The Underlying Truth of Dealership Hail Sales

After significant storms, auto dealers all over Colorado will begin advertising “Hail Sales” claiming shoppers can save as much as $12,000 on hail-damaged vehicles. Price conscious consumers are quick to jump on such an opportunity, but is a hail-damaged vehicle really the deal it seems to be?

According to an interview with 9News, Jim Addison of Addison Auto Repair and Body Shop said hail damage can cost you as much as $15,000, which will likely outweigh the discount you initially received. According to insurance.com, the average claim for auto hail damage is between $2,000 and $3,000. Dents the size of a quarter can cost as much as $150 per dent to repair, while larger ones can cost up to $500. So in reality, the cost to fix the hail damage can outweigh the deal you got at the dealership.

Furthermore, some dealers will tell you that the hail damage can be fixed with paintless dent repair. This is rarely the case. Be sure to take the car to an independent auto body repair facility before buying to confirm. In the majority of cases, the reason the dealer is selling the car without repairing the damage is because paintless repair is not an option.

Hidden Dangers of a Hail Sale Deal

Maybe you’re not planning on fixing the damage – you don’t mind driving around in a dented car if it means you get a huge discount. You aren’t alone, but there are some conditions to keep in mind:

Leasing a hail-damaged car: Some dealers will make the savings seem even sweeter by setting you up with a lease on the vehicle rather than having you finance. While the extremely low payments are appealing,you’ll be required to repair the hail damage out of pocket before the car is returned. If you do not, the manufacturer will charge you for the damage.

Resale value: Unless you’re the kind of person who drives a car until it gives out on you, chances are you’re going to want to trade or sell it at some point. If you don’t get that damage repaired, your resale/trade-in value will be heavily diminished and if you try to sell it yourself, you can have trouble finding a buyer as many people will search out a deal that isn’t over a hail-damaged car.

Future Damage: If you do not repair the hail damage yourself, it can come back into significance in a future accident. If you file an insurance claim in the future, the cost of the hail damage will be deducted from the payout amount you receive. So now, not only does your car have hail damage, you might have to pay for the collision repair out of pocket.

Repairing the Hail Damage

If you’re still looking to buy at your local dealer’s Hail Sale, just be sure you take your new car to an auto body repair shop that knows what they’re doing. Whether it’s paintless dent repair or a more intensive repair, you need to find a shop that comes highly recommended by other drivers and national insurance companies.

If you live in or near Boulder, CO., please consider Fisher Auto Body for the repairs. The Fisher Collision Center is a certified, direct-repair facility for most major insurance companies, and are members of the DuPont Performance Alliance. All technicians are I-CAR and ASE-certified, meaning the best in the business will be working on your car. Still not sure? Check out our great Google Reviews to hear what our customers think!

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