Read This Before Scheduling Paintless Dent Repair

When you bought your car, more than likely, you were not looking for a car with a few minor dents. You probably wanted a car in good condition, low miles, hopefully, a better than average mpg, and in color you like – unless you like driving a dinged-up vehicle. 

The problem with cars is retaining the value and keeping them in moderate to good condition, especially when you live in an area where there are over 600 severe weather reports* that involve large hail in one year alone. That's what drivers deal with in North Texas, especially Dallas, McKinney, Flower Mound, Plano, Frisco, and several other cities in the Metroplex. In fact, hail-related insured losses between 2000 and 2019 averaged between $8 billion to $14 billion a year, according to Aon. There were 4,611 major hailstorms in 2020, according to the NOAA's Severe Storms database.

State Farm even paid out over $3.1 billion in hail claims in 2020, according to an April 2020 analysis by the insurer. Texas was the state with the most hail claims paid for auto and home insurance, with $474.6 million in losses, followed by Illinois ($394.2 million), Minnesota ($259.2 million), and Missouri ($236.9). I guess you could add 'hail' to the "everything is bigger in Texas" saying.

"There were 4,611 major hailstorms in 2020, and the nation's largest auto insurer, State Farm, paid out $3.1 billion in hail-related claims that year (though that number was for all property, not just cars)."  – The National Weather Service

Does unrepaired hail damage affect car value?

Yes. Besides affecting the appearance of your car, unrepaired hail damage can significantly lower your car's value – we're talking about thousands of dollars to $20k. This can happen whether or not you report it to your insurance company. Even just a few tiny dents can do it, so it's best to get them repaired right away.

"The annual tab for hail damage to the insurance industry as a whole over the past two decades averaged between $8 billion and $14 billion."  – Insurance Information Institute

Whether you are looking to buy a new, used car or selling the car you have, one way to report or investigate a car's history is with the widely known *CarFax. The problem here is CarFax "does not have the complete history of every vehicle" unless the "information is supplied" by the owner or dealership.

Is it wise to fix hail damage before trading in?

Before trading in your vehicle, have it professionally washed and repair all dings, minor dents, and hail damage, as well as any other exterior deficiencies which can diminish resale value. A car is often devalued by the dollar amount of damages done to your car. For example, if the vehicle is worth $30,000 and you have $5,000 of unresolved hail damage, your vehicle is worth $25,000.

What’s the best way to get rid of minor dents?

Minor dents can usually be fixed with paintless dent repair (PDR), which involves pushing out a dent from the inside with special tools to restore the surface to its original shape without damaging the paint job. Larger dents might require using dent pullers on the exterior. These tools, resembling plungers, pull panels back into proper shape without hurting the paint. Many auto-body shops offer PDR, but they may not specialize in PDR, which you really want for the best results.

According to Kelley Blue Book, "Most people carry comprehensive coverage on the automobiles, so you should call your insurer if you have damage from perils other than a collision," says Lynne McChristian, a representative with the Insurance Information Institute. "Comprehensive coverage is protection that does not involve another car, such as damage from fire, explosion, flood, hail, or a tree falling on your car."

Dent Genie says, “If you filed your claim before deciding on your shop and receive a check from your insurance company made payable to you and your bank or another shop, don’t fret! We can have the check reissued. We ask customers to please bring the check with you when you drop off your vehicle for repair.”

 
Past experience shows that customers feel more comfortable knowing, prior to dropping their vehicle for repair, where and who will be repairing their vehicle.

Depending on how long your insurance company takes to send a revised estimate determines the total repair time that your vehicle will be at the paintless dent repair shop. It generally takes our technician 1-3 days to complete the work.

Once a specialized paintless dent repair technician has completed the work, your vehicle should be double and triple checked for missed dents before it is prepared for delivery which should include washing and vacuuming. Prior to that, The PDR team should give you notice that your paintless dent repair is almost completed and a delivery time scheduled.

Ask if you have Rental Reimbursement coverage. If so, ask the insurance company to set up a reservation for you. It will typically be through major rental car companies like Enterprise and they will often give you a 6 digit code. The pointless dent repair shop team should be happy to make your reservation for you.

Dent Genie says, “The first thing you should do is call your insurance company and let them know your car was damaged in the hail storm.  It’s very important that you have the date of the hail storm. But, if you are not sure of the time and date of the hail storm, call Dent Genie at (214) 802-7887 and we will be glad to help you with the claim process.” 

Where did Paintless Dent Repair come from?

PDR is a method discovered by mistake in the Mercedes Factory over 30 years ago. As the car panels came down the assembly line, the workers would identify small dents and they devised a method to push the dents from the inside out, thus reducing problems later down the line.

Today, paintless dent repair technicians utilize this refined process by going underneath each dent and gently massaging it until it falls back into place. The metal in your car has “memory” and can be manipulated by the skilled technician’s artful use of his specialized tools.

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), is not only cheaper, but it’s faster as well. There are also no harmful chemicals used in the process. Instead of sanding down or removing panels, the damage gets removed from the inside. Depending on how deep it is, this method works for small to large-sized dents.

Hail damage gets labeled as a comprehensive claim. More good news is that hail damage rarely increases your rates (unless you’re doing so year after year).

yourdentgenie.com

*Severe Weather Report Summary
2021 State Tabulation - 2021 (Updated: Monday January 03, 2022, 10:48 CT
688 Large Hail Storms in 2021 – NOAA / Storm Prediction Center, Norman, Oklahoma / 

National Weather Service
**CARFAX Vehicle History products and services are based only on information supplied to CARFAX. CARFAX does not have the complete history of every vehicle. Use the CARFAX search as one important tool, along with a vehicle inspection and test drive, to make a better decision about your next used car.

References

Facts + Statistics: Hail
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-hail

Kelly Blue Book KBB
https://www.kbb.com/car-news/5-things-to-tell-your-insurance-company-when-your-car-is-damaged-in-a-storm-or-fire/