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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 13 2008 : 11:09:23 AM
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Hi ladies!
I am still dealing with this whole insurance mess. I finally got an offer from Farmer's today for the total loss of my vehicle. It was of course the lowest offer that they could make.
I am learning a lot in this situation and without boring you all with the details of it all, I want to caution you to never accept the first offer that the insurance claims rep gives you.
They were telling me that it isn't their responsibility to pay any more than blue book value- even if market value or "cash value" was higher. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I talked to a lawyer and then called the Idaho Insurance Commission.
Ladies, I can't urge you enough. If you have _any_ questions about insurance- whether it be auto, home, whatever- PLEASE call your state's Insurance Commission. It is a free call and could save you so much money. The commission lady was very helpful in letting me know my rights, the correct questions and forms to ask for, and if you have a really big problem you can also lodge a complaint that the insurance company will have to deal with.
I hope that you will never need this information, but the reality is that most of us will be in some sort of insurance claim at some point in our life. Hopefully this will help you to get an honest settlement that is in your favor and not just helping the insurance company.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Mar 13 2008 : 12:45:38 PM
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Great advice Alee. And, just to add my 2 cents. Don't be intimidated by them either. Several years ago a 90 foot pine tree blew over and crushed my SUV. The insurance company wanted to repair it - idiots - every section of the truck would have bondo on it and the roof was so smashed it was literally laying on the seatback. Long story short - after 2 months of me holding out for having it totaled and paid fair market price for it they did, but not before they sent the insurance mofia to gang up on me and try to get me to settle. I just stuck to my guns and kept telling them the only acceptable resolution was to total the vehicle and pay me fair market value (which I determined with the help of an auto sales friend), then I stopped talking.
The trick is - they get sooo many claims and their goal is to move them throguh the process as quickly as possible regardless of fairness to the insured. The longer that claim lays open on their desk the more willing they are to negotiate to move it a long.
Alee, I'm glad you're being proactive and no taking their word for it. |
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Before you accept an insurance settlement
