Useful Information

Useful Information – Know your rights!

Being in an accident is stressful. At James Alpe we want to provide you with some useful information for if you are unfortunate enough to be in this position.  Having three decades experience in accident repair we try to make sure that what is for most, an unpleasant experience is as painless as possible.

Firstly it’s important that you know your rights. Many insurance companies will try and push you in the direction of their recommended repairer with the aim of keeping their costs down. This can mean repairing your car cheaply, less than satisfactory levels of customer service, use of non-original manufacturer’s parts, and potential warranty issues to say the least. As a motor vehicle insurance policy holder YOU have the right to choose where to have the work done, irrespective of your insurance company’s advice. You might also be told by your insurance company that you need two estimates, which is simply not the case. It’s really important that YOU choose.

Here at James Alpe Ltd we will guide you through the repair process. We use manufacturer approved repair methods and have been approved, trained and audited to ensure we complete repairs to the highest possible standard. All our customers are provided with a courtesy vehicle and all our work comes with a bodywork guarantee. If you have been involved in an accident which wasn’t your fault, we can arrange a ‘like for like’ vehicle for the duration of the repair and help you to recover any losses associated with the accident. 

If you have been involved in an accident and need some advice, call one of our team on 0800 195 6346 or email us at info@jamesalpe.co.uk

The Repair Process

If you are involved in an accident or have damage your car, we understand that it can be a very distressing and frustrating time. At James Alpe we aim to get you and your vehicle are back on the road as soon as possible.

While your car is with us, it will go through a repair process, restoring it perfectly to its condition before the incident. The following steps explain the process to help you understand what is involved.

FIRST STAGE

One of our reception team will book in your vehicle and note all your concerns regarding damage to your vehicle. We have manufacturer approvals for both prestige and mainstream vehicles, and can repair any make or model of vehicle.

SECOND STAGE

Once your vehicle is on site our admin team will pass on your details to one of our qualified Vehicle Damage Assessors. They will prepare an estimate which will then be sent electronically directly to your insurance company. 

If you decide to claim on your insurance, once in receipt of the estimate the insurance company will agree the repair process and authorise us to proceed with the repairs.

Some insurance companies will not allow repairers to commence any work without written authority, which may cause a short delay between your vehicle arriving on site and the work commencing.

Should the estimated cost of repairs be close to the current market value of your vehicle, we must wait to hear from your insurance company to assess the vehicle before authorising repairs or deeming it a total loss.

THIRD STAGE

Once we have received authority or the repair costs fall within our self-authority limits, the vehicle will be scheduled into the workshops for repair.

FOURTH STAGE

Our  parts department will liaise with local suppliers and organise delivery of parts required for the repair to your vehicle, as agreed with your insurer.

Parts typically take 2-3 days to arrive but there is the possibility of some parts being on factory back order with the manufacturer, which could take longer. If your parts on back order we will notify you as soon as possible.

FIFTH STAGE

One of our fully trained technicians will remove all the damaged parts of your vehicle along with repairing any parts needed to carry out the repair.

They will notify our engineers of any further damage they find while dismantling the vehicle; at this stage any additional hidden damaged parts will be ordered.

Your vehicle will then be repaired using the latest equipment and materials, to restore it as close as possible to its original condition. It will then move through to our paint department, here it will be refinished in one of our low bake ovens, using environmentally friendly coatings.

After  painting, your vehicle will be returned to have the parts refitted and undergo any mechanical work it may require.

SIXTH STAGE

Once the repairs are completed, your vehicle will be washed, leathered and the interior vacuumed. It will then undergo a stringent final quality control check, carried out by our fully trained quality control team.

SEVENTH STAGE

Once all of the above stages have been satisfactorily completed, a member of our reception team will contact you to arrange the return of your vehicle.

EIGHTH STAGE

Upon return we will ask you to sign a collection note to confirm you have received the vehicle back into your care. At this time, if applicable we will collect any payment for insurance excess, betterment or VAT. We regret vehicles cannot be released without payment.

Our reception team will try to keep you informed of your vehicle’s progress through the eight stages of repair, by telephone, email or text messaging.