Trouble disputing total loss amount

by deltaqueue » Tue Nov 08, 2011 05:55 am

Hello everyone! This is going to be lond-winded, but I want to post all relevant information.

My car was recently hit by an All State customer while parked on the street outside of my home. All State determined the car was totaled due to the cost of repairs. They subsequently offered me $8300 (tax included) for my 1998 Lexus SC400 after a report was generated by AutoSource. I found this amount to be unsatisfactory, given my car has 105,000 miles and is in "good condition", according to KBB's parameters:

-Free of major mechanical problems but may need some reconditioning
-Paint and bodywork may require minor touch-ups
-Engine compartment may have minor leaks
-Some cosmetic defects that are repairable, but is free of rust
-Minor body scratches or dings and the minor interior blemishes of normal wear
-Tires match and have 50% or more of tread
-Clean title history and will pass safety and smog inspection
-Some service records are available

This car had brand new $750 tires (still intact), I paid $1300 for the 90k service in May (timing belt, etc.), I have all service records, and the car had 0 issues before it was wrecked other than some minor cosmetic issues with the exterior (the interior is an 8/10).

That said, I am dissatisfied with the settlement offer that is based on the comparison to the "comp car", which was a car that had 50% more miles than mine (145k). They came up with a $990 differential to accommodate the lower miles on my car, but there was 0 adjustment for the condition comparison. Here is the breakdown, with my feedback in parentheses:

INTERIOR
Seats: Moderate Wear (minor wear, at best. NO cracks/tears)
Carpets: Minor Wear (correct)
Int Trim: Moderate Damage (NO damage to interior trim)
Glass: Good (correct)
Headliner: Good (correct)

EXTERIOR
Body: Moderate Damage (minor damage at best, NO cracks, holes, rust, etc.)
Paint: Moderate Damage (minor damage at best - minor scratches, dings, a blemish on rear bumper)
Ext Trim: Minor Damage (not sure what this means?)

MECHANICAL
Engine: Minor Wear (not sure?)
Transmission: Minor Wear (not sure?)
TIRES
Front Tires: Good (correct)
Rear Tires: Good (correct)

Now, my questions are: can I get them to adjust the quote based on the above mistakes? Also, with all of the valuation websites out there, what figures should I look at for a fair ACV? Here's what I've found so far:

NADA avg trade-in: $7,500
NADA clean trade-in: $8,925
NADA clean retail: $11,800

KBB good private party: $8,300
KBB excellent retail: $10,500

What should I be demanding here? At a minimum, I'll see if adjustments to the condition comparison tool affect the settlement offer. Regardless, it seems like I'm still far away from the asking prices of comparable cars on the market right now. Here's a nationwide search for a mix of years and mileages around the country comparable to my car: "http://gyazo.com/0be01416e8076f627d78819aa3801d24.png"

(never mind the fact that I've spent DOZENS OF HOURS researching for a replacement vehicle and trying to figure this out!)

Hopefully this is sufficient information to be able to make an objective assessment!

Total Comments: 1

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 08:58 am Post Subject:

They seem to have offered you the KBB good private party ($8,300) price.

Try to negotiate with the provider giving your own reasons and they may reassess your car and come up with a better offer.

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