Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 10:32:51 -0400
Reply-To: "Karl F. Bloss" <bloss@ENTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Karl F. Bloss" <bloss@ENTER.NET>
Subject: (Fwd) Crash help needed
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Scott,
The article I printed out from the Vanagon list regarding insurance was by
Derek Drew, dated May 1998, title "Insurance--The Real Dope". Search for that
phrase, including the 2 dashes, in that time frame, on the Vanagon list
archives (accessible from Vanagon.com), and you should find it. If not, let me
know and I'll give it a try.
One thing you need to look into is actual street prices of vans like yours. If
they go Blue Book, you'll get squat. Search ep.com, the LiMBO Transporter
(www.bcn.net/~limbo), etc. for actual prices.
My experience with State Farm is they suck if you're trying to collect. My
wife's Saab was crunched during an illegal manoever by the other driver, yet we
were assigned 30% blame for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Fortunately, that car was collision insured and we only had to eat 30% of the
deductible. I can imagine that we would have fared worse during direct
negotiation with State Farm had we not been collision insured (by Erie, BTW).
Good luck and don't roll over easily on this.
-Karl
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent: Sun, 22 Oct 2000 20:10:22 -0700
Send reply to: Jim Arnott <jrasite@EONI.COM>
From: Jim Arnott <jrasite@EONI.COM>
Organization: WetWesties <http://wetwesties.org>
Subject: Crash help needed
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
This just came in on the WetWesties list. Could those of you who have
been involved in previous accident discussions please send Scott
suggestions on what to put into the Vanagon.com search engine to find
the previous threads. I've already sent him the suggestion to join
vanagon if he hasn't already.
<mailto:cls@transport.com>
TIA.
Jim Arnott
List Admin
WetWesties
Union, OR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: [wetwesties] WetWesty-HELP
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2000 20:24:50 -0700
From: "Scott, Lynne and Cecily" <cls@transport.com>
To: Wet Westies <wetwesties@egroups.com>
HELP PLEASE,
Me and, more importantly, my bought-new-in-1987,
never-been-in-an-accident, well-traveled Westy were broadsided by a (I
am trying to control my anger) stop-sign-running fool. OUCH! About
$6,000+ damage and those dear insurance folks at State Farm are
talking about totaling it out. I need your help. I want to keep my
van and not get crucified monetarily. (Non-frame, but ugly,
significant damage to driver's side between the wheels (stills drives
real straight) and interior cabinet damage.) Who has been through this??
I have learned more about this 'game' in the last few days than I wish
I knew, but I know there is so much more to learn so I do not get
screwed any more than necessary. I have North Pacific insurance. She
has State Farm and they have assigned the N. MLK Ave office here in
Portland to deal with me. If they won't fix it, they will give me the
difference between fair market value and salvage value. I am afraid
they are going to try to squeeze me between a low national market
value and a high local salvage value.
How do I establish value above the national averages ($6,000)? I have
been doing research in recent Sunday Oregonians. Does anyone know of
1984 to 1989 Westfalias currently for sale that I could use as a
reference point? Anyone bought one recently?
What is the consequences of having a 'totaled' vehicle that I
subsequently fix? Are there title issues? Are there insurance issues?
How is State Farm to deal with?
What questions aren't I asking but need to know the answers to?
Broken hearted and POed in Portland,
Trying to remain Peaceful,
Scott
Karl & Kristina Bloss, Trexlertown, PA
'00 Wannabusser "Julia"
'87 Weekender "Bev" - 201K Miles
'85 Westy Camper "Fred" - 39K Miles
http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw - vanagon@makarov.com
VW Shop List: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/vwshops
PA/NJ/DE/MD area VW bus "group" http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/pavanagon
LINUX - for IQs higher than 98