Recently, I was rear-ended in my dd 2011 MINI Cooper S while stopped in heavy traffic on the 5 South by a 17-year-old kid in his folks' 2000 4Runner. The force of impact was enough to shove me forward a couple of feet. The kid was deeply sorry and apologetic - it was just one of those things and I had to console him several times as it was his first accident and he was somewhat shaken up.

I took the car to Spectrum Collision just off Bake Parkway in Irvine, right near where I work for the repair on the advice of the BMW dealership I get warranty work done at. The damage was not obvious until the body shop pulled the bumper cover off to reveal the full extent but there was nothing bent/broken beyond the shock absorber, a couple of brackets and the cover itself and the estimate was just over $1800. (The MINI is one tough little nut!)

They took the car that afternoon and had the repair completed in about a week. The work they did was flawless - in fact, the car looks better than new as they fitted the trim panels back on even better than the factory did. The paint on the bumper fascia matched the factory paint perfectly and the car was immaculately clean when I picked it up. I am extremely picky and had not a single complaint. The final tally was even a little lower than the original estimate and they used only OEM replacement parts.

Spectrum works on primarily BMW's and other high end luxury/sport cars so mine was one of the lower-end vehicles there yet they treated me like royalty throughout the process and even kept me updated on the repair via email and phone. I was allowed to inspect the repair mid-job too. These people take obvios pride in their work and the facility reflects that - the front office is as nice as the BMW showroom down the street and the shop areas in the back are pristine and very neat. They store cars they are working on on-site and well-secured and are very respectful of the owner's vehicle and belongings.

I was truly impressed with this shop - of all those I have seen over many years, this one was by far the most professional and high-quality I have dealt with. I highly recommend them to anyone in the region needing collision repair.

The kid's parents had great insurance (Mercury) and they took care of everything completely, including the rental car and said I could take it anywhere for the repairs. They called me frequently during the process to make sure everything was progressing to my satisfaction and often asked if there was anything else they could do to help me.I was very satisfied with the treatment - especially since I am not their customer.

Overall, what was a bummer of an event to my dd MINI, turned out to hurt as little as possible to get the car repaired.

 

I got hit by a guy on a cell phone that had Mercury, they did such a great job with my Corolla and treated me so nice that I switched from State Farm to Mercury on both the MINI and the Corolla. MOMV dealership told me Mercury never ever refuses their estimates. But now Mercury is hassling me saying I got to pay extra for my wheels even though they are stock GP wheels that came from the plant that way, or else they will only cover $100 per wheel. I hope we resolve this or else I am going to USAA, I would save $170 every 6 months with them anyway.

 

USAA is the best. They rebate you some money back if they can every year and are first class with repairs. Don't hesitate.

 

+1

 

i've also heard good things about USAA. I'd heard similar about Mercury and they proved it to me - I've never been treated so fairly in the past, even by my own ins. co. If our rates weren't so low with the Hartford, I'd definitely consider Mercury or USAA for our coverage.

How they treat those who are not their customers says a lot to me.