aftermarket bumper through insurance??

[FireRescue14]

Someone backed into me and killed my front bumper. My question is can i use insurance money to put toward an aftermarket bumper? I have never really dealt with a claim like this before. Anyone have any insight? I am waiting for the claims adjuster to contact me and get my estimate.

 

[Saker]

Someone backed into me and killed my front bumper. My question is can i use insurance money to put toward an aftermarket bumper? I have never really dealt with a claim like this before. Anyone have any insight? I am waiting for the claims adjuster to contact me and get my estimate.

IIRC, someone had the same issue on the fjcruiserforums and their ins co ok'd the factory replacement with a aftermarket (beefier) front bumper because it was basically same $$ amt....
I guess, just find something you like, then talk to your adjuster!

 

[Ducmonsta]

Most insurance companies will cut you a check for your loss. You can do as you please with it. That's how I got my ARB and Warn winch. I have USAA and they're awesome!

Ultimately, you need to check with your insurance company or even ask the adjuster. The only concern is if there is additional damage that wasn't caught by the adjuster. If your truck was at a repair facility, they can submit an addendum and get more money for the missed damage. If you chose the pay out route, then it would be more difficult to get that money back.

 

[Swarty]

Most insurance companies will cut you a check for your loss. You can do as you please with it. That's how I got my ARB and Warn winch. I have USAA and they're awesome!



Ultimately, you need to check with your insurance company or even ask the adjuster. The only concern is if there is additional damage that wasn't caught by the adjuster. If your truck was at a repair facility, they can submit an addendum and get more money for the missed damage. If you chose the pay out route, then it would be more difficult to get that money back.

You can have the repair facility install the after market parts. The insurance company loves this since paint and blend is usually a huge part of bumper repair and after market parts are rarely match painted. Plus you are covered if they find more damage.

 

[DannyLlama]

Here is what you should do (and what I should have done)

1. Get quotes from more than one shop to replace everything with OEM

2. Ask each one of those if they will do a Cash out transaction, after you get the quote.

3. What this does is have the insurance company cut you a check for what the repair amount would have been and than your on your own.

You can than use that money to buy whatever part and can have anyone install it, you can even use the remainder balance to have an off road shop install it.

Since your deductible doesn't change, you can even go with the highest quote, if the shop will cash you out.

Some shops don't like that because part of their quote is quoting you retail amount on parts, yet they get it 35% less. So they are getting double income essentially.

Good luck.

 

[Ducmonsta]

You can have the repair facility install the after market parts. The insurance company loves this since paint and blend is usually a huge part of bumper repair and after market parts are rarely match painted. Plus you are covered if they find more damage.

That's IF you can find a repair facility that's willing to install a huge aftermarket bumper. Most body shops aren't equipped with the knowledge and experience it takes. They also don't have distributors that they can purchase an aftermarket bumper from.

I had the benefit of installing it myself. So I got paid the parts AND labor AND paint to do everything in house. The fact that I could get the bumper and winch at my cost kinda helped too.