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Chip Magic^® is your one-stop body shop and custom paint shop of choice.

We work with ALL insurance companies.

How do insurance companies try to cheat you on you auto repairs?

The insurance company wants to squeeze every penny out of their customers so they can pay the big bonuses to the executives.

Of course don't forget they need every dollar to build all those buildings too.

How do they do that? They tell you to go to one of their "select" or "preferred" shops. THAT IS ILLEGAL!!!

It's called steering and it's illegal because they get discounted labor and materials. Some people call this "price fixing" also.

Now the insurance companies are using another LIE to get you to save THEM money. State Farm JUST pulled it on two

customers that had ALREADY called us to schedule to bring in their cars.

They didn't exactly "steer" them away. They just lied to the customers. They told the customers that they, State Farm,

couldn't warranty the repairs UNLESS the customer took their car to one of State Farm's shops.

This is a LIE! The SHOP, NOT THE INSURANCE COMPANY warranties the repairs. Most of the shops that contract with the 

insurance companies offer a very limited warranty period because the shops KNOWS they are cutting corners.

I started this business because one of the insurance companies "preferred" shops repaired my car and when the paint fell off they fixed it

once but then the paint peeled again, guess what? The "preferred shop WOULD NOT repair it even though it was less than a month after

they painted it. They cut corners and the paint didn't stick!

We offer a LIFETIME WARRANTY. AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR CAR! That's OUR guarantee to YOU NOT the insurance company's

hollow promises and LIES.

How does it help insurance companies get more money from you? They "negotiate" with the shop for reduced labor and material rates..

The shop reduces the labor and material costs they charge the insurance company. The shop cuts corners and uses cheaper materials

in order to accomplish the same profit margin. Who loses? YOU LOSE.

You ever notice that after you've had your bumper or hood repaired that is gets chipped up in a month and yet when it was new

it didn't get chipped as easily? That's because of using cheaper materials and, in some cases, not doing all the proper steps to repair

the car to the original quality and specifications.

How would you do a job for less money and yet still make the same profit? CUT CORNERS on the repair and materials.

Most insurance companies allow for LKQ or aftermarket panels to be used. LKQ is "Like Kind Quality." Which means used parts.

The insurance company only allows a limited amount for making the part look like new. More shortcuts are taken here also.

Did you also know that there are several different qualities of after-market parts? Some shops get the lowest quality panels and yet

charge you for a higher quality after-market part. For example I can purchase some bumpers for $40.00 for a part say from China

or a higher quality part, that fits and looks better, for say $140.00. Which part do you want on your car. We all know some of the stuff

China has been putting in their products. Maybe I should ask if you want it to fit or not!

Why choose Chip Magic®, LLC, as your Auto Body Shop?

1) I started this shop because of the poor repairs done to my own car, an Acura NSX, by a large body shop. The repair peeled twice. I never want to        go through that again and neither should you.

2) We are an independent shop. The buck stops with ME, not some "suit" at Corporate who doesn’t care.

3) We tried three different paint product lines until we found the BEST one for thickest primer coverage, the BEST base coat coverage, permanent flex agents that stay in the product forever, and the BEST clear coat we could find. It costs us (not you) more, but we can guarantee the repair for life without reservations. I back my word on that personally and I own the shop!

4) We go the extra mile for YOU, the customer! UNLESS it’s hidden damage, I DO NOT change the estimate price, PERIOD. What you see is what you get, hands down. Hidden damage or parts price differences from the original estimate? I will show you the old parts, the invoices and in some cases I may even be able to reduce the price of the part to MY cost. Ever heard of that one? I can’t always do that but if I can I will!

5) I pay my people a flat hourly or salary wage. Why? Typical body shop and paint technicians have a saying, "No payee, no do." Most body shops pay based on a "flag" hour (each part of the repair is assigned a certain number of hours, and if the technician can do it faster, he makes more money), so if it isn’t on the estimate or work sheet it doesn’t get done. Plus doing things faster just to make more money will cause problems later. By making sure my people get a set pay, we can have a philosophy of "Might as well fix that or touch that up at the same time!" Heck, if we already have the paint and it only takes a minute extra, why not? In one recent example, the insurance company only paid for us to do a small corner of a front bumper. The rest of the bumper looked bad. What did we do? We sanded the entire bumper, primed the entire bumper and painted the entire bumper! Extra cost to the customer? ZERO DOLLARS! Priceless!!

6) We can do anything any larger body shop can do. Frame pulls, glass replacement, detailing, custom exhaust, etc.

7) We have the time to test and develop new techniques and products. One new product we developed is a Spray on Clear Bra Process that no other shop has! Why use this? See our Clear Bra Comparison page for details.

8) Even though the cost of our processes and materials are higher than most shops we STILL beat almost any other quality shop on the price! Here is an recent example: A big DRP (insurance shop) quoted a customer $10,000.00 for a standard full paint job. Our price? $6,500.00!!

How? Lower overhead and quality people willing to go the extra mile instead of wanting more money every time a extra dent needs to be repaired. The DRP shop can quote an unreasonable amount of money because if they don’t get the job, oh well. If they do get the job they get to line their pockets! We have to be realistic in our pricing and give customers real value.

9) I own the shop and it is NOT a franchise. Not every repair can be done with one piece of sand paper and one pint of paint. A franchise takes a standard "book" process with each and every car. That isn’t the real world for a quality repair.

10) Don’t have a second car to get around in while your car is in for repairs? If it’s an insurance job, your insurance will usually pay for a rental vehicle but if not what do you do? Don’t worry, Chip Magic has teamed up with Budget Rental Cars and can get you a rental car for the same low rate as the insurance company pays AND it's not an sub-compact either! Of course you may still have to give up an arm or leg for the gas these days!

11) By disclosing all the information below, I’ll probably tick off both the insurance industry and a lot of body shops, so I can use your help. So visit us next time you have a need. You won’t be disappointed.

You have the right to have your vehicle repaired ANYWHERE you choose. The insurance companies cannot dictate where you take your car. They can SUGGEST some shops that are on there "preferred" list. These "preferred" shops are usually shops that have signed a contract, sometimes referred to as a Direct Repair Process (DRP) contract.

While this was a great tool in the beginning, the insurance companies realized that signing many shops in different areas allowed them to cut costs by "pooling" the rates charged to them. In turn the shops that wanted a lot of volume would gladly sign on with an insurance company to have repairs directed to their shop. However, it soon became clear that with the huge overhead required to meet the demand of the insurance contract, the shop would have to use faster methods and cheaper material. This can result in lower quality repairs to your vehicle.

You may not see the quality difference for a while, but have you ever seen excessive rock chipping on a repaired section while the factory painted section appeared relatively unscathed? That is a direct result of using a cheaper process or cheaper materials than should really be used. There may be several factors causing this. One factor is that in order to meet the time frame specified by the insurance company, the shop may have used a faster process or just plain rushed the application. The rushed application may show up as scratches in the under coat or base coat. The is the result of "shrinkage" of the primer due to lack of sufficient dry or flash time between coats or between the final primer and the first base coat being applied. The faster drying clear coat is usually more brittle than the higher quality, slower drying clear coats and that means when a small rock hits it the clear coat may chip or crack. Sometimes the shops, in order to make up for the lower rates allowed by insurance companies, will use the cheapest cost in all the materials. We have even seen several instances where a shop did not even take the time to properly clean a brand new plastic bumper, because it cost more in time and materials, and then the paint just flaked off under normal washing. Proper cleaning requires several steps, not just a fast wipe! The other "cost cutting" procedure some shops use is not to put a good, and usually more expensive, flex agent in the base coat or clear coat. A less expensive flex agent may evaporate after a period of time, leaving flexible bumpers vulnerable to premature chipping.

If an insurance company EVER tells you that you HAVE to take your vehicle to a specific shop just say the magic words "isn’t that called steering?" They might turn pale and start to shake, so use with caution!

Our HIGHEST rating for customer service and the desire to repair the customers car CORRECTLY goes to...........

Sorry, but there aren't any insurance companies left, in my opinion, that really look out for the customer anymore. There are many now that try to get you to sign away your right to take your vehicle where you want in return for a slightly smaller rate. Some have even started drop-off or concierge service programs. These ARE NOT IN YOUR BEST INTEREST. These "services" are ONLY to help save the insurance company money and you are stuck with inferior quality workmanship and materials. .

State Farm just steered two clients away by lying to them so State Farm now has one of our LOWEST ratings.

American Family, Travelers, and Farmers are the top three although they could still use more of a "customer first" and "let's do it right" attitude adjustment!

An independent body shop can’t afford even one angry client or customer, so you will get better customer service. Also, while it may cost the shop more to do the job right and entail using costlier, higher quality materials and better processes, it will produce a better and longer lasting repair for your vehicle. After all, your vehicle is usually the second most expensive investment you ever make.

A shop that has an insurance contract (controlled by the insurance company) is assured of a constant flow of customers from that insurance company and unless enough customers complain to the insurance company or the insurance commissioner abut poor repairs, and we all know how much time and effort that requires, nothing changes.

The second reason to choose an independent auto body shop.

A good independent body shop doesn’t have to schedule vehicles to be repaired one after another, so a good independent body shop can usually start on your repairs right away and get them done faster.

A shop that has an insurance contract is assured of a constant flow of customers from that insurance company and therefore MUST schedule more vehicles than it can repair at once. This is similar to the "over-booking" scheme used by the airlines. Your vehicle sits there, sometimes for a week or more, before the repairs even start.

The third reason to choose an independent auto body shop.

We’ve all seen the ads that claim that a shop can paint your car for $499.00. Without removing anything, door handles, mirrors, lights, or trim, it’s simple to paint a car, not really but.... Combine that with the cheapest materials available and, yes, it can be done. The paint job usually lasts anywhere from 3 months to a year and then it costs more to have the poor paint jobs repaired. Yes, there is a place for these type of shops but only if you don’t care about peeling, chipping, no warranty, and we have even seen the mirrors, chrome wheels, and rubber moldings painted right over!

1) Check your local BBB, Better Business Bureau, for any complaints that haven’t been resolved.

2) While it does take some extra time the first time, call and then go visit the shop and talk with the owner and/or technicians. Some shops don’t want you talking to the technicians. That’s ok. Take a look around the shop. Are there many cars that look like they have been sitting for more than a week or so? Then beware.

3) Don’t fall for the scams that say "You pay no deductible" or "you pay half of your deductible." If you have a $1,000.00 repair and a $1,000.00 deducible, does that mean you’ll get you car repaired for free? Of course not! I actually called these companies because I have a $2,500.00 deductible on my car so if I only have to pay half and the damage is under $1,250.00 it's FREE!!  If you believe that one I have some land in Florida for sale, CHEAP!

The "no deductible" line is just to get you in the door and if they will trick you to get you in the door imagine the final bill after all the other tricks are used!!

4) Check how long the business has been operating. The chances of finding a quality shop is much better if the shop has been around for a longer period of time.

5) If you need another high quality shop to compare with let me know and I'll tell you the names of the shops that I know of that do a high quality repair. I'm that confident in our quality and prices.

For more information, call 303-683-8679 or e-mail info@chipmagic.biz

Locally Owned and Operated • Satisfaction Guaranteed • Limited Warranty
© Copyright Chip Magic®, LLC, 2005. All rights reserved.