In December 2016 I had a single-vehicle incident in which I damaged my front right fender, bumper, and wheel. Luckily, the wheel was fine and I was able to drive home. I didn't want to claim it on insurance, as I'd raise the premiums on about 3 vehicles and (I feel as if) I'd continue to pay for it for the rest of my driving life.
So I got quotes up and down the street -- if you know where Affordable is, you know which street -- and I got 3 other quotes. I was clear and up-front with each of the shops that I did *not* want to claim it on insurance and that I had limited savings from which to draw in order to repair what I could. Well, that preamble notwithstanding, they all quoted well in excess of $4,500 and said, "well if you tell your insurance guy [this or that]..." I repeated that this would be out-of-pocket only, so what could I cut back on, and one shop (you know who you are) *added* to the estimate, saying "well, you should repair that wheel, too, look at it -- it's damaged and could fall off at any time; you're putting your life on the line there."
I walked into Affordable, fairly downcast, expecting nothing. There sat Al Danka, one of the owners, and explained to me a number of ways to cut back on costs, and what that would entail (for example, "we can replace your hood with a cheaper generic, cutting 60% off its price, but it wouldn't be the same brand name as your damaged German OE"). In this way, Al methodically got my total repair bill down to about 1/3 of what the other guys were quoting me. He actually talked to me and worked with me, explaining the trade-offs in decreasing cost. I sat with my phone, pricing out my own wholesale parts cost online, and found that he was quoting labor rates that were a fraction of the guys down the street (don't even get me started with the hourly rates and hourly minimums being charged at the dealerships, which go up every year). The repairs were done professionally and, to my eye, perfectly. And you know, that wheel never did fall off and get me killed.
Al has passed on now (rest in peace, Al) but his partner and son-in-law Jamie continues the tradition of high quality and fair dealing at this place. I recently stopped by to see if he would be willing to replace my tires, brakes, and front rotors. Like another review here mentions, Jamie remembered me, my car, and the repair from my previous visit as soon as I walked in. Long story short, he did a perfect job in record time (he had all of the parts in hand within about 90 minutes of my consultation). I could have bought all the parts at Tire Rack and done it with my mechanically-inclined daughter over an afternoon, as this is the way we have worked around mechanics' high rates in the past. (It gives us an excuse to "pay ourselves" or indulge in a treat for saving so much money). But at the reasonable rates Affordable Auto Body charges, I see no reason why experts shouldn't do it for me.
The adage, "if you want to get it done, ask a busy person" applies here.
These guys are always busy and I think it's because people recognize quality and value when they experience it. Seriously, give them a try before you look anywhere else. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. read more
