My insurance company seems to have their figures right on the ball.  When
some girl hit my GTI VR6 I went all around getting estimates to find out who
would fix it for the least amount.  Thinking that this was my chance to get
a return on some of those premiums I've been paying.  All the shops were
within a couple hundred dollars of each other.  My insurance company told me
that if I wanted a payout I would get right around the lowest bid amount,
which they figured out on their own without my estimates.  However if I were
to actually to have a repair shop fix it then they would pay the entire
amount even if it was double the payout.

So at least in my experience the insurance company will pay you to have the
car fixed professionally and correctly.  If you are willing to dig up
used/aftermarket parts, work on it yourself or not fix it, then you get
paid.  Makes sense to me.

Of course several years ago I bought an '80 Westy for $800.  As I was
driving it home I tried to get the front heater going, it had one of those
gasoline heaters up front.  Before long there were flames coming out of the
vents.  Yikes.  I pull right over and desperately try to find the fire
extinguisher, no luck.  I threw half a bottle of Snapple on it to no avail.
A week after the Westy burnt to the ground, my insurance company issued me a
check for $3500.  Of course all that money went into the Westy fund.  I have
no wife to argue with that:-)

Cory
'90 Syncro Westy
>
> << When someone rear-ends you at five mph, and the bumper is bent a bit
and
> she
>  (yes, she) managed to bend up the panel of panted material that sticks
out a
>  bit under the bumper (valance, perhaps) and the insurance company offers
you
>  $1200 bucks when you know it's really only gonna take $250 to make it
right,
>  do you say, "No thanks. I really don't need that much!)?
>   >>