Re: [alfa] Alfas and INs. Companies

[gwynnes1@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Seems to me that we all would be better off if we knew who your insurance company was - then we could all make sure we steered well clear of them.
I am with AMICA and had just the oppoite experience when my 12 year old '81 BMW 528i was hit head on by a school bus on the wrong side of the road. They fixed it completely - all new BMW parts and no arguments, then went after the bus company and collected.
Gwynne Spencer

-------------- Original message -------------- 

> I just went through a bit of a row with my insurer. Brief history: I was in a 
> line of cars waiting at a light (just before Christmas), heardsquealing tires 
> and acceleration behind me--which was not getting further away, sat back in the 
> seat and waited (there was no where to go...). Black Monte Carlo SS rear-ended 
> me then took off, so I was left dealing with my insurer (uninsured motorist 
> coverage) over my now wrecked 164. The right rear door wouldn't open, the right 
> rear 1/4 panel was buckled-up, the roof was buggered a bit between the two 
> doors 
> on the right side, the truck floor is bent up, rear bumper and lights turfed 
> etc. Anyhow, not much needed to turf a decent but 134K miles 164 these days.... 
> I got an entimate from a insurer approved list which confirmed a total, their 
> appraiser also totaled it. Ok, I can deal with that; but then the ins. co. came 
> back with what was a ridiculous offer to pay out my claim (sent me all the 
> paper 
> work etc in the mail to close it out. I guess the finality of it is enough for 
> some people such that they go with that, or others don't know that they can do 
> what I did which was call the ins. co. up and tell them what I thought 
> (politely) of that particular mailing. So I get several value sources (SCM, 
> CPI/Black, etc), to which she responded 'we can't use them, they are just for 
> informational purposes only, and not to set values on a car.' I kid you not. I 
> know what you're thinking, and I told her the same regarding the books. We went 
> back and forth ad infinitim. She then changed her tune and said that the value 
> has to be based on an actual car(s) currently for sale--NOT one that were just 
> sold and figure into a price guide like SCM. Huh, but thats where the prices 
> come from--ACTUAL CAR SALES.... So I go to my local dealer and ask for an 
> estimate on the cars worth prior to the collision (which they wouldn't accept 
> because it wasn't an actual car for sale on his lot...) and cull some ads to 
> counter the ads 
> they presented for actual cars for sale. Best part was, they always found the 
> lowest priced ALfas in the world--mind, no one actually SAW the cars from the 
> ads first-hand, so all they or I know is that the car looks like it just came 
> out of a smash-up derby. I sent them my ads, and they said they would 
> contact the sellers--and of course they could only contact the lowest one or 
> two priced ads. Once they did that, they did some nonsense deductions etc etc 
> to bring the value down further. After a few rounds of this, I just said I to 
> no-longer contact me directly, but that this matter would be handled from here 
> on out by my attorney/father. They went back-and-forth maybe twice before he 
> called her back one time and layed out the not-too-distant-future which 
> included coming to my town to defend themselves in court if they didn't get 
> straightened out. After all this aggravation and time (5-6 months), they 
> finally ended up paying me $165 more than what I originally said I would settle 
> out for. Of course in my one case it doesn't make sense, but when you figure 
> some percentage of the claimants just give in and get reamed, it probably works 
> out for the ins. co. And, of course, playing the actuary game is what they are 
> all about. Hold fast with the ins. co., and they'll come around; as someone 
> else said, make it expensive for them to screw with you and you'll see how they 
> turn to a more reasonable state. You might also point out to them, like I did, 
> how they took your money as a premium based upon a book value somewhere, but 
> now say they can't pay out based upon a book value. Figure that out.... I'm not 
> even sure if its anywhere in my policy fine print that they would only value a 
> loss by actual ads--but I can play that game by getting ads of my own. Sorry 
> for the length, but ins. cos. are something that can really trip my trigger 
> having just dealt with them.... 
> 
> AD 
> -- 
> Adam S. Doherty 
> Howard Hughes Medical Institute 
> University of Pennsylvania--School of Medicine 
> 360 CRB 
> 415 Curie Blvd 
> Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA 
> 
> Phone: 215-898-7806 
> Fax: 215-898-8780 
> Email: adoherty@domain.elided 
> -- 
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