Category Archives: Education

Dealing With The Insurer’s Authorized Repair Shop

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If you have been following my articles about dealing with the aftermath of an auto accident you know that I got my car back from the repair shop late last week and had some issues with how it was running.

After the accident I had the choice to go either to a shop on the auto insurer’s recommended list, or to a shop of my choice. The difference was that

– the recommended shops agreed to charge no more than the repair amount approved by the insurer after appraisal (and would be paid directly).

– going to a non-recommended shop meant the insurer would send me a check for the appraised repair amount, I would have no guarantee the shop would accept that as payment in full, plus if they uncovered additional damage while repairing it I would need to get an additional appraisal and another check, delaying full repairs.

Given the extent of the damage to my front end

Car damage

I decided to go with an insurer-authorized shop run by a major (though not Subaru) dealer a mile from my house since I didn’t want the hassle of taking responsibility for coordinating with the high probability of additional damage being discovered after only a visual assessment.

Also, I had damage from a minor accident several months ago for which I had claimed and received a check but had not bothered to repair yet since it was not impairing the car’s functions – this seemed like a good time to have that done as well since they would not charge more than the  appraisal (though I would need to pay it since I had been paid by the insurer).

Here are some things I learned from the experience:  Continue reading →

Quick Tip: The Computer In Your Car

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Starting around 1996, our automobiles entered the computer age. Sensors and microprocessors took up the task of monitoring, and in some cases adjusting, many of the functions of the engine, brakes, and other components that previously acted only as set by a manual tool and whose failure only became evident when the car stopped working.

This new electronic monitoring system also changed the way in which periodic state inspections for safety and emissions are done. Whereas previously the garage would stick a hose up the tailpipe to suck in fumes and analyse it for pollution, then visually inspect the lights, turn signals, etc., now much of that information can be transferred digitally from the car computer’s memory via a data port. With the right tool you can access much of this data yourself – for instance, I have a device from Automatic Labs that stays plugged into my car’s data port and communicates to my iPhone via Bluetooth!

All of this is great… until something happens to your car’s battery:
Continue reading →

The Paperwork Aftermath of an Auto Accident

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Recently I was involved in an auto accident – fortunately I wasn’t seriously hurt, and my car is being repaired:

Car damage

But besides being without my car for a couple weeks, the most annoying aspect of this experience is the paperwork involved!

Here are some tips based on what I’ve been doing. Some of this communication may come to you automatically, but depending on your situation you may want to be proactive about obtaining or reaching out to various involved parties in order to avoid later complications.

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How To Watch A Live Show On Concertwindow.com

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Many of my musician friends are trying a new concert presentation model:                 Concert Window is a website that allows performers to broadcast their show live over the Internet, using only their laptop computer with a web camera and microphone.

What this means for you the audience is you can attend a concert literally in your pajamas if you want! In fact, singer/songwriter Christine Lavin broadcast her first Concert Window show in her fuzzy bathrobe because she forgot she had scheduled it.

It’s very easy to attend one of these live webcasts – almost as simple as a watching a YouTube video. I’m going to walk you through the few steps to create a login account and buy a ticket, then tell you a bit about how the show works and how you can actually participate and interact with the performer(s):

Continue reading →