Anaheim is north of Fountain Valley, and Orange Coast Auto Body / RV is at 10810 Talbert Avenue. A good share of what comes down from that direction arrives with somebody other than the owner at the wheel: an employee, a family member, or a tow driver.

That is fine, and it is also where most of the avoidable delay in a repair comes from. A vehicle can sit for days because the person who dropped it off was not the person who can say yes.

Sending someone else with the vehicle

Before the vehicle leaves Anaheim, tell the shop three things: who is bringing it and roughly when, who is allowed to authorize the work, and which phone number should get the questions. Give the driver the full street address rather than a shop name, because Beach Collision on Gothard Street in Huntington Beach has the same operator and a name alone can land at the wrong address.

Who can say yes

Repairs proceed on authorization, and a scope can change once parts come off. When it does, somebody has to approve the change before the work continues. If that person is not reachable, the vehicle waits, and nothing about that waiting is visible from the outside.

Name the approver up front, give a direct number, and say plainly whether the driver can approve anything at all. A driver who has not been told is usually the reason a decision takes three days instead of ten minutes.

If it is a company vehicle

Say who is billed and who is copied. Ask for the estimate and any supplement in writing, to whoever keeps the records, not only to the driver's phone. If several vehicles come from the same business at different times, ask how the shop wants them identified so the paperwork does not have to be reconstructed later.

For a work van in particular, mention anything fitted to it: racking, a ladder rack, shelving, a lift, wraps or lettering. Those affect access, they affect refinishing, and they are much better raised before the vehicle arrives than discovered on the floor.

Planning a shop visit

  • Destination: 10810 Talbert Avenue, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
  • Tell the shop who is bringing the vehicle and roughly when
  • Name who can authorize work, with a direct phone number
  • For a work van, describe racking, shelving, lettering or any fitted equipment

Visiting Orange Coast

Do you have an Orange Coast shop in Anaheim?

No. The Orange Coast facility is in Fountain Valley, at 10810 Talbert Avenue. This page is for drivers and businesses coming from Anaheim and does not represent an Anaheim location.

Can an employee drop the vehicle off?

Yes, and it works better when the shop has been told in advance who is coming, who can authorize the work and which number to call. Without that, the vehicle can sit waiting on a decision nobody has been asked to make.

Our vans have racking and lettering. Does that matter?

Mention it before the vehicle arrives. Fitted equipment affects access to the damage and refinishing work, and it is far easier to plan around when it is known in advance.