Everything worth knowing before you book
Damage to your car is usually the first time anyone learns how any of this works. Here's the whole thing written down — the claim process, the questions, what each repair actually involves, and what's changing in the trade.
Start here
If something has just happened to your car, read this first.
How a car insurance claim works
The whole process in order, from the moment it happens to the moment you drive away — excess, choice of repairer, assessment, and the jargon decoded.
Read the walkthroughWhat each repair involves
The work itself, service by service.
The basics
Short answers to the things everyone asks first. Tap one to open it — the full versions live on the news page.
Repair vs replace: how a panel shop decides
Depth, stretch and how close the damage sits to a structural join decide it. Keeping the factory panel keeps its original corrosion protection, so repair wins where the metal will come back cleanly.
Why paint matching is harder than it sounds
The paint code alone won't match a car that's spent years in the sun. Mixing to the code and then blending into the neighbouring panels is what makes a repair invisible in daylight.
Modern cars have sensors in the bumper
Parking sensors, blind-spot radar and cameras sit behind the panels that get hit first. On newer cars the job isn't done when the paint dries — disturbed systems get checked and, where the manufacturer requires it, recalibrated.
Excess, and when claiming costs you more than paying
Small cosmetic repairs can come in at or under your excess, in which case claiming can cost you more than paying. Get it quoted before you lodge. What your policy covers, choice of repairer included, is a term of the policy — check your PDS.
Storm and hail season changes the wait
A hailstorm books out every shop in the basin at once. The repair doesn't change — the queue does. Drivable, cosmetic damage is worth booking before the next front, not after.
Your vehicle deserves prestige care.
Whether it's a minor scratch or a major collision repair, we treat every vehicle like it's our own. Get a free, no-obligation quote today.