Your Frequently Asked Questions answered by the Brooklands Auto Body team
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Please see below some of the most common Frequently Asked Questions:
What time will my car be picked up/delivered?
Can you give me an exact time?
If requested the driver will call you on route. Unfortunately we can’t be any more specific because so much depends on a variety of scenarios, each of which can be impacted on from traffic to number of cars we need to collect that day and the routes involved.
Do I have to be there when my car is collected/delivered?
It is safer, but if you can leave the keys with a trusted neighbour there’s no need for you to be present. We can arrange to deliver your repaired vehicle to your work premises if required.
My insurance company said you'd collect the car today.
On non-drivable/disabled vehicles we can collect your vehicle within 24 hours of receiving repair instructions from the insurers.
Some insurers use their own emergency recovery services for example Green Flag.
You would be advised of this by your insurer, please use our Contact Enquiry form and we will be in touch.
My vehicle is safe to drive. Can I bring it in to you?
Yes, you can schedule a time to bring it to the workshop at your own convenience.
What happens once you've collected my car?
Our driver will inspect your vehicle, taking photos or video of the damage you’re claiming for and any other existing damage.
Once your car is on-site, it is logged into our system and we send you an SMS to let you know.
Our estimator gives your car a thorough appraisal and works out a detailed estimate of repairs, and any necessary parts are ordered.
If the cost of the repairs is near the value of your car an insurance engineer will inspect it again to decide whether it’s worth repairing.
Otherwise the repair goes ahead automatically, and we’ll get in touch to give you an estimated completion date (please note, this is not an exact delivery date).
Your vehicle is then dismantled, the panels are repaired, painted and finished, and the vehicle is rebuilt. Then our Quality Control manager inspects your vehicle, and finally we contact you to arrange delivery of your repaired car.
Can you give me an estimate over the phone?
No, we really have to see the damage. You can get an estimate online providing you have clear photos of the damage, but it will only ever be a rough guide. The only way to know how much the final bill will be is for our estimator to appraise the car at our premises.
In the first instance please use our Online Estimator form from there we can start the appraisal process.
How long will it take for you to fix my vehicle?
It depends how badly damaged it is. When we inspect your vehicle at our workshop we’ll give you an estimate of the time it will take to fix. If there’s a delay for any reason, we’ll contact you with a revised date.
Can I speed up the process at all?
Yes: if you can please use our Online Estimator with photos of the damage, taken from about 1 metre away from the car we can fast track the appraisal process. It may be possible to order parts in before your car arrives.
Why are the parts for my car on back-order?
Some manufacturers keep no parts, even for standard models: they make them as needed, so parts can take from a few days to a few months to arrive.
We have excellent relationships with manufacturers but sometimes parts can take a significant period of time to arrive.
Why does the paint process take so long?
Each coat of paint has to be applied evenly and then baked on to the panels. Some vehicles have more layers of paint than others, so they take longer to finish. At each stage the result is inspected by our Quality Control manager, and if he is not satisfied the process has to be repeated.
Why is my car not ready yet?
Our standards are very high; if our Quality Control manager isn’t entirely satisfied with the work done to your vehicle he’ll have the work re-done, which takes longer but means you get the best repair. We’d rather send your car out in a safe condition than in a specified time.
Why is my car not ready when you said it would be?
The most likely reason is that there was more damage than we thought when we first assessed it. Also, we don’t work on Sundays or Public Holidays, which sometimes confuses people’s calculations of when their car will be ready.
If my car's ready, why can't you deliver it now?
Our Quality Control manager has first to check it and ensure that all the work has been carried out to our high standards. And sometimes there isn’t a transporter available straight away.
The repair took more than 7 days. What happens now?
If you’re insured with Direct Line, and your repair qualifies, they will pay you £10 per day for any extra days up to a value of £70.
This payment comes from the insurers and we have no control over it.
Please check your terms & conditions on your policy.
Why do I have to pay an excess when the accident wasn't my fault?
This is a question for your insurance company. We repair the vehicles as agents for the insurers, we’re not the same company, so we can’t answer questions relating to your insurance.
