Insurance check questions.

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Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
Take your premiums for years and then pretend they don't know you when you have a claim.


Not with USAA!
 
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
Take your premiums for years and then pretend they don't know you when you have a claim.


Not with USAA!


USAA will go after another insurance company like a junkyard dog when another party who is at fault damages your car, and you have full coverage. If you are in the unfortunate position of being a USAA policy holder and another USAA member hits you, good luck. They will only authorize junkyard or second rate Chinese replacement parts to fix your show winner Z28 Camaro. Ask me how I know.
 
+1 demand compensation for diminished value. If you look online for same vehicle that has been rear-ended how much less is that car worth now. The insurance company's sell the crash info to the people that will report your car was rear-ended so is worth less art resale.
 
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You know you can take them to court right? you are not insuring car parts ...you are insuring Value. Loss in value should be the target of compensation. Insurance companies are used to people knuckling under.
 
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What a dearth of info from the OP. Pics, please!

I don't think people are able to see in their mind's eye just how minor $1400-2200 in damage can be. Heck, instead of just calling his own insurance, dropping his car off at a shop trusted by his own insurance and then letting his insurance deal with it, he seems to be playing, "let's make a buck." It must not be that bad if the OP is willing to live with it for a while if not forever...

There's nothing wrong with playing that game, OP, except that it's just you against the other person's insurance company and they likely won't want to give you everything you're due without some work.

[Linked Image]
 
Also this accident was not my fault. I have a police report. I have full coverage but don't wanna get my insurance involved, if need be.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta

[Linked Image]



The body shops I go to would fix that for $500-$600 if I took the bumper off. $200 body work, $200 paint work, $200 materials and supplies.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Also this accident was not my fault. I have a police report. I have full coverage but don't wanna get my insurance involved, if need be.

Life lesson for you here: You pay for insurance, make them do their job ! It has ZERO to do with who was at fault.
 
That's a $1500 repair. My wife was backing up and "rubbed" our son's car. The damage on yours and theirs looked very similar. Both repair bills were in the $1500 range, give or take $100 +/-. Body shop estimating $2200 is a rip-off.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Also this accident was not my fault. I have a police report. I have full coverage but don't wanna get my insurance involved, if need be.


Why?

Covering damage to your car is what you're paying them for. Let them fight with the other guy"s insurance to return your car to the previous condition?

BSW
 
Once again what's different about the two estimates? The relevant issue is is the scope of work in The two estimates the same? If not what are the differences and which if either is correct?
 
It is very difficult to say how much something should cost as the body shop labor and material rates can vary widely around the country. I agree with not involving your insurance if you don't have to, regardless of what the others say here. If you are having it repaired then the body shop will work with the insurance company to get an agreed upon price. If you are just trying to maximize what you put in your pocket then you can either accept the check they sent or go to a few other body shops to see what they come up with and then present that back to the insurance company for review.
 
Originally Posted by bsmithwins
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Also this accident was not my fault. I have a police report. I have full coverage but don't wanna get my insurance involved, if need be.


Why?

Covering damage to your car is what you're paying them for. Let them fight with the other guy"s insurance to return your car to the previous condition?

BSW

I guess I don't understand why. The other insurance company I haven't had any problems with them. Anything I've asked for they've done.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
I guess I don't understand why. The other insurance company I haven't had any problems with them. Anything I've asked for they've done.

Including quoting the repair 44% different than a body shop.

Listen to people. The other guy's insurance is not your friend. They are not on your side.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by opus1
This - even though by getting your company involved it'll still be a ding against your record.

No it won't. His insurance will go after the other insurance and recoup what they paid him.


Yes it will. Every time you even talk to your agent about something, it's logged. I called once to ask about possible roof damage on my house and what would be covered, never actually filed a claim, and 3 years later I happened to be in the office and saw a notation on the agent's computer screen that we'd spoken about that situation.

In my case, the other driver was completely at fault, but as I said earlier, their insurance company didn't do squat for me. They didn't even talk to me until about 3 weeks *after* I'd gotten my car back from the shop after going through my own insurance. My company did their thing, sent my claim to subrogation and about 2 years later I even got a check back for my deductible.

BUT, this event counted as a ding on my record. I had an accident-free discount and this event was counted as a 'gimme' but 18 months later I had another claim due to a parking-lot incident that I lost that discount for 3 years. I was told by my agent that had the first incident not gone through them, the second incident would have been my 'gimme.' So, yes, it will count, even if you're not at fault. It won't necessarily increase rates immediately, but the company will still note it in your history and use it against you when it's convenient.

That having been said, if the OP is still having problems, definitely get your agent involved. That's what you're paying them for.
 
Originally Posted by opus1
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by opus1
This - even though by getting your company involved it'll still be a ding against your record.

No it won't. His insurance will go after the other insurance and recoup what they paid him.


Yes it will. Every time you even talk to your agent about something, it's logged. I called once to ask about possible roof damage on my house and what would be covered, never actually filed a claim, and 3 years later I happened to be in the office and saw a notation on the agent's computer screen that we'd spoken about that situation.

Simple explanation there - your insurance company sucks. No offense to you.... Was it State Farm, by chance ? I can call my agent or one of his staff freely and discuss anything. He's an independant agent and as he's told me, "Hall, I don't work for [insert name of one of the carriers he sells]. Anything you tell me or my staff stays here unless you tell us to proceed further."
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by opus1
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by opus1
This - even though by getting your company involved it'll still be a ding against your record.

No it won't. His insurance will go after the other insurance and recoup what they paid him.


Yes it will. Every time you even talk to your agent about something, it's logged. I called once to ask about possible roof damage on my house and what would be covered, never actually filed a claim, and 3 years later I happened to be in the office and saw a notation on the agent's computer screen that we'd spoken about that situation.

Simple explanation there - your insurance company sucks. No offense to you.... Was it State Farm, by chance ? I can call my agent or one of his staff freely and discuss anything. He's an independant agent and as he's told me, "Hall, I don't work for [insert name of one of the carriers he sells]. Anything you tell me or my staff stays here unless you tell us to proceed further."


I promise you every interaction with your agent is logged, it probably doesn't go anywhere (in any case) unless things go sideways...

I bet the body shop estimate has all sorts of wish list stuff on it. If someone ask you to pay the sort of stuff they put on estimates there'd be a 15 page thread full of outrage, but some how now they bodyshops are completely credible...

The question is whose estimate will fix the car. Seems pretty simple to me... don't see why 1500 wouldn't do it. I do think that particular car has a laser welded roof panel with no real break, so the clear probably needs to go up and over. If they try to burn it in, the line will show eventually...
 
I'm going to play devil's advocate and suggest NOT contacting your insurance company without exhausting all efforts to get a fair payout from the at fault party's insurance beforehand.

I've been in this situation a couple times. If you get your insurance company involved, they will open a claim and even a non-fault accident will ratchet up your rates at the next renewal in most cases.

The other folks posting are exactly right in that the other driver's insurance company will want to pay as little as possible and their initial check they give you will be low-balled. That DOES NOT mean they will not work with you.

I used the following approach for both non-fault accidents I've had and received a fair payout and didn't have to get my insurance involved. Your mileage may vary. First I went and obtained three different damage estimates. Was a pain, but only wasted a single afternoon-- a damage estimate only takes a few minutes if the damage is light. I made sure at least one was at a dealer, or the most expensive looking shop I could find. The damage estimates in my experience varied about 15% between lowest and highest. All were for higher amounts than what the at fault driver's insurance check was for. I faxed/E-mailed all three quotes to the insurance claim rep, and explained that I prefer to use a shop that I've used before (okay to lie, just pick the most expensive one) that I trust. In one case the agent offered to pay the middle quote (that was State Farm), and with the other accident, driver had LIberty Mutual, they agreed to pay the higher quote without question/hesitation.

I highly recommend at least trying this before you engage lawyers or your own insurance company.
 
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