference during the repair process.
Severe Damage
Usually, on the roof of the vehicle, there is hail damage so severe that merely repairing it cannot undo the damage. For this purpose, the vehicle will be sent to the body shop for complete replacement; Where the entire roof is cut off, and a new roof is positioned. Other parts of the vehicle are also assessed to determine if they also need to be replaced or not.
Earlier Work on Vehicle
Apart from assessing the hail damage, our expert technicians also check the vehicle for any previous work such as PDR or paint job, etc. This allows them to devise a repair plan that is most suitable and effective for the vehicle.
Insurance Claim
Apart from assessing the hail damage, our technicians make sure to take pictures of the damage and prepare a comprehensive written damage report or estimate that can be sent for the insurance claim.
How Can You Reach Us?
If you are worried about the damage that this hail has caused, then we’ll be more than happy to get you all fixed up for your hail damage, get you all set up for the insurance claim, and get your vehicle back on the road.
Give us a call at 605-205-8865 or click here for a free damage assessment.
The weather in Sioux falls seemed to be amazing! It was sunny for the better part of the day and then BOOM!
You’re hit with a hail storm.
You look outside with sights of desperation to check if your car is parked safely, but – no, it’s not. In fact, you can even see the hail damage starting to happen. You’re hearing all kinds of dents piling up on your car, and all you can do is sit and watch.
You continue to see hail the size of a golf ball attack your car mercilessly, as you sit there, confused, thinking of your next step.
Now what?
Well – we handle situations like these every day. This is when you give a call to Sioux Falls Dent Repair. We’ll immediately get you an appointment so we can help you in your time of need.
But why would anyone need a paintless dent repair (PDR) anyway? You’ll be surprised! As it turns out – there are various advantages to getting a PDR on a hail damaged car.
Benefits you weren’t even aware of!
Keep on reading to know these advantages and let us take care of the rest!
The Benefits of PDR
Repairing Hail Damage in a Cost-Effective Way
Paintless dent repair (PDR) is a lot more cost-effective than a normal dent repair that you can get with paint. Apart from the service cost being lower than painting your car, PDR also helps you save the paint of your car. Always remember, the original paint done by the manufacturer always has the best coat, and it is also the strongest!
Try not to remove that paint!
PDR Is Faster!
Compared to painting cars carefully, PDR can be a lot faster! Depending on the damage your vehicle has sustained, it may take only a few hours! If the hail-storm was a big storm and many cars were damaged – you might have to wait weeks for regular hail repair. That is why we recommend going for PDR!
PDR Is Environmentally Friendly
The paints that are used on cars can be highly toxic fumes. These fumes can cause lung damage. They also release dangerous toxins that become a part of our environment that can harm animals, too. Since there is no paint involved in the PDR process, your footprint on the environment will be minimal!
You also won’t have to worry about polluting breath-taking Sioux Falls!
Retaining Value
A traditional dent repair will make use of different kinds of materials. These materials can be body fillers and paint that will be used on damaged areas. The use of these extra materials on your car’s body can reduce the value of the car.
On the other hand, PDR will help you maintain your car’s value. If you leave your car to a skilled technician, they will rectify the hail-damages your car sustained by using exclusive PDR procedures and tools. Because of their skill and the PDR method, the original factory look of the car won’t be altered. You’ll also be free of any concerns related to color differences or over spraying.
Is Your Car Eligible for PDR?
To learn more about PDR, drop by at our convenient locations or contact us now! You can also get a free damage assessment to understand the situation better.
Today we are going to discuss the types of insurance and which insurance coverage is for hail damage. Also what is all covered for the different types.
This video was originally shot LIVE on our Instagram page on 9-5-2020, be sure to follow us there to see more content: https://www.instagram.com/sioux_falls_dent_repair
Insurance Coverage
Do you have the proper insurance for hail damage coverage?
Do you have “full” Coverage? If so you are good to go. What exactly is “full coverage” insurance? Full coverage insurance covers all the bases for vehicle repairs. There are 3 parts to insurance for full coverage.
Collision Insurance
This insurance covers if you were to hit someone or if someone hits you. In South Dakota you must have un-insurance motorist insurance and this will help you in the case of you getting hit by someone without insurance. This has other policies that are all lumped together.
Comprehensive Insurance
This insurance type is what you need to cover hail damage. This covers any natural causes such as storm damage, trees falling, falling snow off of a roof for instance. It also covers if you were to hit an animal like a deer for example.
Liability Insurance
This is for all medical bills whether it be you, a passenger or another motorist. This is the insurance that covers all of those unfortunate injuries from a collision.
I have Comprehensive Coverage and Hail Damage, Now What?
Your First Step
First off if you were caught in the storm and in the vehicle we hope everything is ok. It can be a very terrifying experience when hail comes pounding down on your vehicle and you and your family are inside the car. Once the storm stops be sure to contact your insurance company and let them know you have hail damage. From there they will give you a claim number.
Step Two
Once you have the claim number you just need to bring the vehicle to the shop of your choice and have them handle it from there.
Your insurance company has NO SAY in who is to repair your car, again, this is very important and often misunderstood. Your insurance company has no say in who can repair you vehicle.
There is no need to get multiple estimates or anything like that. Ultimately the full repair costs will be gone over between the shop fixing the car and your insurance company. After the shop and your insurance company have finished all of the paperwork and processing your vehicle repairs will then begin. If you are working with us you will get daily updates on any of the processing and repairs.
Step Three
Pickup your vehicle dent free! Its that simple. We are here to make this very inconvenient experience all better and make your hail damage problems go away.
Have more questions or have damage you would like repaired?
Do you have no hail damage insurance on your recently hail damaged vehicle?
Here we walk through some of your options when you have no hail damage insurance on your vehicle. We go though all of your different options for repair types. From a full repair claim and fixing all of those prior dents and dings. From big to small we can fix them all. Just contact us today about your vehicles hail damage!
Have more questions? Want to schedule your repair?
