Estimates, deposits & refunds

Estimates are free, and they are not a bill

Bring the car by or send photos through the estimate form. Either way the estimate is free, there is no obligation, and you are free to take it to another shop or to your insurer.

An estimate written from photos is preliminary. Hidden damage behind a bumper cover is the rule, not the exception, so the figure can change once we see the vehicle — and if it does, you hear it from us before anything happens.

What California law guarantees you

We are an automotive repair dealer registered with the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, and the Automotive Repair Act gives you rights we follow on every job:

• A written estimate before work starts. You get an estimated price for parts and labor, and no work is done and no charges accrue until you authorize it.
• Nothing extra without your say-so. If the repair needs more than the estimate covers, we have to get your consent before that work is done. If you give it over the phone, we note the date, time, who approved it and what it adds.
• Your old parts back, if you ask. Tell us when you drop the car off and we return the replaced parts with the vehicle. Some parts cannot come back — exchange-basis and warranty-return parts — and we will tell you which and show them to you instead.
• An itemized invoice. When the job is done you get an invoice describing the work performed and the parts supplied, including whether parts were new, used, rebuilt or reconditioned.

Deposits and special-order parts

Most repairs do not need money up front. When a job needs a part ordered specially for your vehicle, we tell you before we order it, and we tell you then what happens to that cost if you change your mind — some parts are returnable to the supplier and some are not, and a few carry a restocking fee the supplier charges us. Anything we hold is applied to your final invoice.

Changing your mind

Before work starts, cancel and anything you have paid comes back to you, apart from a part already ordered and not returnable, which we will have told you about in advance. Once work has started, you pay for the work actually performed and the parts actually used to that point, and we stop where you tell us to stop. We will not hold your car to force you to authorize work you have not agreed to.

Storage

If a vehicle sits with us after you have told us not to proceed, or after the repair is finished and ready for collection, storage may apply. We will tell you the rate in writing before it starts to accrue — you will never meet a storage charge for the first time on the final invoice.

When your insurer is paying

Your insurer pays its share and you pay your deductible, plus anything you asked for that your policy does not cover. If we find damage the insurer's estimate missed, we document it and ask them for a supplement; that is between us and the adjuster and it does not change what you owe. California law says the choice of shop is yours, not your insurer's — there is more on that in our insurance claims guide.

Warranty on our work

Ask us about the warranty before you authorize the repair, and we will put the terms in writing on your estimate and invoice so you have them on paper. Parts carry whatever warranty their manufacturer provides.

If you are not happy

Tell us first — call (626) 646-7117, email info@toptierautocollision.com, or come in to 11782 Sheldon St, Sun Valley, CA 91352. Most problems are a misunderstanding about what was authorized, and we would rather fix it than argue about it.

If we cannot resolve it, you can contact the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, which regulates every repair shop in the state and takes consumer complaints at bar.ca.gov. Nothing on this page limits your rights under California law.