Preean P.
Yelp
I was referred to C&L Auto Body by Geico as part of their "trusted insurance program" where the shops are "held to the highest industry standards". I accepted as it was convenient to be able to drop off my car, get an estimate, and get a rental all at the same location.
My car and repairs: 2014 Mazda3 needed front bumper, grille, left headlight and smaller components behind the bumper replaced due to a fender bender.
The experience of dropping the car off and getting into the rental was pleasant as the Geico adjuster (Annemarie Budesheim), C&L Auto Body and Enterprise reps were all accommodating and made the process in the morning very swift by having the paperwork and the rental car ready upon my arrival. The issues started when I requested my adjuster for a quote to have all OEM parts installed because Geico only covers and recommends the shops to use aftermarket parts, she responded by saying "I will have to ask C&L Auto Body to get you the quote", I never received the quote and the work started immediately after receiving the initial quote for aftermarket parts from the Geico adjuster. I let that slide as I would be responsible for the difference in the cost for the OEM parts and the shop/Geico warranty all the work/parts for the lifetime of the car as long as I own it.
I got a call from my adjuster when the car was ready for pick up, I informed her that I would be there in the next hour or so, she replied by telling me that she will have the shop keep my car ready for pick up (it was not ready for pick up when I arrived). When I arrived, no one there recognized me or immediately asked me for assistance (including my adjuster), after waiting for a few minutes, I was helped through the payment process and they called for my car.
This is where things get interesting, after getting into my car I realize the cables I had slightly hanging from behind the rear view mirror for the dashcam and radar detector were pulled out from being tucked in the roof lining and hanging down my center counsel (because I took my equipment with me as they are not liable for any property left in the car). They had no business touching anything inside the cabin as all work was being done on the outside. Bear with me, it get better, as soon as I turned on my car I noticed a rumbling sound and I knew immediately something was not right. The sound continued as I was driving back to work and became prominent every time I accelerated, I knew it was related to the intake or exhaust as I have heard the sound before. I started by inspecting the engine bay and noticed my air intake filter box was completely open, hanging off the intake hose and resting on the air filter (the source of the rumbling sound). When I confronted the shop about their negligence and why they would touch the air intake which was well behind all the damage, all they had to say was "we had to open it to get to the headlight and we are extremely sorry for forgetting to close it" (I really don't think it is necessary to touch the air intake to get to the headlight if you are going to be pulling the whole front end of the car out, but I could be wrong).
This shop clearly lacks the attention to detail, leaving something so clearly visible open makes me wonder what else they could have neglected under all the body panels. This review clearly shows how little importance the Insurance companies and the auto body shops they "hold to high standards" really care about customer service and customer property. I understand this review was not only for C&L Auto Body, but also for Geico, I needed to share the all details as they work together and hence my two star rating for the combined experience with both parties.
P.S. The paint job on the aftermarket bumper matches my car but the fitting is a little off and easily noticeable to a trained eye, I would recommend paying the difference and getting OEM parts installed if you really care about the aesthetics and have a nice car. Geico adjuster explained to me that if the parts don't fit well they would push for OEM parts (clearly not the case here and another thing for me to bicker about).