emiller98993

Apologies in advance since:
1. I realize this topic comes up all the time but I can't quite find the answer and
2. this may not be the right forum.

That said, I am looking for body shop recommendation in the SF north bay and trying to understand if going to a Porsche Approved Service center is really that important. The attached picture shows it all - my almost perfect condition 2009 911s (50k miles) got hit while parked on the side of the road by a neighbor who is taking full responsibility and (for what it is worth) feels horrible. I called Porsche Marin who recommended Barsottis, but I recently had them repair my wife's Polestar and it was not a good experience. The work was done well but the communication was terrible. Could never get results, constant issues with 'the part did not come in' or 'the wrong part came in' which may be true but getting answers was like pulling teeth.

I asked the folks at S.Car.Go (who had recently done the clutch on this car) and they strongly recommended Whitman's Autobody, so I had the car towed there. The insurance company (AAA SoCal) is estimating 20k repairs and Whitman is about to take a closer look and see what they may have missed. But before they start investing time in it I am having second thought, as I read through these forums. Also looking at the issue of 'diminished value' - I think the car prior to the accident was worth ~60k but doubt someone would pay that after seeing it just had a 20k repair.

So three questions really - thoughts on body shops in Marin, thoughts on importance of Porsche Approved Collision and for bonus points, any recent advice on 'diminished value'

MoeMistry

Normally, if cosmetic, I recommend finding the best painter, regardless of being Porsche certified or not

In your case, there’s enough damage that some structural components may be of concern, and for that reason, I recommend finding a Certified Porsche shop

If you’re not happy with the one you went to, look further out and do some research and maybe even go to the facility to check out their work

Hope this helps

if you were in SoCal, I’d say drop it off with me and I’d facilitate the whole repair