Midi repair explained: sits between smart repair and insurance territory, typically under £1,000. Gate post catch, trolley damage, larger dents and misaligned panels. Claim or pay? The tipping point explained with a real example.
Gary explains Midi repair -- the name New Again uses for bodywork damage that falls between a smart repair and the kind of thing you would claim on your insurance for.
Where Midi repair sits
A smart repair covers small areas: a scuff on a bumper, a minor scratch, a small dent, a chip. Those can be done on the spot for a relatively small amount. At the other end of the scale you have serious damage -- a whole panel, a door, structural work -- where you would normally go through insurance.
Midi repair is the territory in between. The kind of damage that happens when you catch a gate post pulling out of a drive, or a supermarket trolley at full weight goes into the side. The panel is pushed in; it is more than a scuff but less than a write-off. Gary puts the Midi range as generally under £1,000 -- more than a smart repair, but well below the point where claiming becomes the obvious choice.
Claim or pay yourself
Gary uses a practical example: an estimate comes in at £659 and your excess is £300. At that point you are weighing up £659 out of pocket against £300 excess plus a likely premium increase. For some people that tips towards claiming; for others -- especially anyone who has made a couple of claims recently -- paying directly makes more sense. You cannot make that call until you have the numbers in front of you, which is why getting an estimate first costs nothing.
New Again's partner body shop
For Midi repair work, New Again works with Kraftwork, a body shop that handles everything from Midi repairs through to full vehicle restorations. They also work with insurance companies, so if you decide to claim you can arrange that through them directly. Car is typically off the road for a couple of days. They are a little out of town but competitively priced and do a good job.
If you are not sure whether your damage is smart repair or Midi territory, bring it in or send us a photo and we will tell you which way to go. Small scuffs on bumpers usually come to us; anything misaligned or structurally out of shape goes to Kraftwork.
See our Midi repair page for more details, and our paintless dent repair page if the damage might be smaller than you think.
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