Sorry Mr. Q. I think I would tear up if/when that happens to mine. Sucks in todays world we can't keep nice things nice because of somebody's lack of (insert whichever fits the bill at the moment)!!!!!
Insurance is crap with a deductable. The reason u have to pay the deductable is the comprehensive collision. we learnt that from my daughters experience with a deer hitting her car. Any body can say, Oh somebody hit and ran me or a deer ran into me. So go to a lower deduct if u can afford it.
it is never fun to be in your position. be SURE that you find a VERY GOOD shop for repair. after you think you found a good shop, check again!! Mity2 thought he chose a good shop, but ended up with a very poor repair.
Wow, same thing happened to me in my new Grand Cherokee. I came out on a Sat to find a huge dent in the passanger door. Repair $750 deduct $500. Moved form Tampa to Fort Collins and I lowered the deduct to $250. Tampa was $$$$ for decent insurance. Got to love the midwest.
I've gone to three places so far. Beverly Hills Auto Body seems to be the best. They have the best rep, multiple referrals and when I toured their shop (huge) everything looked clean and proper. Everyone also seemed to know what they were doing. Cars looked masked properly, trim, wheels, lights removed, etc.
All the exotics in the lot were a good sign too. All ranging from minor to massive damage.