So do you report minor hail damage to your insurance company?

[undeterred]

I got a few dings to the roof and front bumper last night. I'm not up for paying a $500 deductible right now when I am unemployed. Do I call them anyway or just forget about it?

[corkhead]

1. yes and find a body shop that will pay your deductable

[hobbit709]

2. A bumper that gets dinged by hail?

That would make me feel real safe in a collision

[undeterred]

5. $5500 damage from a 10mph accident

front bumper is delicate as a babys bottom

[hobbit709]

7. Kind of says something doesn't it.

[undeterred]

12. They're made light to get good gas mileage

but it is amazing how crushable they are and how easy it is to "total" this model with a front end collision.

[hobbit709]

15. My brother's 1974 Toyota Corolla was just about all metal

and it got 34 mpg. They keep saying the lighter weight improves fuel efficiency but I haven't seen any corresponding mileage increase to the weight reduction. all I've seen is increasing maintenance and repair costs.

[undeterred]

16. Well, my last car was a Mazda 626 and didn't require

a lot of maintenance. I don't like that Mazdas are very low to the ground and therefore not that great in snow. But they are nice to drive and keep their value fairly well. Comparable to Toyota.

[Goblinmonger]

22. Many are made to crush

so that the energy gets dissipated to the right place. The old rigid bumpers were good for protecting the bumper from damage but did very little to actually help those in the car.

[NightWatcher]

3. how old is the car? what make model?

if it's a ten year old pickup truck, leave it be. if it's a shiny new ______, I'd get the work done without the claim. If you claim, your premiums might go up. Plus now it sounds like you cant afford something that's just cosmetic

[undeterred]

4. 2009 Mazda5

Already had an accident this winter, and I am not working now so I don't want to get something fixed thats just cosmetic. Huge hail last night, completely unexpected.

[TBF]

13. That's the way I'd approach it -

I have an old Subaru that I bought in grad school. It was new then, and I got hit with something flying off a truck when we were on a long drive. There's a little bumper damage, a ding on the front, and a few dings in other places now. At the time I really couldn't afford much besides my payment, insurance, and routine maintenance. Now I can afford to do the body work (around $1100) but I haven't because I kind of like having an older car with "character" (I can't imagine anyone stealing it when there are shiny new cars parked around it). I have engine work done when necessary and just put brand new tires on it, but I won't bother with anything cosmetic at this point.

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. No...

If you're not planning on filing a claim, then don't call them.
If you're planning on filing a claim but not doing the repairs now, then call them.

There is paintless dent and ding removal that is pretty cheap. It sounds like you probably wouldn't want the insurance company to get involved.

[undeterred]

9. Thank you.

There are just a few spots that need attention. No hurry. I just didn't know if the insurance company expected to be notified about every little thing.

No paint damage, and not really bad dings, but I can see them.

[Shagbark Hickory]

14. I'm sure they'd love it if you notified them everytime you were thinking of filing a claim.

So they could determine how big of a risk you are.

Everytime you call there's a record. If you never called them and a couple of years later you want to try to negotiate a lower rate, you'd call up and say, look I haven't had any claims at all, please give me a lower premium.

[undeterred]

17. Maybe I'll call up and just say hello.

:hi: See how Flo is doing.

[Shagbark Hickory]

19. Or Pickles. (the dog) While you're at it remind them your cars haven't gone up in value lately, how

about a discount.

[suston96]

8. My favorite hail ding story......

I was in the USAF stationed at Reese AFB in Lubbock, Texas. Was around 1957 and summertime and very hot.

Up came the storm with hail crashing down. Broke windows in our apartment. And, many, many dings on my 1952 gray Pontiac parked outside.

Called the insurance guy who looked the damage over and offered me $75.00. I was young and inexperienced so I accepted and figured I could live with a dinged car.

Well, here comes the good part: That hot Texas sun popped out every single one of those dings in a few days. Car looked like it was before that hailstorm. Of course, I called the insurance company to return the $75.00 but they just laughed at me.

[undeterred]

10. !

Well, I don't think it gets that hot in Wisconsin!

[Motown_Johnny]

11. some shops will pay some portion of your deductible for you

just to get the job


check around, that $500.00 might be more like $350.00, or maybe even less

and when you consider the depreciation of the dings on your vehicle it might be worth it to you


but don't make a final decision based on anything you are told on a message board (including this)

[undeterred]

18. I never heard of that.

[Motown_Johnny]

24. I have done it

I work for a landscape company and in the winter we plow snow.

It is inevitable that someone backs up into something every year. Right now we have 2 trucks with damage to the rear end due to damage from plowing. (usually those big yellow posts in parking lots that are hard to see in the dark of night and covered with snow)


Our insurance company makes us get 3 estimates and then, pretty much, lets us pick who we want to go to. We know where to go for some higher estimates so our favorite guy always falls in range of the other estimates. The insurance company cuts us a check for the amount in his quote, minus our $500.00 deductible and then leaves it to us to pay the body shop once the work is done. Our guy charges us a small percentage less than the insurance quote so we end up paying less than the $500.00.

I assume it is legal since he has "We Pay Your Deductible (up to $500.00)" right on the front window of his shop.

He gets the work, we get a discount and the insurance company keeps us as a customer.

Look around, or ask around. I assume this is a fairly common practice.

[lynne]

20. You have a $500. comprehensive deductible?

It will be paid under comprehensive - not collision - and many times the deductible is lower on comprehensive.

[snooper2]

21. Very Hot day...Dry Ice

try it, it works...

[undeterred]

23. Where do you get dry ice?

[snooper2]

27. At a local Ice store here in Plano

You'd have to check the googles for one near you....

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. What, did a Nazi midget break your rear-view mirror while saluting Hitler?

Oh, wait... :silly:

[librechik]

26. did that once long ago

discovered we had a ridiculous deductible and an act of god like hail could raise our rates 300%! (shocker)

[sinkingfeeling]

28. No. I've never turned in a claim for hail damage.