Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 08:03:57 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Insurance suggestions
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTiluG8wRoyZkF4El_heUfZqY3u5siRSrM9A1s4w0@mail.gmail.com>
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I go along with most of Roger's advice as spot-on but I would take it
further.
If you want to be as sure as possible that you'll have some hope of getting
what you pay for from your insurance company in the event of you asking them
for a settlement, you should perhaps consult with an attorney with your
insurance documents in hand.
Even with a lawyer's help, you won't be 100% guaranteed that what you
think you are paying for is what you will eventually end up with. Insurance
companies have positioned themselves well in our legal system to maximize
their profits.
They employ more people to figure out how to minimize (or avoid paying you
altogether) what they pay for a claim than they do for any other reason. The
fine print in an insurance agreement is mind-boggling (on purpose) and
subject to interpretation by all sorts of parties besides you and your
'agent'....many of these parties are who'll eventually decide how little you
will be getting (if anything at all) should you make a claim with your
insurance company, parties who themselves depend almost 100% on the good
will of the Insurance Company for their livelihood... The Insurance industry
is incredibly powerful and has everything arranged in their favor...arranged
to get the most from you and to pay the least TO you..."It's just
business"... You, as a client and claimant, you may come one time and ask
for 'fair treatment'...They, as the potential payor, they do this day in and
day out with millions of 'clients'...and their profits depend on them NOT
paying out anything, if they can get away with it..
A sharp attorney should be able to give you a good idea of what you are
signing and the likelyhood of your company being able to slide out of a
settlement should you have a claim..
After being screwed a bunch of times by various insurance's and trying,
with legal help and advice, to find a good insurance deal, I've decided
there is no such thing.
Now of course, some will call "B.S.!" and chime in and say.."Well, MY
insurance company paid me right off, everything I asked for..., etc etc."
I guess this does happen. Every time the Insurance topic comes up, I do see
people posting "good insurance" stories. But I will say "due diligence' is
called for when you go to get insurance.
Don Hanson
On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 11:36 PM, Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@gmail.com>wrote:
> dear paul
>
> if you have not settled on your insurance provider yet ...please consider
> as stated previously...
> *acceptance by your carrier of your $$ value is meaningless once your westy
> is at the bone yard
> *
> what is meaningful is AGREED VALUE ... and the policy must say AGREED VALUE
> "declared value" or "value stated" or "appraiser states value to be" is a
> large group of meaningless words
>
> this i learned through hard experience when our beloved 1989 5 Speed Diesel
> California Model (all OEM) was destroyed last year ...
> many discussions with government owned provincial insurance ... lawyer ...
> and a few others who weighed in to offer support for my concerns
>
> and all of this discussion surrounded the meaning of Declared Value ...
> until finally the insurance adjuster told m e ...
> in great detail that declared value was not Agreed Value and that for
> agreed
> value i would be paying considerably more for my coverage...
> ahh that was one for me as i was paying double what i had been when i first
> got the van 2 years earlier ...
> oddly enough that was not the only fancy foot work in my dance to recovery
> of my $$ insured for
>
> so once again ...
> get on top of this with an appraiser who is acceptable to your insurance
> carrier ...
> Talk to prestige car people who will direct you to an appraiser worth his
> salt ...
> his report should contain a great many photos ...
> your carrier may impose restrictions for use of your vehicle ...
> shop around ... no point in having a full westy that you are not allowed to
> go camping in ...
> you may choose not to .. but to be not allowed to ... that is different ...
>
> i also do some work with an accredited marine surveyor so i am not simply
> talking though my hat on this one
> i am not a surveyor ... i simple do some work with him from time to time
> ...
> mostly computer related stuff ...
> but close enough to know some of the road blocks that may prevent 100%
> satisfaction in the event of a loss
>
> please let us know how this works out for you
> yours
>
> On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 2:42 AM, Frank Condelli <RAlanen@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 18/05/2010 11:26:18 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> > LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
> >
> > Paul, I'm using McLean Insurance over in Perth, see
> > _www.McLeanInsuranceLive.com_ (http://www.McLeanInsuranceLive.com) ,
> > 800-267-7928. They
> > have been very good with us, our Westy, house and garage insurance. I
> had
> > my van evaluated by Grandpa's Garage in Ottawa for $18,000 and the
> > insurance has accepted those documents.
> >
> >
> >
> > >>>>>>>Any suggestions where one can get an insurance company that will
> > give an =
> > "Agreed Value" (19a) policy on an professionally appraised Westy. =
> > Located in Toronto. Thanks in advance.<<<<<<<<
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Frank Condelli
> > Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> > '87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
> > (http://frankcondelli.com/trainsal.htm) )
> > _Frank Condelli & Associates_ (http://frankcondelli.com/busindex.html)
> -
> > Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
> > _Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
> > (http://frankcondelli.com/exhaust.htm)
> > _BusFusion_ (http://www.busfusion.com/) a VW Camper camping event,
> > Almonte, ON, June 10 ~ 13, 2010
> >
>
>
>
> --
> roger w
> From Proverbs:
> Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a
> servant who becomes king ...
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