Date:         Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:13:48 -0500
Reply-To:     Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
Subject:      Re: need help fighting the Ins.Co. -'88 westy totalled. was Re:
              Pricing help needed.
In-Reply-To:  <bf7.2261a710.348ee923@aol.com> (JordanVw@aol.com's message of
              "Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:10:27 EST")
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

JordanVw@AOL.COM writes:

> personally i cant even believe they totalled it.. but insurance
> companies are in the business of taking your money and trying to
> screw you when it comes to a claim, so this is par for the course..

Well I understand the tendency to feel that way when you are looking
at their first settlement offer, but no they are not in the business
of "trying to screw you."  They are in business to make a profit,
sure, but they have no personal stake in any claim they just want to
settle them expediently and move on.

I think more and more they just total because that takes a lot less
time than getting body shop work done.  Less uncertainty too, no
"hidden damage" discoveries to deal with once the repair is started.

Their first settlement offer will be the "book value" because that
takes about 10 seconds of work on their part to look up, and most of
the time people take it.

Time is on your side, insist that they repair or replace your camper,
eventually they probably will if you can wait them out.  This
individual claim is peanuts to them no matter what they end up paying,
and at some point they will not want to spend any more time on it.

Allan