Car insurance problems

[Jstpssng]

She has received a check for almost $6000 and since she owed $2800 on the car that means they paid $8800 for the car. This is about right for the car, and would mean actually they valued the car at $9050 because she had a $250 deductible for uninsured motorist.

I don't know whether it was confusion or a deliberate attempt to get out of paying the claim, but it is resolved, so all parties are happy. Fat chance anyone I know, that knows of this incident will be using this particular insurance company however.

The "I don't rent pigs" quote actually comes from Larry McMurtry's book, but the movie was great too - have seen all 8 hours at least 4 times.

Did they also pay off the vehicle? The only time I was in a wreck was in my 1 year-old 1983 Ranger. I received a check for the full amount then was responsible for paying the truck off.

Anyways, glad to hear things worked out OK.

 

[LBrown59]

A coworker has a towing business with his son in NH. He always has several Maine registered cars in his impound lot with expired or cancelled insurance that he can't get rid of because the deadbeat owners won't pay the tow, release the title, or even just haul the cars away. They're usually low end junks with too much damage to fix, either accident or breakdown related. He's required by NH law to keep the cars in a secure facility until he goes thru the abandoned vehicle process which consumes more time & money than junk value of the vehicles.
Not picking on Mainiacs,
just saying mandatory insurance is a joke as far as enforcement is concerned. MikeD74T

Within a week of mandatory insurance going into effect somebody sideswiped my Datsun pick up.
They did not have insurance so much for mandatory insurance doing me any good.
Forced insurance works just like gun control.

 

[LBrown59]

I'm not big on government intervention; but when the law first went into effect there were many complaining
1*it would "discriminate against poor people who can't afford insurance."
2*In that case they also can't afford the repair bills on my auto after they run into me.

Given the difficulty this state has keeping unlicensed drivers off the road, enforcing insurance laws really is a joke.

1*it discriminates against people owning mutiple vehicles .
2*Has nothing to do with repair bills on your auto or running into you.

 

[Phils]

I'll never claim to be happy with the state of affairs here in California BUT...

... now when the state is notified that insurance has lapsed, they rescind the registration.

Upon notice that the registration is being pulled, many get the insurance reinstated.

There's still plenty of uninsured drivers on our roads, but less than there used to be IMO.

Phil

 

[two_bit_score]

How would the insurance company know what work Bird had done on his car that would make said car worth more than that particular vehicle in average condition?

Yes insurance does work with large numbers and averages. Should they use a low or a high number for the valuation? In one case you will not get enough value for the car. In the other we would be paying more for our premiums since the insurance company would be paying off more than the car was worth.

Later,
Dan

Well, first they could start by asking him. They make their low ball offers then try to pressure people into taking it by claiming tha they know so much more about it than the owner. Most of the time their 'appraiser' has missed equipment or optionsthat add additional value. Then there is the way the vehicle as maintained. Are maintaince records available? Was the vehicle driven by a smoker? That makes a lot of diffenence in the value but is almost never recognized up front by the insurance company.

If the insurance company was interested in being fair with Bird ( they never are) they would have asked about those items before making their offer and made a reasonable evaluation of the value before Bird had to bring it up.

What if Bird would have just thought that since he was a good, long term customer the insurance company would naturally treat him fairly and accepted their low ball offer, like many people do? Then he would have been cheated.

Basically, my point was that the insurance companies, for the most part, make a quick appraisal of the vheicle and offer the owner an 'average' value which, in Bird's case and many others, is a low ball offer. Most people will take it and some will be glad to get it because their vehicles are 'below average' anyway and they know it. The insurance companies don't care about the accuracy of their initial offer because they have no penalty for making low ball offers. And if people take them then they are probably being cheated.

 

[two_bit_score]

The dealers Black Book did not match the prices in the NADA guide I checked at Credit Union. Or so HE said. The "discussion" I was having with the Sales Manager over the difference in values between NADA, Blue Book and what the dealer was offering was when he brought up the Black Book as to what they used.

Sounds like the Sales Manager may have been trying to mislead me. I know its shocking!

Later,
Dan

The Black Book is dealers wholesale price guide based on weekly reports from wholesale dealer auto auctions around the country.

The Black Book is what dealers usually consult when they are making you an offer on your car. The NADA book is what they show you to try to convince you that they are giving you a good deal.

 

[two_bit_score]

1*it discriminates against people owning mutiple vehicles .
2*Has nothing to do with repair bills on your auto or running into you.

You have a point L.B.

Mandatory insurance is something that hits poor people harder than those of us fortunate enough to have the ability to pay. But it's a fact of life.

Many people think insurance companies are in favor of mandatory insurance but they aren't. From an insurance company perspective it's not really good to insure people who are not responsible enough to want to protect themselves. They aen't likely to become responsible just because they are forced to buy something they didn't want anyway.

People should protect themselves by buying sufficent limits of uninsured/ underinsured motorist coverage. Stop relying on the 'other guy' to have sufficent limits or even to be insured enough to pay for your losses that are caused by his negligence.

My main objection to mandatory insurance is that it's like seat belts. I wouldn't drive without seat belts. But, if I happen to pull out onto a street for a few feet before getting them buckled I don't think the government should profit by that if a cop happens to see my 'violation'. We've written many millions of dollars in tickets in Texas to people who will never be able to pay them. They are subject to arrest at some time if located. Now, add up allthe time of law enforcement officers to give those tickets, courts time to process them and the fial to appear warrants, then the time involved if these people are arrested and for what - most of them never caused an accident any way. It's a huge waste. But it pays off because some of us will slip up and let coverage lapse and will pay a fine - which is all they are really after anyway. Public safety has nothing to do with it.

 

[2manyrocks]

People should protect themselves by buying sufficent limits of uninsured/ underinsured motorist coverage. Stop relying on the 'other guy' to have sufficent limits or even to be insured enough to pay for your losses that are caused by his negligence.

New motto--drive defensively and insure defensively? I have friend who retired and then had to go back to work to help out his son who was disabled by a DUI driver with no insurance. So I see how what you say would be practical. You can't count on the other guy to have insurance.

 

[tallyho8]

It's just a shame that here we have to pay more for uninsured motorist insurance than the other driver would have to pay for liability insurance.

 

[dave1949]

It's just a shame that here we have to pay more for uninsured motorist insurance than the other driver would have to pay for liability insurance.

That just ain't right. I agree.
Dave.