Approved Remanufactured Bumper Only! Help Please.

[rayquan]

I got rear ended a month ago by someone and the appraiser only approved a remanufactured bump for the repair! Does anyone know what can I do? It was 100% fault at the other party since our car was rear end while my wife totally stopped at the red traffic light.

The cost of the new bumper is ~$470; the repair only approved the bumper replacement for ~$340. There is a difference of $140, and the body shop offers to give me a discount and I could have the brand new bumper if I paid $70 on my own.

Should I call up the insurance company and fight for the new bumper (other than the remanufactured bumper), or get to bite the bullet and pay $70 for our bad luck? Or the remanufactured bumper is OK for a 10 year old car (BTW, it is a 1998 Honda Accord)? Will there be a quality difference in the new bumper and the remanufactured one? Thanks for any help.

Raymond

[ZorroAMG]

Uhh...THEY hit YOU. They cannot dictate the terms.

[ianmcc]

The appraiser is looking at a LKQ which means Like Kind and Quality. Basically a used bumper rather than a new bumper.

[ralliart_girl]

^:werd:

If you had to new car...than you would get new bumper..

edit: there isn't any amount of bitching that will get you a new bumper.

[Sharpie]

Honestly you wont be able to tell the difference from a reman bumper to a new one. All a reman one is is a fixed OEM bumper, but you wont be able to tell it was fixed. In the end it will look OEM there will be nothing different about it.

[infected]

I'm not too sure about this but is there a chance they no longer manufacture new bumpers for your car so they can only get you a remanufactured one? Just wondering.

[ralliart_girl]

Just a question: Are you taking your vehicle to Contemporary?

[rayquan]

Originally posted by Sharpie
Honestly you wont be able to tell the difference from a reman bumper to a new one. All a reman one is is a fixed OEM bumper, but you wont be able to tell it was fixed. In the end it will look OEM there will be nothing different about it.

Well then, I might get the reman one to save $70 since it is a 10 year old car anyway.


Originally posted by infected
I'm not too sure about this but is there a chance they no longer manufacture new bumpers for your car so they can only get you a remanufactured one? Just wondering.

But the body shop is able to get me a new one.


Originally posted by ralliart_girl
Just a question: Are you taking your vehicle to Contemporary?

Yes, we are taking it to Contemporary. Good or Bad? Thanks.

[vietdood]

let them fix it with the remanufactered bumper but be very anal as to how it fits/looks. if it looks wrong like the bumper doesn't line up do not sign the sheet and don't take the car till it's fixed back to original before the accident or better. what they will do is they'll forward the complaint to the insurance company and charge them to fix it again with a different bumper if they can't do it with the remanufactered one.

[ralliart_girl]

^ well, your half right, you should make sure that the work is done well, just cause the part is not new, doesn't mean it is suppose to look like crap.

but just for your information, the whole purpose of insurance is to put you back into the same position that you were prior to the accident, not better. " it ain't the auto lotto" and if there are any issues with the repairs, it should go to the shop first, cause they are the ones that did the work. If you continue to have issues, then yes, you should make the insurance company aware...but they are not going to pay more money to fix the repairs that you already had done...at the shop of your choice.

i guess they are an ok shop...

[dragonone]

take it to screamin'
i had a quote right away and was given an appointment date
not to mention the amount of good reviews it has on beyond including from myself

edit: apparently i misread

[ralliart_girl]

It has nothing to do with it you are at fault or not.......please refer to my prior posts....if the dude had a new car...there would be no question he would get a new bumper..but he has a car that is 10 yrs old.

To be quite honest, alot of people are not even aware that they are getting used parts until they are told. I am not saying that insurance companies should lie, just saying that if the autobody shop has done the job right, then you should not even be able to see the difference.

You can yell and bitch all you want, but if the vehicle is 10 years old (even if it is in good condition) it is highly unlikely that a new bumper will be authorized.

I won't continue trying to explain the same thing like 10 times on this thread, just if you don't have years of experience dealing with and working for insurance companies and appraisers, then please don't give the dude stupid advice.

[HondaRice]

becareful with insurance companies

ING Western Union tried to pull a fast one, they wanted to put used airbag computers in my 93 supra because the cost was too expensive, this was in 2002.

[tom_9109]

Originally posted by Sharpie
Honestly you wont be able to tell the difference from a reman bumper to a new one. All a reman one is is a fixed OEM bumper, but you wont be able to tell it was fixed. In the end it will look OEM there will be nothing different about it.

LKQ won't be a fixed bumper it will be brand new but made by a manufacturer other than Honda.



Originally posted by ralliart_girl
It has nothing to do with it you are at fault or not.......please refer to my prior posts....if the dude had a new car...there would be no question he would get a new bumper..but he has a car that is 10 yrs old.

To be quite honest, alot of people are not even aware that they are getting used parts until they are told. I am not saying that insurance companies should lie, just saying that if the autobody shop has done the job right, then you should not even be able to see the difference.

You can yell and bitch all you want, but if the vehicle is 10 years old (even if it is in good condition) it is highly unlikely that a new bumper will be authorized.

I won't continue trying to explain the same thing like 10 times on this thread, just if you don't have years of experience dealing with and working for insurance companies and appraisers, then please don't give the dude stupid advice.

You're right on the money here, used is fine as long as the bodyshop does a good job. Most companies used LKQ (like kind and quality) or used for any repair if the vehicle is over 2 years old or over a certain mileage.




To the OP: The appraiser did exactly what he should have by putting on a non OEM bumper cover. I am an appraiser and under the circumstances they only choices are to replace LKQ, replace recycled, or OEM with the customer owner being responsible for the extra money. Look at it this way, you were in a situation that unfortunately left your car damaged (not your fault). The insurance company has stepped up and is going to repair your vehicle to the standards set out in the industry. No more and no less. Chances are a brand new LKQ front bumper cover with new paint is going to look way better than your 10 year old OEM honda bumper cover with 200,000km of rock chips and wear on it. For the $70 bucks, I'd say spring and get the OEM and not concern yourself with it too much. It is true that the LKQ stuff doesn't fit as well, but thats the body shops problem, not yours. Once they get it on you're not gonna notice.

[403Gemini]

I dont think people know what insurance is for... its to indemnify you... to put you in a position you were in prior to the accident. Why would any insurance company pay for something brand new for you because you had a 10 year old bumper that was probably pretty worn out to begin with...

[ralliart_girl]

^^ GAWN!!! Finally, someone that knows about insurance!!!

It's because they think that it is the "auto lotto":D

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

I had a reman bumper put on the front of my car. It looks the same as OEM. Very good quality. Maybe not OEM. And Gemeni is 100% right, why should they give you a brand new bumper to replace a 10 year old one? You want the new one, pay the diff. That's what I did when I got side swiped.