We understand the frustration and concern you may have if your vehicle was just in a hailstorm and we hope that, first and foremost, you are ok. We’ve had several clients in the past who tried to save their vehicle by going out in the thick of a storm only to end up with a several large welts — or sometimes concussions — from the hail stones. Please realize that your safety is far more important than that of saving your vehicle from a few more dents.
Once the storm has settled, give us a call to set up a free evaluation to see if filing a claim makes sense. We can walk you through the process, step by step, and deal with the insurance company on your behalf if you decide to go forward with repairs. If you have comprehensive coverage, all you need to do is file the initial claim and we can handle everything from there.
No, hail damage is a comprehensive claim, which means it’s a no-fault claim. Hail damage claims do not increase your insurance premiums because it is considered an “Act of Nature.”
Your deductible is the portion of the repairs related to an insurance claim that the insurance company expects the insured (you) to pay when getting your vehicle fixed. When you go to a regular body shop, you will be charged your deductible as part of the repair process.
If you go with Dents By Hand for your claim, we offer generous deductible assistance as part of our repair process.
After a hailstorm, salespeople will comb through neighborhoods and local shopping centers looking for damaged vehicles to capture for the insurance work. They are not PDR technicians but salespeople working off a commission and offering zero out of pocket cost to the insured is an easy way to capture the job. It is basically like getting the repairs done for free, but the big question is: Do you really know who is going to “work” on your vehicle?
Over the last few years, Colorado has seen more and more hail chaser companies set up temporary shops due to the high number of hailstorms in the area. These are often out-of-state companies which work throughout the country following hailstorms. Many have come and gone, particularly in 2020 when there wasn’t very much storm activity, and often their customers have no recourse when problems related to previous repairs occur. When the vehicle owner can’t get a call back from the last company that “fixed” their hail damage, they reach out to their insurance company, desperate for assistance.
By waiving your deductible, the insured is going outside of their agreement with the insurance company and when there is a problem such as a nonfunctioning sunroof or back-up camera, the insurance company will often wash their hands of any further liability, especially with an itinerant company that is no longer in town. They will consider the matter closed and you’re on your own.
By law, you have the final choice in where your vehicle is repaired. If you do a little research about insurance steering, you will see this a rampant problem within the industry, allowing insurance companies to save money by sending their policy holders to production shops to reduce costs. These direct repair program shops are required to adhere to limitations placed upon them in exchange for the volume of work sent their way. Shortcuts and rushed cycle times are often the result, leaving the insured with subpar repairs.
Dents By Hand acts as an advocate for the best repair methods, and we fight the insurance company on your behalf for the highest quality outcome and best repair methods.
Allow the adjuster to inspect the vehicle and write an estimate for what they see. This estimate will not be all that accurate, as it is just an initial estimate and they really are not there to find every little dent; that’s what we do. The adjuster will inform you that when you do have your car repaired, any difference between the amount of their estimate and our estimate will be resolved between the insurance company and the repair facility by means of a supplement.
The insurance adjuster may likely encourage you to have your car repaired by one of their preferred vendors. Remember, it is your choice to have your car repaired by the business of your choice. It is illegal for an insurance company or their representative to require you to have your car repaired by any specific vendor. Do not be pressured into using one of these vendors if you are not comfortable with them.
Yes! We are IMI certified for high-voltage vehicles and have the knowledge to keep your vehicle safe while undergoing repairs. With more and more vehicles dependent upon onboard computer systems, it’s important that the vehicle is properly shut down and powered up while repairs are underway for both technician safety and the vehicle electronics.
In these cases the lien holder requires the repairs to be carried out to protect the value of the loan. We work with the insurance and the lien holder in these situations and can provide a notice of work completed when necessary.
The most important benefit is quality. This method is the closest you can get to the dent never happening in the first place. No grinding, fillers, or primers are needed because your original factory paint is not disturbed. Also, there are no problems with filler or paint shrinkage months after the repair as is typical with most body shop repairs.
Cost is also a major benefit of PDR. Repairs are typically between one-quarter to one-third the cost of conventional dent repair.
Time savings is yet another advantage. Many dents can be fixed in less than an hour. Hail damage is typically fixed in one day with PDR. A body shop may take 2-3 weeks for the same type of damage.
Environmental wins are another benefit of PDR. Since this process keeps the original factory paint on your vehicle, there is no need for the paint, chemicals, or other toxins that are used extensively in body shops when repairing dents. PDR is 100% environmentally friendly.
Unfortunately, as of now, there aren’t any licensing or performance standards for this industry. Deciding on which PDR technician to use based on the cheapest price can often be a mistake, as skill levels vary widely among technicians.
Many people in the PDR business are better gifted with a silver tongue than they are the actual skillsets to repair dents to perfection. Aggressive salespeople will make it seem extremely easy and have well-rehearsed answers ready for all your questions, as their primary goal is getting your vehicle into a shop.
Most consumers will look at the dent straight on or outside in the sun when it’s delivered and not know what to look for when determining if they received a quality repair. See the BAD PDR page for examples of sub-standard workmanship.
There are a few options when it comes to industry verification. One is Vale National Certified. This is the only nationally recognized independent certification available to PDR technicians which involves an in-person testing with computer aided scoring methods. Michael received his certification from Vale in 2004.
Another organization for vetting technicians is ARC. Michael Hand is a Certified Master Hail Technician through this company.
Absolutely not. Once a dent has been removed properly with PDR, it never comes back. New impacts obviously could result in a new dent but at least you can rest easy knowing that Dents By Hand is your best option for repairs.
Not always. The most important factors in determining if a dent can be repaired by PDR are depth and paint condition.
Larger impacts can often be repaired if the paint has not become cracked from the impact. We will inspect the damaged area and give you an honest assessment of the expected outcome as a part of estimate process.
Small but sharp dents — such as those caused by a pellet gun or stray golf ball — can often be too sharp and may have stretched the metal. This means that the metal has become thinner in the deepest part of the dent and there is too much surface area for it to all fit back into place properly.
Creases and complex dents are often a challenge for most technicians as they involve more time and the developed skills of a dedicated PDR tech. Dents By Hand has made parts of it’s reputation of by repairing many dents that other dent companies have turned down or said couldn’t be fixed.
Glue Pulling, or GPDR (Glue Pull Dent Removal), is the art of removing dents with specialty tabs, hot glue, and tools called mini lifters or slide hammers.
A small dab of hot glue is applied to the center of the tab and then carefully placed onto the dent. After a short set time, the mini lifter or slide hammer is used to reverse the dent out. A little spray of isopropyl alcohol is then applied to the glue to remove it from the panel. From there we can then tap down the high spot as needed until the metal is flat.
This technique is crucial for hail repairs to hard-to-access areas where it becomes difficult to get to the back side of the dent, such as roof rails.
Not all dents are good candidates for this process. Deeper, sharp or stressed dents can be much more difficult to fully remove as you are basically using the painted surface to pull the metal back to its original shape. Also, poorly re-painted surfaces may lack the proper adhesion and could result in paint failure during the GPDR process. A good technician using proper lighting can often identify if a panel has been re-painted.
Ever hear the saying "Image is everything?” Most people judge a car by its appearance. If it looks good, they assume it has been well taken care of. Used car dealers and wholesalers know this. They also know what they spend on PDR will make them many times over what they spend while helping them sell the car quicker. If you are selling your car, PDR is one of the best ways to get top dollar, more interested buyers, and a quicker sale.
PDR maintains a vehicle’s value – Dents and dings decrease the resale value of vehicles. Paintless Dent Repair returns vehicles to the original factory condition without affecting the factory paint finish.
Emailing us a few photos of your dent or dents is a very convenient option and allows us to determine if your dent is a good candidate for our process. There are some limitations around this method when it comes to determining an accurate price, such as access and depth of the dent, etc. A closer, in-person estimate will be done prior to any repairs allowing for the most accurate estimate.
For the most accurate assessment please provide us with the following:
No. In most cases there is no need for a skilled technician to do this. Drilling a hole for access is a tactic used by less experienced PDR techs doing wholesale work, or who simply do not care to take the time to carefully remove items that could allow access to the back of the dent.
Glue pulling (GPDR) is an effective method when access is not possible, and Dents By Hand has extensive experience with this method.
Drilling is not permitted with any insurance claim repairs and, in some cases, will void a manufacturer’s warranty.
In all honesty, the Paintless Dent Removal process is much the same within the industry. We use the same tools and techniques to achieve the desired result. The key to finding a great PDR provider is experience and customer satisfaction. PDR is an art that requires a lot of time and dedication to master, and not everyone is able to master PDR let alone the business skills it requires to stay organized and efficient while keeping your clients happy. Being in business for 25-plus years has given us a well-rounded foundation to build upon and we continue to evolve. We know what we’re doing, and it shows in the quality of our work and the support we provide to our clients.
