Negotiating Value on a Auto Hail Claim

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Son of a Son

1,000+ Posts
Is it possible? Anyone know any tips, tricks? Anyone been successfull?

I have to take both vehicles to be examined, and there's a shitton of metal dmg. Fortunately I didn't lose any windows. This is my first timedealing with something like this, and I am just trying to gather any info I can so I don't go in "naked".
 
It's really a simple process to understand, even if the application of said process is a bit time consuming.
Understand, right off the bat, that whether it's a claim for your home or your car, the insurance estimate is just that; an estimate.

If you go to auto body shop A & they are estimating your repairs @ $ 5,000.00, body shop B said $ 4,500.00 & shop C says $ 3,500.00... whereas insurance said $ 4,000.00, then the insurer is going to expect you to go with the $ 3,500.00.

The important thing to compare is going to be the level of service you anticipate receiving in combination with the type & quality in the parts that will be used.

I don't know how they can legally do it (*& advertise about it @ the same time*), but insurance is supposed to pay the whole bill minus your deductible. If you end up not spending all of your deductible because the job was lower in price than insurance estimated it to cost, then technically, the insurer is supposed to get that difference back (after all, the auto body shop you selected has offered to do the job for less... your deductible should show up no matter what the cost to get repairs to your insured property).

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My insurance company is having me go to a "Drive-in Adjuster". There's no body shop involved just yet. My concern is that they give me enough to cover said repairs without having a body shop estimate.
 
When are you going in? My drive-thru appointment is Thursday @five. I'll let you know what they tell me. I am still paying on my car so I am assuming I won't be receiving any money but they will be paying the body shop directly?
 
Also I think it might be handled differently if you have title or the financing company still holds title.

If you have title you should be able to put the check ion the bank and skip the repairs.

If it is owned by the bank you might be required to get it fixed as part of the terms of your loan.
 
that is the purpose of going to a drive-in. The Estimator will give you an estimate that you can take to a shop. Most shops will work off that estimate. If they miss something they will call in for a supplement to the insurance company.

Some companies protect Lienholder's on checks...some don't.
 
"When are you going in? My drive-thru appointment is Thursday @five. I'll let you know what they tell me. I am still paying on my car so I am assuming I won't be receiving any money but they will be paying the body shop directly?"

The insurer has no right to make the check payable to anyone but the insured and the loss payee if there is one. You don't have to accept anything other than a check with only your own name on it, and the lender's if there's still a loan on the vehicle.
 
"If you go to auto body shop A & they are estimating your repairs @ $ 5,000.00, body shop B said $ 4,500.00 & shop C says $ 3,500.00... whereas insurance said $ 4,000.00, then the insurer is going to expect you to go with the $ 3,500.00."

There's not an auto policy approved for use in this state that requires the policyholder to seek multiple estimates, or if you do obtain more than one estimate, to submit the lowest to the inaurance company.
 
"My concern is that they give me enough to cover said repairs without having a body shop estimate."

I would always get an independent estimate from a body shop. Remember, the adjuster's (read insurance company's) interests are not the same as yours.
 
Cut me a check on the spot. Was told to give the estimate to the body shop and they will work off of that. If the bady shop is going to over the amount they estimated the body shop will contact the insurance company. They gave me a nice chunk of change.
 
"it is common for various insurers to make payments co-payable to the mortgage co. as well as the mortgagee / insured (i.e. homeowner)"

It is required. Every homeowner/dwelling policy approved for use in this state must contain a "mortgage clause", which requires the insurer to pay any claim to the mortgagee (this is the lender) "as their interest appears".
 
I thought I'd follow up as there are many others here still waiting on their adjustments. For the record, I have State Farm on the cars and house, so this is the way they handled it:

Cars:
Drove them in, adjuster looked at it, went over the damage he noted with me, then handed the paperwork to another guy that signed off on it and handed me a check. 3k for the truck, 6k for the element. They reminded me that should I ever have another hail claim, I would have to prove I had the work done. also added that if the shop I chose found more, I needed to contact State Farm immediately.

Home:
Adjustor totaled the roof. On that day he went over the damage and gave me a check for the cost of the roof minus my deductible and minus depreciation. Now, when I select a roofer the roofer will need to give me a quote covering everything the adjuster asked for, and provided they do so, the company will then send me another check for the value of the depreciation.

Overall, I got 3 checks, and each had only my name and the wife's name on them.
 
"Overall, I got 3 checks, and each had only my name and the wife's name on them"

If there is a mortgagee on your homeowners policy, State Farm breached the contract by not including it on the claim check.
 
The way it was explained to me was that there only had to be a contract signed by me and the roofing company, I didn't use the correct term above, and then I would be issued payment for depreciation. Had I had a roofer on-site and had a contract put together while the adjuster was there, the adjuster would have given me a check for the total amount of the claim as opposed to subtracting the depreciation.

And no, I am not trying to defraud my insurance company. I just want to get my roof fixed.
 
My biggest concern is that I don't want to pay a dime until the job is done and done right. I have heard TOO MANY stories about companies taking the money and running, never to be heard from again.
 
I had the same experience as Son of a Son with my car and State Farm. I took it to their center they had setup near Home Depot off of Mopac and the adjuster looked at it. I had $6,300 in damages. They cut a check made out to me.

My question that I'm hoping for some insight is: when I take it to the bodyshop should I give them the estimate paperwork? Would the bodyshop maybe be able to fix it for slightly less than what the check is made out for and then I can keep the difference? I don't have rental car coverage so I'm gonna have to pay out of pocket for that so it'd be nice if the estimate would cover that.
 
you can take it direct to any body shop and see if they will give you an estimate they will stick with. compare it with the estimate your got from state farm and see if there are differences in terms of repair or replace items.
 
Pocket the money and do NOT get the vehicle repaired-

just buy a custom license plate that says: TITLIST then you can laugh all the way to the back while you drive around that golf ball...
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NCAA I appreciate your input. I sent you a PM a bit ago as I'd like to discuss this with you a bit more in depth. This is my first time going through this and I want to make sure it is done right.
 
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