Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 13:50:00 -0700
Reply-To: Robert Lilley <vwvanman@MAILEXCITE.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Robert Lilley <vwvanman@MAILEXCITE.COM>
Organization: MailExcite (http://www.mailexcite.com:80)
Subject: Re: Insurers, salvage and totalling the vehicle
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>I would like to add to this, however. My '74 Bus >burned up, but not
>completely. From the front, you couldn't see any of >the damage. The
>engine and rear interior were destroyed enough that >they totalled the car.
>But, when figuring out the price, they used the >selling price found in the
>paper. I ended up getting $2800 for it. I could >have sold it for maybe
>$1500-1700, but they average the asking price of ALL >the buses in the
>paper, not just the ones in similar condition to >yours.
I had someone ran into the side of my 73' bus. The insurance co. wanted to start with $1700 (market survey) and add $400 because it had some work done to it and looked "cared for".
They wanted to total the van and sell it to me for $350 I would get only $1650 and re-title the bus as salvage, more money and time lost.
I knew it was worth more, I have put over $7K into it. (custom engine, restoration)and I was not going to settle for anything less than the money to fix it.
I had a local VW Bus expert look at it. He valued it to be between $4500 and $5500. He said the engine w/24K was worth $2500 alone.
I did not get mad but made several passionate pleas about the value and worth of my bus. After 2 months of talking with the adjuster, he agreed with the expert and wrote me a check for $1749 minus the $100 deductible plus more if there is more damage unseen.
I also dealt with the agent before about a truck that threw a rock into the windshield of the 88 Vanagon that I had owned for only 4 days (bought in Nov, 97). Five months later they paid me a check for $525 to fix the windshield (our collision then had a $500 deductible, for $21 more a year we changed to $50/0)
It takes time and work to get a higher value for your van, if you feel it is worth more than what is being offered do what it takes to prove it and do not settle for less.
I now have to tackle the DOT to replace a bent rim and wheel bearing damage due to a large pot hole...
FWIW The "73 bus will be up for sell when the head gaskets are done on my '88 in about a month.
VWVanman
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