Earl Scheib Accounting
I was looking at my dirty bumper the other day, and it got me thinking. My car was in the shop last year because I ripped the bumper off in a parking lot. I didn’t think it was funny, but the group of three guys watching it did. Overall, a net win for the universe (utilitarian philosophy and whatnot).
It was in the shop for a lengthy amount of time for a simple bumper fix, a little over a month all in all. The reason it took so long was that the insurance company wanted to minimize its cost on the bumper. That led to the repair shop having to order in a bumper, test the fit, and continue the work if it fit well. This took a total of three different bumpers, with long wait times in between each to account for supply chain issues. The insurance company saved $18 on the bumper when all was said and done. However, they also spent close to a thousand bucks on a rental car for me to use (I’d guess some actuary at the insurance company isn’t a fan of Jeremy Bentham).
All things considered, it all washes out in the end (just like my dirty and shittily-painted bumper).