Ok so here's the deal, my roommates car got hit by a drunk driver and then ramped my Firebird (there's a thread with pictures around here somewhere). Anyway, I'm now dealing with the drunk guys insurance company to get payment for my totaled car. They originally offered 4,075 and agreed to add on $375 for aftermarket parts. Now, this is a somewhat reasonable offer but I've seen them at dealerships for more, so I decided to do some research and see if I could get some more out of them. I'm dealing with State Farm by the way. They use NADA values, so I go to NADA and I look up the used value of my car, I get three values
Low Retail - $3000
Clean Retail - $4075
High Retail - $4950
So obviously they're using Clean retail, which I look up the descriptions and my car is definitely better than Clean retail, but certainly not as high as High retail. In my 100% honest-with-myself opinion, based on those descriptions, it's worth somewhere in the middle.
So I call and ask. I'm told that system is different that the NADA system they use, and they just get one value, $4075 (statistically the probability of them using a complete different system and it being that same # are next to nothing)
But whatever, so I ask if there are any different categories. No, she says. So I argue a while longer about the fact that you can't just classify every car the same and finally get her to admit that they are actually three categories (three you say? I'm seeing some similarities here in the different "systems")
She said everything about my car seemed average (you mean you could tell the paint on the ramped car wasn't perfectly glossy? and that the interior rittled with glass and leaves didn't look perfect either you say?) and that very very cars are ever classified as above average. So how can you call that a reasonable system where you classify anything and everything as average?
It's not even about the money anymore, it's the principle that they lied to me first of all, and that obviously they just call every car average to save time - which is complete bull ****
So, I plan on calling back, again and again. But does anyone have any other ideas of what I can do? I only have one number, and it's an 800 number. I'd like to complain farther up the ladder but don't know how to get names or numbers. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. I may not get any more money, but they won't get rid of me that easy. :D
Low Retail - $3000
Clean Retail - $4075
High Retail - $4950
So obviously they're using Clean retail, which I look up the descriptions and my car is definitely better than Clean retail, but certainly not as high as High retail. In my 100% honest-with-myself opinion, based on those descriptions, it's worth somewhere in the middle.
So I call and ask. I'm told that system is different that the NADA system they use, and they just get one value, $4075 (statistically the probability of them using a complete different system and it being that same # are next to nothing)
But whatever, so I ask if there are any different categories. No, she says. So I argue a while longer about the fact that you can't just classify every car the same and finally get her to admit that they are actually three categories (three you say? I'm seeing some similarities here in the different "systems")
She said everything about my car seemed average (you mean you could tell the paint on the ramped car wasn't perfectly glossy? and that the interior rittled with glass and leaves didn't look perfect either you say?) and that very very cars are ever classified as above average. So how can you call that a reasonable system where you classify anything and everything as average?
It's not even about the money anymore, it's the principle that they lied to me first of all, and that obviously they just call every car average to save time - which is complete bull ****
So, I plan on calling back, again and again. But does anyone have any other ideas of what I can do? I only have one number, and it's an 800 number. I'd like to complain farther up the ladder but don't know how to get names or numbers. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. I may not get any more money, but they won't get rid of me that easy. :D
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