It is ultimately their choice. However, you have negotiation at play (see: http://www.carsdirect.com/car-insura...ance-adjusters). You can definitely also reach your own opinion by taking it to your own preferred auto body place for an estimate to repair. If you feel the insurance company is being unfair in the value they placed on repairing the car and the value of the car, you can definitely dispute it - even more so if you have your own credible information to back up your dispute.

It is a long process, but you have to be willing to do the work. Dealing with money doesn't come easily, especially for insurance companies who have to deal with people in accidents 24/7. Put some work into it and you are more likely to get what you want. Taking the back seat you will just get the bare minimum service.

 

Well if the guy from the insurance company would call me back... Called him Saturday, Monday, yesterday and still no return call.

 

Well the insurance guy called me back today. Apparently he was in training the last two days. No word on whether or not it was how to set up your voicemail or how to return a call.

Anyway, I asked specifically about the numbers and he explained it to me:

-Valued the car at $20,359 which is over a grand above blue book.
-Said if it was totalled I'd get 70% of that, which is $14,251.
-The initial estimate at the body shop it's currently at, which based on what I know hasn't even touched it, is $10,845. So that leaves me with $3406 in addtional damages before they rule it totalled.
-Salvage bid they got was for $3100.

So a couple of things:

1 I assume the 70% is not negotiable, but the $20,359 is. Right? However I am going to wait before I do that (assuming I do) until after it gets to the dealership and they assess the damages. If they come in well over the $14k number I'll see what I can do.

2 Dealership guy sounds great so far. They're going to pay just to have it towed there and he's been good with communication so far. Issue now is talking to the shop it's currently at and getting to them hand it over to the tow truck. I assume this won't be an issue since I own it, but I'm worried they'll charge me for having it for x amount of days even though it's just sat it this side "lot" (which is just a big parking space in some side alley that isn't even paved). Any idea of any cost they might attribute to me for having literally just sat on it?

 

I think you misinterpreted: if the car valued out to $20,000, that's how much they'd give you minus the deductible. He probably means they'll total it if it reaches 70% of their valuation. That's normally how they do that.

 

Good that the dealership body shop will pay for the towing cost from the current body shop. The dealership body shop knows that their profit from repairing your car will far outweigh the towing cost. Either that or they'll try to get the insurance to reimburse.

I don't think you will be incurring extra cost for storage at the current body shop. You quickly informed your insurance that you wanted it repaired at the dealership body shop. It was the insurance company that sat on it. Also, the current body shop probably has already made a lot of profit through insurance company. Doubt the current body shop will pursue storage fees.

TraceH is correct. You need close to $14,251 (70% of the value) in damages to consider the car totaled. I think additional tear down will reveal damage that will bring you closer to that figure. Good luck!

 

Any suggestions as to what to have them look for during tear down???


Oh yeah, I must have. That's great, assuming they can get to that figure. I've already found a replacement, I think.

Well the body shop that had it didn't charge me anything additional. They had the initial towing bill from the day of the accident, that the insurance company should take care of and I only assume they haven't because they were going to wait and see the outcome of tearing it down. So I paid that.

 

Stop worrying - it'll be fine - you'll receive top $ for your car if its totaled.
If the ins co. doesn't offer what you feel it's worth read your policy. It's
all there. Stop talking to everyone, relax and wait for the number. You'll
be surprised. If not read your rights. There is a process spelled out
in your policy. Do read it.
You'll come out fine.

 

So quick update since traveling, but they totaled it!!! Now on to getting the replacement. Started a new thread on that.

 

And the settlement was fair?

 

I assume so. The figure that they gave me ahead of time was the definitely above bluebook. So assuming that figure doesn't change, I think that's fair.

 

Ok, soothe insurance guy finally calls me back again today. It was that higher than blue book value plus sales tax less deductible. HOWEVER, he also said that I can get a brand new 2013 model, same make and model, and they will reimburse me for the difference!!! I didn't set up my policy, my parents did way back when, and he said its In my policy. So looks like. I'll be getting a new Clubman!

 

Which insurance carrier do you have and what option is that? I'd sure like to be able to get a brand new car at no cost if my car was ever totalled!!

 

I suppose I should wait until my final check is in hand, but it's been mailed so I'll put a final little bit to finish the story.

So as I left it, the insurance company gave me at least $2000 over Blue Book at the time, IIRC maybe even $3000. That was just to cover my vehicle and taxes less the $500 deductible. So again, while I was thrilled with that and had an amazing used 2012 R55 already picked out, my insurance agent told me they'd cover a brand new vehicle, same make, same model (or similar model) with basically the same options. So of course I opted to go that route.

While I did some searching online and even had my MA do a search at the dealership, I just couldn't remotely find what I wanted. On top of that I was already looking to go the custom order route anyway. So in the span of an hour and a half on a Saturday afternoon an hour and a half before the dealership closed (yes, right up to closing time) I was able to test drive a Countryman, get a look at matching C pillars on the Clubman, get a look at BRG in person, go over the options I wanted with the MA and hammer out a deal I was happy with. On top of that the slot the dealership had allocated was slated to go into production within days.

Sure enough, the following Tuesday, only three days later, the build on my Clubman started. I was nervous because I wasn't sure about matching C pillars as well as the black roof and not the matching body roof. I was as comfortable as I could be by the time production started. I was only annoyed I didn't get the roof rails, which would have been cosmetic anyway. Well only four weeks later and I had my car already.

So I went to pick it up about four days after it arrived (crazy work week) and then I had the whole financing experience which was VASTLY different this time. The finance person called me the day before and was going over add-ons. Then day of she called in the AM, or I called her back. Then during paperwork, which got screwed up the first time due to the printer, yet again and again. After I sorted out those options and then dropped my price bomb on her, we sorted it all out. I then got to see my new boy.

Love at first sight. Matching c pillars was the way to go, as was the black roof. Chrome line interior and anthracite headliner, which I didn't have previously, were amazing and the interior looked soooo much richer. Just loved it.

So then I had to submit the purchase agreement to my insurance agent. I didn't have it for my '09, so I sent the sticker for that and the sticker for the new car as well. Now this about four weeks after the purchase as he didn't get back to me after the first two to three weeks. Anyway, I got an email today saying how much the check would be for.

Long story short, they coverd the entire new vehicle, taxes and all the extras I added on (Sport, chrome line interior, anthracite headliner, xzilon, extended maintenance and matching c pillars) less... $500. So everything was covered but the deductible. And this was after the agent was a month or so back making it seem like they'd need everything about the old car. I'm floored. Thrilled after the whole ordeal, and still driving a bit like an old lady (we'll see after I break Watson in), but floored. My only regret now is not adding toffee lounge leather, roof rails Harmon/Kardan sound, park distance control, universal garage door opener and a couple of other things I don't need.

Anyway, thanks to all for ALL of my questions. Definitely good having some folks help you get through a situation.

 

So which insurance company do you use?

 

Without going into too much detail, I had a question related to this whole thing that I was hoping someone could answer. Can you change the rims when you've got runflats? Say I wanted to swap out a rim, would that somehow mean the tire is shot too or need to be replaced if the tire was a runflat?

 

You wan tot buy new wheels and have your existing tires put on them? Most reputable places can remove a RFT and re-install it. It's not always fun (especially on a 17" wheel) but yes they can do it. Plus you will need to grab the sensors from your existing wheels if you want the TPMS light to stay off.

To answer everyone's curiosity..what company do you use for insurance and what added coverage gets you a new replacement car?