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» Need Advice...Insurance Wise.....Car.....

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Need Advice...Insurance Wise.....Car.....

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created by stooks on Nov 29, 2007 at 07:17:00 am     Comments: 11

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Yes, you have the right to take it wherever you want to take it, but the insurance company may tell you they are not paying more than a certain amount. You might have to go to court. On the other hand, perhaps if the adjuster comes out he may see that that is a reasonable price. Of course, he might be inclined to say it is too much.

I would go ahead and let the adjuster come out and if they balk at the price, get some more estimates and show them that it is more. If you find a cheaper estimate, maybe you should go ahead and have it done but insist that it be done absolutely perfectly and hold on to your paperwork incase you have problems later. The only other option would be to go to court.

posted by ilovetoledo on Nov 29, 2007 at 08:33:45 am     #

thank you, my mom works at the other toyota dealer where I didnt buy my car from, lol and she's gonna have them give an estimate. I also talked to my insurance guy and told him whats going on and he told me to go to dealerships and just point everything and get quotes. I'm just so upset over this! Not even two months with my car!!

posted by stooks on Nov 29, 2007 at 08:37:54 am     #

I had a Stanly Steemer van wipe out the side of my red Miata while it was parked in our driveway! Go figure that one. Plus they drove off without saying a word. My husband comes home and sees the car in the driveway, bashed with bright yellow paint scrapes! Little housefrau here never heard or saw aynthing. A quick call to the company and the boss confirmed that he did have a van with a couple of dents and red paint scrapes. An adjuster did come out and inspect and we got three estimates. We did not take a check for payment as offered on the spot and that was a good thing. When you get estimates make sure they allow for possible "hidden damage". There was damage underneath that couldn't be seen until the work was started. It was eventually repaired properly. But the hassle was huge. I will say that Stanley Steemer, once they found out, was very cooperative. Their insurance company, not so much.

posted by holland on Nov 29, 2007 at 10:18:45 am     #

Unfortunately insurance companies have to be a bit on the defense when one makes a claim. People are greedy and will do whatever they can to get something for nothing. I remember years ago I bumped into a car at a nightclub parking lot. I left a note with my REAL contact information because I didn’t want to go through insurance. The girl tried to take me to the cleaners so I ended up making her go through my insurance after all. If she wouldn’t have been such a hag it would have worked out for the best for both of us, so I HOPE my insurance company gave her a hard time and really inspected what little damage there was. On a different note I was in line to come back from Canada one time when the guy in front of me backed up into me. I didn’t know what to do and he just wanted to get out of there (I think he probably wasn’t supposed to be up there gambling at the time) All he did was crack the reflector over my blinker. I was going to take 20 bucks when my friend said no way and he ended up giving me like 80 bucks for it. I think it cost 15 to replace. It pays to do the right thing people.

Anyhoo – good luck. Hope it’s not much of a hassle.

posted by Ryan on Nov 29, 2007 at 10:42:16 am     #

wow, finally a topic I actually have experience with.

First off, take a deep breath. An accident can be a real scary thing to those involved and many insurance agents, reps, and auto repair facilities forget that. Most times, accident damage can and will be repaired to a pre-accident condition.

Now, you can get plenty of estimates from plenty of places. They are just that, estimates. I can even write you one on plain paper that some insurance companies would accept. The insurance company is going to write one too but remember it is just an estimate. The most important part is that you go somewhere that you trust or at least believe that will perform the repairs satisfactory. You named White Family Collision. I know several guys that work there and have heard many good things about them.

Here's an example of the estimating and repair process.

Person A has an accident and gets 3 estimates. One is for $100, one is for $150, and the last for $300. The insurance estimate is for $75. Person A takes their car to bodyshop X for repairs but is worried that the insurance estimate is too low and won't get a proper repair. Bodyshop X is a professional business and assures Person A that they will deal with the insurance company and repair the car properly. Bodyshop X reviews the insurance estimate and realizes that the insurance adjuster/estimator left out a couple of things. Bodyshop X makes a list of what was missed and contacts the insurance company for these additions (called supplements) to the original estimate. The insurance company verifies what they are. They could be "hidden" damage discovered after work has begun or price changes on parts, or moldings, decals, or additional repair and/or paint time. Once verified, the insurance company gives the bodyshop permission to continue and prepares the additional payment for added items. Once the car is complete, the customer is happy with the repair because the bodyshop made sure the repair was done right and the insurance company only paid for what was needed for a proper repair, and the bodyshop got paid for everything they did.

Of course this is an ideal situation and sometimes there are snags, but that is a small version of what happens.

Finally, remember this, review your insurance policy to make sure your coverage is really what you believe it to be, and don't take it personally when an insurance company gives you an estimate that isn't the same as one you got. Choose a bodyshop or repair person wisely, and they should negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to get the proper repairs done.

Sorry for such a long post. Hope it helps.

posted by tommy1 on Nov 29, 2007 at 04:53:44 pm     #

great info tommy1 - thanks! I'll remember that if I ever had to deal with such a situation.

posted by MaggieThurber on Nov 29, 2007 at 08:30:35 pm     #

Thank you guys for the helpful tips. Oh and Ryan I'm not greedy like I said my car was parked in a parking lot. I'll get ahold of there insurance company later today and post updates!

Thank you again

DAVID

posted by stooks on Nov 30, 2007 at 07:00:18 am     #

I didn’t mean you specifically, sorry if it came off that way.

posted by Ryan on Nov 30, 2007 at 11:42:35 am     #

Oh I thought you meant I was being greedy, lol I was like it really wasnt anything I did, my car was just parked in our parking lot and the kid didnt clear his turn!:(

posted by stooks on Nov 30, 2007 at 12:58:51 pm     #

I would not contact my insurance company about the matter. I think I would rather make up the difference out of pocket before I would do that. I think if you get in accident, even if it is not your fault, insurance companies still hold it against you, no?

posted by ilovetoledo on Nov 30, 2007 at 01:12:21 pm     #

There is absolutely nothing wrong with reviewing your policy with your agent about what causes your rates to go up. Even if you have an accident, call your agent and verify what would cause an increase in your rates. If they say "Anything over $1500", go get an estimate or estimates on your own. If all the estimates are $750, then you should be ok.

The best thing to do is to review your policy. Use your agent and find out exactly what your policy covers and important things like towing, rental cars, and what amount if any it takes to raise your rates. Also, if you have have towing or rental coverage, find out how much per day and what is the total max. Why? Because I remember plenty of customers saying that they had rental coverage and when they actually needed it, they found out that their rental coverage was only good for $10-$15 per day and only for a total of $200. You can rarely find a rental car for less than $25 a day and if your car is going to be in the shop for a week or two, you'll reach that $200 really quick. Towing can be just as tricky but not as often. Many insurance companies will pay for one tow but if your car gets towed from the scene to a tow yard, then you want it towed to a shop of your choice, the insurance company may not cover it.

Information is power and unlike politics, insurance information is usually in writing. So enpower yourself and make sure what you think you have is what you really have. If you have any other questions, let me know. I've been in and around the bodyshop business all my life and cannot stand when people get the shaft from shops, insurance, or other drivers.

posted by tommy1 on Nov 30, 2007 at 06:45:44 pm     #

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