Recommendations for collision centers for a Mercedes- also, should I file a claim with my insurance?

[Anonymous]

I have a Mercedes that has had many nicks and scratches over the years. Some were caused by me (scraping a column in a parking lot), others were not (an object falling on the hood, small bumps from others hitting my parked car , ...

I just received my first estimate and it would cost close to $7000 to fix them all.

1- Would anyone have any recommendations for other collision places to get other estimates from? Do they have to be Mercedes certified?
2- Should I file with my insurance or pay out of pocket ? (I have comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible)

KBB value of the car is around $50K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a Mercedes that has had many nicks and scratches over the years. Some were caused by me (scraping a column in a parking lot), others were not (an object falling on the hood, small bumps from others hitting my parked car , ...

I just received my first estimate and it would cost close to $7000 to fix them all.

1- Would anyone have any recommendations for other collision places to get other estimates from? Do they have to be Mercedes certified?
2- Should I file with my insurance or pay out of pocket ? (I have comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible)

KBB value of the car is around $50K.

pay the deductible.

there are also places where you can upload pictures and they'll give you an estimate like Caliber Collision. The estimate was in the ball park of what i thought it would cost to fix.

[Anonymous]

Can you file an insurance claim if there was no accident?

Are the scratches and nicks superficial, meaning no body or paint required? If so, you might be able to get by using a car detailer. They can polish out smaller nicks and scratches.

If you need body work, you probably don’t need a “Mercedes certified” place but you should go with a good body shop. I’m not a fan of the big franchises like Caliber.

[Anonymous]

What exactly are you claiming? There are different incidents. You don't get to just save everything up and use one claim. I am surprised that scraping a pole was only and a new hood are only $7k. The dings and nicks are easy to fix. In any event, I use Mercedes Benz of Arlington.

[Anonymous]

I don’t see how you’d get much out of filing a claim. Each incident that resulted in some sort of damage would be subject to your deductible. If you get anything at all it would likely be far less than your increased premium.