My most prized possession; my 1989 Jetta coupe was hit two months ago. I was rear ended while minding my own business on the freeway, and this experience couldnt have been more annoying. (It could have been worse but not more annoying) this car is very rare and very clean and very important to me. I was hit and other driver was found at fault by the cop and in the police report. I have a quote for $3500 to fix and pull my frame and fix the dent but the insurance company wants to call my car a total loss and pay me $700 for it. HOW DOES THIS WORK??? Im heart broken and frustrated and so pissed off. I just want my car fixed. Im not trying to screw anyone over. Im not trying to make any money off of anyone, Im not trying to make out like a bandit. I just want my freaking car how it was before this idiot hit me.
How come I get hit, and this guy gets away scot free and the insurance company is allowed to tell me my car isnt worth anything when it would take $4000 to find a car that runs and 6-10k for ones that are the same condition as mine! This boggles me and is making me so depressed. Ive put so much money and SO much time into the car and i just feel so helpless. How does this work??? If someone ran into a 1989 Testarossa would they also say this is a $700 car because of its age??? I mean SERIOUSLY how is this even legal? Are not they supposed to take a look at what the car is worth? How come they are able to decide NO CAR IS WHAT ITS WORTH and thats just the rule??????? I hate everything so much. I was going to keep this car forever but this money seems like such a huge hill and i just cant believe it. These companies write $50,000 checks for Porsches and AMGs all day every day how come me trying to get $3500 is the most unreasonable thing anyone has ever heard of?
Im so so so bummed and so tired of dealing with insurance. Theyve jossled me around for 2 months and now giving me offensively low offers of help. How does anyone own a classic car?
by Deathcon-H
![Ferrari 250 GTO [1440x1800]](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/dghcg8afz7zc1-770x515.jpeg "Ferrari 250 GTO [1440×1800]")
![Just saw this [BMW 7 series] in person with the enormous kidney grill and it looks ridiculous IMO](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/qbrh9v7zq7zc1-770x515.jpeg "Just saw this [BMW 7 series] in person with the enormous kidney grill and it looks ridiculous IMO")
22 Comments
the insurance company doesn’t give a fuck about sentimental value; they pay you for what the car is worth in parts/wholesale situation. for future reference, try actual classic car insurance; you can usually set a value for the car and pay the premium based on that.
Classic car insurance on agreed upon value is your answer.
If it’s the other guys insurance just send them the estimate or better get the highest estimate you can find and tell them to pay it. If they hem and haw and moan just file in small claims court and add in a charge for storage of the car while it isn’t getting fixed as well as rental car cost for the time they haven’t paid. Get it to the maximum you can find for small claims (usually 10k). They may try to settle before court if so don’t take less than what you are filing for.
They are required to make you whole since it’s his insurance. Do not accept anything they send you or sign anything settling.
Completely agree it’s a scam, and that totally sucks.
Best you can do at this point is sue. DO NOT settle with your insurance company. Get proof of your cars value, comparables, an estimation from a pro. And see if your insurance company will make a decent offer. Sue the person who hit you, small claims is easier, no lawyer, but there may be a limit that’s too low to satisfy you.
It sucks, it’s why I don’t even bother with standard insurance companies. They’re all a scam.
Keep fighting it. Don’t give up. Send them comps to prove the replacement cost. Be persistent. Hire a lawyer. Don’t sign anything and don’t accept their low-ball valuation.
That’s the risk of driving a rare car that isn’t worth much.
My classic rig gets driven too much for specialty coverage… I pay a ridiculously low price, but will likely lose my ass if I get hit. Body panels are unobtainium and body shops won’t work on old metal.
Well it’s obvious insurance isn’t going to help and there’s no real answer to make you feel better. The reality sounds like you saving 3,500 and fixing the car yourself. It’s a reality a lot of people face man, you can beat this. Fix it and feel good about it.
I have nothing else to add about the topic, but that’s a nice car. Good job
Hagerty. Probably the best out there in the U.S. at least. I don’t know if they cover anywhere else or not.
My dad has it in his name since I’m not 25. I pay it to him and he sorts it out. 75 bucks a month is totally worth it.
Hagerty. My 89 supra is 750 cad for the year. However I’m close to 40 and it’s not my daily driver.
If it makes you feel better I was rear ended in my 1966 mustang by an uninsured driver. I took the car to a shop and they quoted $8,000 to repair. My geico offered me $2,500, but I fought it, showed comparable prices, as well as all the receipts for the modifications I made to the car, to build value. They sent a 3rd party adjuster to my house to take photos and verify everything I told them. Then then paid the full $8,000 and I had the car completely repaired. If you fight it you can win
LEGAL scam. Because its required by law.
This happened to me when I was your age. It was a Volvo 142. The insurance company offered me 500. I sued them in small claims court and settled for 2000. The car still went to the scrap heap. The frame was bent. I got a quote from a classic car resto place and documentation for what it was worth. It was a painful lesson. There are very few classic cars that are worth anything. The money you are putting in won’t be returned if you get in a wreck
$3500 wouldn’t fix that safely fyi.
Your honesty bit you. Would have been financially fine with neck and back pain, physical therapy, and the like from driving such an old vehicle. Not advice btw
Reality is they use statistics, and your youth fits in their zone of risk not worth the reward.
Everything people here are saying. Fight it and don’t settle. It wasn’t your fault, my insurance paid for a 20k repair on a roughly 20k car because it wasn’t my fault.
Frame straightened, entire rear end body wise, exhaust, lights, any a pile of other parts on an S4.
Really depends on your insurance company. I’ve had others which are a pain to deal with, I use wawanesa and have never had an issue, and I’ve been hit 5 times. Never ruled my fault. They back me up as they are getting the $ from the other company.
Fight it and small claims it if you have to. They make it a hassle so you’ll give up, most do.
EDIT: sick Jetta, looks great, hope you get to keep her
Can You get the parts from the wreck?
F em. Tell them to find a comparable vehicle for FMV purposes. They probably will not be able to do so. Do your own search on Craig’slist nationwide and other search platforms and send them the info.
Did you not know about agreed value?
The adjuster is going to try and get you to settle for as little as possible. Try and find one in the same condition as yours and get them to pay that out.
You’re due replacement value. Make a case, and give the adjuster a reason to repair your car. Find similar mileage and condition cars, ideally the nicest same color version of yours (even if in a museum), add up your maintenance/service , and add tax tags titled fees, transportations, etc. show the insurance company that replacement is 7000, not 700, but you’ll settle for 4500.
You’ve gotta make your arguments.