Q: I have been involved in an accident. What do I do now?
A: Call our office on (02) 9624 5900 for immediate free accident assistance and information.
If your vehicle is driveable, do not hesitate to drive it directly to our premises.
Our friendly team will be on hand to assist you through the claim lodgement process and arrange a written estimate for your insurance company.
If your vehicle requires towing either contact our office for assistance, or advise the towing operator at the accident scene to tow your vehicle to our premises.
Q: Can you give me a quote over the telephone?
A:
Unfortunately not.
With the complexity of motor vehicles today, we are unable to provide you with a guaranteed price or repair time frame without visually sighting the vehicle & the extent of the damage.
Q: Do you provide a written guarantee for your repairs completed?
A: Yes. Western Smash Repairs provide a written guarantee for each individual repair completed.
We have been in business for over 35 years and have stood by our guarantee since day one.
Depending on your insurer our guarantee is also back by a lifetime warranty from your vehicles insurance company.
Q: When are you open?
A: Our office is open Monday to Friday 7.30am – 5.00pm.
Q: Does my insurance company need to sight my vehicle before it’s repaired?
Yes. Once we have completed a detailed written estimate, our administration staff will arrange an assessment by your vehicle’s insurer.
All insurers require to visually sight the damage to your vehicle and the repairers estimate before any repairs are complete.
Sometimes your insurance company may authorise you to complete emergency repairs prior to their representative sighting the vehicle.
Q: Somebody else hit my car. If I make a claim on my own insurance policy will I have to pay an excess?
What about if the other party is not insured?
A:
Not usually. If you can provide your insurer with all the details of the other party at fault, unless your policy states otherwise there usually will be no excess applicable to your claim.
To avoid considerable delays and hassles with third party claims, it is much quicker to make a claim through your own insurance even if you are not at fault.
Once the claim is lodged your insurance company will send their assessor to sight and approve the damage.
Since you pay for a full comprehensive insurance policy, let their claims staff deal with recovering the money.
Your insurance company will offer the party at fault the opportunity to pay them for the total cost of damages or to make a claim on their insurance.
Q: What is my insurance excess? Do I have to pay it to you or my insurance company?
A:
Your insurance excess is a cost imposed by your insurer, being the first part of the cost of repairs.
This amount is usually stated on your vehicles current insurance policy.
All excesses are different and are dependent on a number of factors including the age and experience of the driver.
Your excess is payable on completion of the repairs.
In most instances we will collect the excess on your insurance company’s behalf and deduct it from the final repair invoice.
You can pay this directly to your insurer, however it must be paid by the time repairs are completed.
We are unable to release your vehicle until the insurance excess is paid.
Q: Will the paint match & will you notice where my car has been repaired?
A: Motor vehicle refinishing today is a high skilled process and incorporates a mixture of highly specialised paints.
All vehicles at Western Smash Repairs are refinished in a two pak baked enamel process duplicating the original manufactures specifications.
We pride ourselves on the presentation and completion of our vehicle repairs and ensure you will be unable to notice where your vehicle has been repaired or a colour variation on completion.
Unfortunately if your vehicles existing paint is extremely faded or dull or cracked, we are unable to duplicate this finish and therefore the repaired area will be shiny compared to the rest of your vehicle.
Q: Why can bumper bars and plastic components occasionally look slightly different on some vehicles?
A: Even with new cars if you look closely there is a possibility the bumper bars and plastic components may look slightly different to the rest of the vehicle.
This can be because the plastic texture can be granular causing the appearance of a difference in colour shades.
The paint solvent evaporation time between metal and plastic varies, with longer rates allowing the paint pigment additional time to float and therefore slightly darken the face of the colour.
Q: How long will the repairs take and how will I know when my car is ready?
A: Due to the extent and severity of accident damage the length of each individual repair can vary considerably from another.
Our trained staff will advise you from the beginning the estimated completion time of the repairs to your vehicle.
Please note we are also bound by the time it takes your insurance company to approve the repairs and your vehicles manufacturer to supply the required new parts.
On some occasions if your vehicles manufacture does not have the part required in stock, this item may be required to be specially procured from overseas.
Unfortunately this type of delay is completely out of our control.
You will be notified of the progress of your vehicle from start to finish and any delay by your choice of telephone call, sms or email.
Q: My vehicle has been involved in an accident. Will it ever be the same again?
A: Western Smash Repairs has invested heavily in state of the art equipment to assist with your vehicles repair process.
This teamed together with our highly trained repair technicians ensure your vehicle is returned to its pre accident condition or better.
Q: Do you provide replacement vehicles or can you arrange a rental vehicle?
A: Western Smash Repairs have a number of customer care vehicles available for clients use while their vehicle is off the road.
These range from small hatchbacks, sedans to vans and Ute.
Please note these are all fully insured and insurance conditions and excesses apply.
We also have a working relationship with a number of demurrage replacement vehicle companies whose details we can provide you with if you are not at fault in your accident.
If you request a replacement vehicle when booking your vehicle for repairs, we will have one ready for your collection when you drop your vehicle off for repairs. (Subject to availability)
Q: What type of payments do you accept?
A: We accept all major credit cards (except Diners), cash or EFTPOS for payment.
Western Smash Repairs do not charge a surcharge on any credit card payments.
Company cheques are accepted only by prior arrangement with management.
Unfortunately we do NOT accept any personal cheques.
Any money owing is due in full on completion & collection of your vehicle.
Western Smash Repairs does not offer accounts on money owing.
Q: Can I select Western Smash Repairs as my preferred repairer?
A: Yes you can. When you lodge you claim with your vehicles insurer, be sure to advise them that you have your own preferred repairer being Western Smash Repairs.