FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Your ‘one stop’ comprehensive garage solution Accident repairs often raise a lot of questions. We’ve laid out below some of the most common questions we receive but if there are questions we’ve not covered, just call us or send an email to: info@tateaccidentrepaircentre.co.uk  and we’ll get back to you straight away. How long will the repairs take? A variety of factors can affect the repair period such as the extent of damage, insurer authorisation or the availability of parts. A small repair may take as little as two days, however, if your vehicle is very badly damaged it could be under repair for as long as six weeks. When we see the damaged vehicle we are able to give a better indication of the repair duration. The damage was caused by another party; do I have to pay my policy excess? If you are having your car repaired under your own policy you will have to pay your excess. If the other party's insurance company agree to pay for repairs no excess will be payable. When do I have to pay my excess? We will request payment of any excess when your vehicle is booked in for repair. This amount must be paid in full by the end of the repair period at the latest. Will you provide me with a courtesy car whilst my own is under repair? We do provide courtesy cars for most insurer repair work, however, we advise checking your own situation with us before booking your vehicle in for repair. What happens if I have an accident in the courtesy car? As the car is normally insured on a comprehensive basis under your own policy you would be liable for the policy excess in respect of any damage costs. Your insurer is liable for the remainder. Can you waive my policy excess amount? A common question but unfortunately we can't do this! What is an Approved Repairer? Approved repairer status is dependant on meeting crteria laid down by each insurer. The insurer monitors not only the quality of the repair work but also equipment and service levels. Approved repairers have the authority to proceed with repairs (within certain cost limits). Other repairers must wait until an insurance company engineer inspects and authorises the repair cost before commencing work. If I am unhappy with my repair work what can I do? We are a member of the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) and have been awarded quality status by them. We do our best to try and minimise the likelihood of repair problems, however if you experience a problem all our work is guaranteed for 3 years. Dont hesitate to contact us and we will endeavour to sort the problem out. What type of vehicles do you repair? We repair cars, light commercial vehicles (up to 3 tons) and motorcycles. I have damage on my car, which is not related to my insurance accident claim, can I have this fixed at the same time? You certainly can, it is often more economical to have all damage repaired at once. Why not ask for an estimate and then you can decide whether you wish to proceed or not.