“Greenwashing Your Car”

Greenwashing A form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that a company’s policies or products are environmentally friendly. -Wikipedia

Global warming is a hot topic and business is looking to profit from it. It seems every industry is trying to capitalize on “going green.” The automotive industry is no exception.

New York State will soon mandate autobody shops use only Waterborne paint when refinishing. Sounds good! Right? Whether or not you’re a “Warmer” (global warming is happening), or a skeptic, (global warming isn’t happening), it’s hard to disagree that reducing the amount of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) in the atmosphere is a good thing.

I thought it would be fun to look closer at how the changeover to Waterborne painting may be more a marketing ploy then humanities selfless urge to save the planet.

Currently, the paint on your car is a Two-Stage paint. This means that there is a “base coat,” which is the color, and a “clear coat” that goes over it to give it a glossy look.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When I reported my accident, the insurance company told me i have to get an estimate from their “preferred shop”. Do I have to? I’d rather come to you first.

Answer: NO! In fact, you should only have your car seen at the body shop of your choice.

The reason some of the “biggest” insurance companies try to get you to go to a certain place is because statistically speaking, a percentage of people involved in an accident as a 3rd party, will not have the automobile repaired. Thus, why write a proper estimate, when the automobile isn’t going to be fixed anyway?

So, have the car seen at the shop!

Question: What if the claims representative tells me it will be seen faster, and that I will be delaying the process if I have it seen at the shop?

Answer: It is ILLEGAL for an insurance company to force you to go to any specific location for estimates or repairs. Remember! you’re paying them every month.

Here is a very interesting article about West Islip’s history.

http://westislipcollision.com/?page_id=158