Cashless repair after a collision – step by step from the driver's point of view

A crash, a collision, a scratched bumper in a parking lot - most drivers experience it sooner or later. In theory, we have the perpetrator's liability insurance, but in practice there are phone calls, forms, cost estimates and a thousand questions:

• “Do I have to pay out of pocket first?”

• “Can I choose any workshop?”

• “What if the insurer underestimates the quote?”

This is where the cashless repair option comes in - a convenient solution that relieves the driver of most of the formalities. See what the whole process looks likestep by step, from your perspective, not the insurer's.

1. What is cashless repair?

In a nutshell:

Cashless repair (also known as cashless damage settlement) consists in:

• You take the car to the selected workshop,

• the workshop repairs the car,

• And the settlement of costs takes place directly between the workshop and the perpetrator's insurer.

You don't receive a transfer "for repairs" - you get afunctional car, and the invoices and paperwork are handled between the workshop and the insurer.

For you, it is primarily:

• not spending your own money,

• less formalities,

• lower risk of not having enough money for repairs because the valuation was low.

2. When can you use cashless repairs?

Most often when:

• the damage is covered by the perpetrator's third party liability insurance,

• you choose a workshop that cooperates with a given insurer or one that simply contacts the insurance company,

• the damage isrepairable, and the car is not considered completely destroyed (so-called total loss).

In practice - in most typical collisions, abrasions, and bumps, you can choose non-cash repairs.

3. Cashless repair – step by step (from the driver's point of view)

Step 1. Secure the scene of the incident and the perpetrator's data

At the beginning of the classic:

1. Secure the place, check if no one was hurt.

2. Take photos of the damage to both vehicles and the scene.

3. Take from the perpetrator:

   • personal data,

   • registration number,

   • third party liability policy number and name of the insurer.

In the case of minor collisions, a joint statement by the perpetrator of the collision is sufficient. In more serious cases, call the police.

Step 2. Reporting the damage to the insurer

You have two options:

• you report the damage yourself,

• or you do itthrough a workshop that offers cashless repairs (often the most convenient option).

If you report yourself:

1. You call the perpetrator's insurer's hotline or fill out the online form.

2. You provide the perpetrator's policy number, your details and a description of the incident.

3. You send photos of the damage and a scan of the statement/police note.

After reporting, you receive a damage number - remember it, it will be useful when contacting the workshop and the insurer.

Step 3. Selecting a workshop – you have the right to decide here

Worth knowing:

• You don't have to repair your car in the insurer's "partner network" if you don't want to. You have the right to choose any workshop that offers cashless repairs.

• A workshop that has experience in settlements with insurers:

  • will help you prepare a cost estimate,

  • will negotiate with the insurer,

  • will often immediately organize a replacement car from the perpetrator's third party liability insurance.

Here you can use, for example, SpotMeUp - select the "Bodywork and painting services" category, filter by non-cash repairs and make an appointment online.

Step 4. Inspection and cost estimate

Insurer:

• sends an appraiser to the workshop,

• or asks for photo documentation and a cost estimate from the workshop.

From your perspective:

• you return the car,

• the workshop checks the damage,

• prepares a preliminary quote and sends it to the insurer.

A good bodywork company will make sure that:

• include parts ofappropriate quality (OE / OES / substitutes),

• calculate real working hour rates,

• do not ignore "small" elements (clips, strips, paint materials).

Step 5. Insurer consent and repair

If the insureraccepts the cost estimate:

• the workshop orders parts,

• arranges a repair date with you,

• often provides a replacement car for the duration of repairs.

If your insurer tries to underestimate the cost of repair:

• the workshop may appeal against the decision,

• sometimes he uses the so-called additional payment after repair (recourse claim to the insurer - you still don't spend your money).

From your side, it still comes down to one thing - you are waiting for the finished car, and you are mainly in contact with the workshop.

Step 6. Car collection and settlement

Upon receipt:

1. You look carefully at the car - paint, fit of elements, operation of lights, sensors, cameras.

2. You report any comments immediately.

3. You sign the acceptance protocol.

Reckoning:

• the insurer transfers the fundsdirectly to the workshop,

• You may only pay extra for what you have consciously agreed above and beyond the standard repair (e.g. better paint, higher-end parts, etc.).

You don't touch cash, you don't go around several plants with an estimate - everything is "closed" in the workshop ↔ insurer model.

4. Cashless repair – the most common myths

"In the case of non-cash repairs, the workshop and the insurer will reach an agreement at my expense"

Good workshops fight for thereal cost of repairbecause:

• their profit depends on it,

• and the possibility of making the car properly, not half-assed.

Your task is to choose aproven service - hence the point of platforms that collect opinions and make the choice easier.

“If I take the cash, there will be more left for me.”

Often the opposite is true:

• the insurer lowers the valuation, pays e.g. PLN 3,000,

• a real repair using good quality parts costs PLN 6,000,

• and suddenly the "missing 3,000" becomes "the missing 3,000".

In non-cash repairs, it is easier to obtain the real repair cost, rather than the "average from the calculator".

"I will lose the manufacturer's warranty" (for a young car)

If the car is under warranty, it is worth:

• check the manufacturer's warranty conditions,

• consideran authorized service station (ASO)in the cashless mode.

Many ASOs also work in the cashless repair model - it all depends on the specific brand and contracts with insurers.

5. What to watch out for when making a cashless repair?

1. Assignment of receivables agreement - you usually sign a document stating that the workshop settles accounts with the insurer. Read what you sign.

2. What parts are installed – ask directly:

   • original, substitutes, "recycled"?

   • do you have any influence on this?

3. Replacement car – determine:

   • for how long

   • what standard (segment),

   • Are you sure it is from the perpetrator's third party liability insurance and not from your subsidy?

4. Repair warranty – it's good if the workshop provides a warranty for its work (e.g. 12-24 months for paint, sheet metal).

6. How can SpotMeUp help you throughout the process?

From a driver's point of view, three things are the most difficult:

1. Find a workshop you can trust.

2. Set a date – without a million phone calls.

3. Manage whether the workshop:

   • supports cashless repairs,

   • helps with formalities,

   • has a replacement car.

A platform likeSpotMeUpcan make this easier:

• you select the category“Bodywork and paint services”,

• filtering by"cashless repair" / "replacement car",

• online appointment booking,

• contact with the workshop via the application (no searching for numbers, e-mails, etc.).

Thanks to this, instead of hours spent on the phone, you have:

1 damage report + 1 reservation in the workshop = car ready after a few days.

7. Summary – when is it worth choosing cashless repair?

Cashless repair is most profitable when:

• you don't want to spend several thousand zlotys upfront,

• you don't have time or inclination to negotiate with the insurer,

• you want aproper repair, not "just by eye, as long as it's cheaper",

• you want to get a replacement car from the perpetrator's third party liability insurance and not be left without a car.

Two decisions are most important:

1. Report damage (independently or through a workshop).

2. Choose a good workshop that will take care of the rest.

The rest is logistics - which today can be handled largely online.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.