we need to hang out! This is the kind of stuff I live for
Originally Posted By: Shark
I always get an estimate from a good shop first, they do more blending than an insurance company claims you need. Then I argue about blending paint with the adjuster.
Fighting with insurance companies can be fun. And by fun and I mean, long, heated, and arduous. I'm assuming you must want to pocket the money, don't try to be clever and get your car totaled. You want it written just under total out, a body shop will usually do that for you. The insurance adjuster usually won't.
Getting the MOST can be really tough. I found out a good way to max $ the hard way after I got hit by someone 100% at fault (Mexican with no license working for a landscaper) and as soon as their insurer (State Farm) found out I didn't have collision they tried to sue my insurance company and refused to pay me anything. Despite my state police report and a written statement from a indifferent witness. Anyway, what you can do is get your own estimate from a very good shop. Get another from a different very good shop. Only accept an average of those two estimates. If the people you are working with are polite and courteous I would be flexible and allow them to average their estimate with one of my own. If you get a real jerk then gear up to make this tough for them.
If they say no to your averaging then tell them that is fine, you will be filing in small claims court against the driver. They might cave. In an instance similar to yours State Farm did not work with me and the rep was a massive tool from the beginning. I filed in small claims court. Months later they tried to negotiate ahead of the hearing. It was different person now, the tool was promoted (no joke). I told them there was nothing to negotiate and that at this point I would get satisfaction from making them pay even more for a lawyer to show up for a case I knew I would win.
State Farm called a few days before our date and told me I could pick my check up for the amount I wanted at a lawyers office. I went and the lawyer asked me to come out of the waiting area and into his office. I walked to the doorway, he said have a seat and I declined. He said he wanted to talk about my payment. I said there was nothing to talk about. He tried to get me to meet them in the middle of our estimates. So I laughed at him and walked back to waiting area, where people were. He took the bait and followed me out, he would end up regretting this as I purposely went nuclear on him in front of the people waiting. In between cursing at him I told the others about my trail of tears to get made whole and how this scum lawyer and State Farm continually tried to screw me of the repair costs. It did not take very long before he was yelling back OK!OK! I'll get your check! I got a check for something like $100 under the total value of my car. I didn't fix it, and I still drive it 9 years later.
Make them mail your check.
