[ibo]

Hi all,

I'd really appreciate it if anyone can give me some advice regarding my situation. Basically, the night before Christmas, I went shopping and parked on the side of the street (Boylston St, Boston MA). After I drove home and parked in the garage, I noticed a HUGE dent in my front bumper along with a crack and a bulge on the bumper part below the driver side headlight. I was pretty upset with this hit and run.

So I filed a claim with Commerce Insurance and got my appraisal in the mail. Everything, including full bumper replacement and paint, and protective film applied was only $1200. This just doesn't sound right. Of course, I know that the appraisal value isn't a true statement of true costs of repair, but I'm concerned for the quality of repair I will be able to receive.

So now, I did my share of research on this forum and elsewhere and noticed people suggesting BMW "Certified Collision Repair Centers". There is one about half an hour away from me (BMW of Sudbury), but I was wondering if those certified repair centers are truly that skilled at the repairs. Being in Boston, I know there are quite a few of reputable bodyshops in the area that are closer and have pretty good reviews. Also, there are authorized repair centers out there that truly do abysmal jobs. So if you have experience in dealing with this situation and the choices provided to me, please help me out. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I apologize for this long post. Hope all goes well with yall in the new year.


-IB

2009 sapphire black e90 LCI M-Sport

[UncleWede]

BMW service center does not necessarily equal BMW certified collision repair center. When I went ot my dealer, they referred me to another shop that does all their repairs. Wasn't in any way related to BMW other than that's where the dealer sent all the work.

If you have a reputable repair shop that YOU trust, use them. Take the car, get teh estimate, and then send it to insurance for approval.

[jopa489]

Sorry to hear man.

We've taken a few cars to All Wheels up in Beverly over years past and have been pleased with the results each time. They specialize in BMW, and Ron (the owner) is a great guy who will go out of his way to make you comfortable and satisfied. Might be a bit of a drive for you, but probably worth it to get the job done right. I was referred to them by BMW of Peabody a few years back.

Just some friendly advice from a satisfied customer, I'm in no way affiliated with them. Body shops are so hit and miss.

[ToadHollow]

BMW certified repair centers are a network of BMW approved & trained repair specialists. This means that they are entrusted by BMW to repair the vehicle back to factory standards, period.

This is a big deal as BMW requires certain parts to be replaced only because of the area of damage; not necessarily because the part shows signs of damage. This is most apparent within the suspension repair guidelines. The BMW autos only allow for a 2 millimeter handicap from front to rear.

That means there's no room for mistakes.

If a BMW dealer is suggesting you use the repair center THEY use then that's where the car should go. If you choose another repair center & the work goes sour with the cause related to a previous collision repair ......... you're not going to receive warranty from BMW at all. This would have the same overall effect as if you decided to put diesel fuel in your gasoline powered engine & then the engine dies. You made the choice.

I have several years of body shop experience & have witnessed this type of situation more than once with different auto manufacturers.