Most Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT MAKES MANDRAKES PAINT & PANEL DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER BODY SHOP?

Mandrakes Paint & Panel has been Cleveland’s go-to smash repair workshop since 1979.

As accredited members of the MTAQ, we stand by all of our work and take great pride in the quality of our workmanship.

OK SO YOU DO GOOD WORK, BUT DO YOU PROVIDE A WARRANTY?

Every repair that is completed at Mandrakes Paint and Panel has a 12 month warranty and in some cases the insurance company will provide you with a warranty for as long as you own the vehicle.

WHAT TYPES OF CAR DO YOU SPECIALISE IN?

Even though we don’t know your make and model, we have the utmost confidence that we can provide you with the best advice when it comes to your car. With over 100 years of combined experience, we have talented and skilled technicians who have worked on most makes and models.

HOW MUCH WILL THE REPAIRS COST?

Every accident and incident is different and therefore each repair will cost a different amount. After we’ve had an opportunity to assess the damage we can provide you with a quote and depending on the nature of the accident or incident, your insurance may cover some to all of the cost.

Service Questions

I’VE JUST BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, WHAT NOW?

We know how stressful accidents can be. That’s why we made a step by step guide for you:

Make sure your engine is off
Make sure that everyone is safe and okay. If anyone is injured, call an ambulance. If everyone is ok, call the police and report the accident.
After the police arrive, tell the officer what happened
All insurance information needs to be exchanged at this point
If you decide to lodge an insurance claim, make sure you tell them that Mandrakes Paint and Panel is your choice of repairer
If your vehicle is still drivable, bring the vehicle, along with the insurance information to Mandrakes Paint and Panel. We will photograph and record all accident related damage.
You need to file a “claims report” with your insurance company. Some insurance companies have a mandatory drive-in claim service, you will need to call and let them know of the damage your vehicle has sustained, whether or not you were at fault, and that Mandrake Panels and Paint is your chosen repair facility of choice.
Once you arrive here, we will walk you through the rest and let you relax

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FIND MORE DAMAGE THAN YOU ORIGINALLY THOUGHT?

As modern vehicles have increased in complexity, it has become increasingly common to find additional damage that the initial inspection did not find. This “Unforeseen” or “Hidden” damage is fairly commonplace, but there’s no need to worry, if we do find anything we will document it and contact your insurance company right away.

Your insurance company may need to visit and inspect the damage for themselves. If they do this could delay repair for 2-5 business days and depending on availability of parts, authorisation of parts for purchase, and delivery an extra couple of days could be added onto this delay.

WILL YOU BE ABLE TO MATCH MY PAINT COLOUR SO IT LOOKS LIKE I NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT?

Our talented spray painters are equipped with state of the art computerised colour matching equipment which empowers them to provide you with a perfect match for your vehicle’s original colour.

WHAT IF I FORGET SOMETHING IN MY CAR?

Our team at Mandrakes Paint and Panel are amongst the most trustworthy people you could ever leave your car with (some of them have been with us for over 30 years!). To do their job properly, they often have to remove interior parts in order to properly fix your vehicle or prevent interior damage.

Before leaving your car with us we advise that you remove any and all personal belongings of value from your vehicle because we cannot assume responsibility for a lost item.

Part Questions

WHAT TYPES OF PARTS DOES MANDRAKE PAINT AND PANEL USE?

We use three different types of parts here at Mandrakes Paint and Panel and the type we use depends on what your insurance company decides. The three different types are OEM, Aftermarket (A/M), and Used. Whatever we use, we guarantee all our work.

OEM – This stands for “Original Equipment Manufacturer”. This is used to describe replacement parts made for your vehicle by the manufacturer.

Aftermarket (A/M) – This describes a part that was produced by a manufacturer other than the manufacturer that made your car. Aftermarket parts are usually less expensive when compared to OEM. However, not all Aftermarket parts come with a warranty. With that in mind we don’t use A/M parts here at Mandrakes Paint and Panel

Used – This is more commonly known in the auto repair and insurance industry as a secondhand. These are most likely genuine OEM parts that have come from a previously damaged vehicle.

WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO USE SECONDHAND PARTS IN MY VEHICLE?

Unfortunately, this is out of our hands, you have to express your concerns to your insurer.

Secondhand parts are used to restore your vehicle to pre-accident damage conditions, no worse, no better than what your vehicle was prior to the accident. We only install used parts when there is an agreement between all parties. However, if it is stated in your policy your Insurance Company will only pay for used parts, you will have to pay the difference out of pocket.

Insurance Questions

CAN I HAVE MANDRAKES PAINT AND PANEL REPAIR MY CAR EVEN THOUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY RECOMMENDS SOMEBODY ELSE?

Absolutely! Your insurance company can always recommend a repairer, they can’t force you to go to a shop that you don’t trust. If you want to bring your vehicle to us, we guarantee that you won’t ever want to go anywhere else!

WHAT’S AN EXCESS AND WHEN DO I PAY IT?

An excess is simply the portion of the bill that is not covered by your insurance company, and you pay your excess when all repairs are completed.

CAN MANDRAKES PAINT AND PANEL COVER MY EXCESS?

Your insurance policy is an agreement between you and your Insurance Company. We will not “cover your excess”, neither will any other honest and trustworthy repair company (You should be suspicious of those who offer to).

IS MY PREMIUM GOING TO GO UP?

You should always call your insurance company to determine the impact your accident will have on your policy’s premium. There are many factors that go into whether or not your insurance premium will go up, such as who was at fault, driving history, and the type of accident all play a big role in determining this.

DO I HAVE TO GET MULTIPLE ESTIMATES? AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THE INSURANCE COMPANY’S ESTIMATE IS LOWER THAN THE ONE I GET FROM MANDRAKES PAINT AND PANEL?

No, you do not need multiple estimates; you only need to notify your Insurance Company that you will be having service done at Mandrakes Paint and Panel. Keep in mind that if the Insurance Companies estimate is lower than ours, it is because we do a thorough job assessing the damage done to your vehicle. There’s always someone willing to quote cheaper for a half-baked job.

Just bring the insurance estimate in with you and we can go over any differences. If necessary, we’ll notify the insurance company of the changes we need to make.