Can you insurer reject your request to buy back?

by Guest » Wed Oct 24, 2007 09:50 pm
Guest

I want to purchase my car back from the insurance company, since the var is FAR more valuable as it sits than what the buyback value could ever deem to be. The company however says that they cannot allow me to buy totaled cars. Can they do that?

Florida

Thanks

-Andrew

Total Comments: 21

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 08:33 am Post Subject:

The company however says that they cannot allow me to buy the vehicle back.



Why? Have they sited any specific reason for not allowing to buy back the car?

Can they do that?



Well, that depends. The title of the car gets shifted to the insurance company once you let them declare the car ‘totaled'. Therefore, the Vehicle insurance company is now the legal owner of the vehicle.

However, although the chances of getting back a totaled car reduces once it enters the salvage yard but that might not restrict you from buying it back. Only you have to pay for the salvage title and bear the repair costs.

Rupert

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 08:49 am Post Subject:

Am I missing something? Your car was declared ‘totaled' and the company had settled the claim. Now you want to buy it back because according to you it is worth more than the buy back price.

How come it dawned before you suddenly?

Another point….even if you buyback the car the title of it will always carry the phrase ‘salvage' or ‘rebuilt'. This will reduce the price of the car significantly if you want to sell it in near future. Coloradoblitz

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 09:38 am Post Subject:

Yeah sometimes retaining the totaled car does make sense, at least, when you can still drive it comfortably. But my friend, the process of buying back is not very easy. You have to undergo a prolonged process of buying the salvage title to rebuild the car and ultimately clearing the state's road worthiness test, before you can actually bring it back to the road.

According to Florida DMV, a car is declared total if it suffers damages more than 80% of its value. Find out how much it would cost to repair the car. If the repairing cost sounds reasonable to you, then go with the process of purchasing it back from the insurer. The insurer will then pay you the amount minus the salvage title.

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:08 am Post Subject:

good morning Andrew and welcome

I need a couple of questions answered. Are you still in the process of settling the claim? If that's the case, 'retaining' the salvage is generally very easy unless Florida has some pecular law about owners retaining salvage, genereally the 'salvage bid' or percentage whatever your carrier uses to ascertain salvage value, is deducted from the loss payment along with your deductible, the title is stamped of course. Paper work goes to the state (your ins company sends that). And that's pretty much it.

BUT, if you had already settled this and the salvage 'dispersed' then you will have to buy it the same way anyone on the street would. All companies handle their salvage different, the companies I have worked for (2) both have had contracts with someone, the company I now work for ALL non-owner retained salvage goes to the Insurance Auto Auction, period. Then once they have the titles back in 'their' names they sell them on the block. So if that is the case, sorry but you waited too long and if you want it will have to stand in line and try and buy it. Or you might contact their vendor (whomever gets your companies salvage) and ask and negotiate a price and try and buy it before it is auctioned if that is their protocol. Understand?

I disagree with some of the posters I think there are many many times it makes sense for an owner to retain, and you don't have to always complete all the repairs either...some times it is even finanically wiser to retain and sell as salvage yourself!

Let us know the circumstances and we'll try and provide assistance.

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 06:59 pm Post Subject:

Claim has not been settled, this is like the first week of the claim. They do not have the title yet, and the car is in my driveway currently.

The buyback value, if at 10% would be around 1200, where I could EASILY sell the car for 4-5k in it's current condition with a salvage title.

The insurer is "response worldwide"

PearlS, what I'm looking for is something to tell them that legally they cannot deny my right to purchase the vehicle. THe vehicle is my property, and they have no right to tell me I cannot purchase the vehicle back from them as far as I know.

Thanks again :)

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:10 pm Post Subject:

what I'm looking for is something to tell them that legally they cannot deny my right to purchase the vehicle. THe vehicle is my property, and they have no right to tell me I cannot purchase the vehicle back from them as far as I know

. Try this call the Flordia Dept of Insurance
CONSUMER HELPLINE 1-800-342-2762

I know of no company that says this,

The company however says that they cannot allow me to buy the vehicle back''

UNLESS you have a lein.......

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 05:28 am Post Subject:

they have no right to tell me I cannot purchase the vehicle back from them as far as I know.



And you know it very correctly. Lori has already given the information you need. Contact the Florida Dept. of Insurance. Hope there you will receive the much awaited help.

PearlS

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 01:51 am Post Subject: insurance buy back

is it any insurance company let u buy totaled cars from them like they sell to brokers or dealerships

Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 03:38 am Post Subject:

Some insurance carriers I worked for (trucking carriers) would not allow the vehicle owner to retain salvage. The carriers that I worked for explained it this way. Even if the vehicle owner properly obtains a salvage title and follows are state laws in doing so, the carrier did not want to be opened up to lawsuits in the future if the vehicle ended up back on the road and was in another accident due to shoddy or incomplete repairs. If it is all done properly, the carrier would not liable, but it does not mean that they wouldn't be sued. It could be this or it could be that they know that they can recoup more for the salvage to reduce claim costs. It really depends on the carrier and state laws. Lori might know this, but I thought there was at least one state that required that the vehicle owner got right of first refusal on a totaled vehicle.

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