How to Get the Retail Value for a Totaled Car
by Kristen Dennis 
crash on the street. german car model 2007. double by Dariusz Kopestynski from Fotolia.com Dealing with the policy company after an car accident can be difficult and confuse, specially if your car was hard damaged. After the accident, an appraiser will assess the damage to the vehicle to determine if it can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced. If the cost to repair the cable car is higher than the measure or the car, the policy company will declare it a sum loss and pay you the value of the cable car. With a small research and the right information, you can negotiate a fair retail respect for your totaled car.
Before the Accident
Step 1
Speak with your indemnity agent to make certain you understand the fine print of your policy as is relates to paying to repair or replace your discredited car. Understanding your policy advance will give you peace of mind and confidence if an accident does occur.
Step 2
Keep your car clean and in good compensate. After an accident, an appraiser will assess your cable car ‘s condition to determine if it is poor people, fair, good or excellent. To get the highest value, keep your car ‘s upholstery, locomotive, rouge, etc. in thoroughly or excellent condition at all times. save sustenance receipts and records. A practice car with a clean engine, meticulous sustenance records, and update parts is worth more than a comparable car that has n’t seen a mechanic in five years. When dealing with the indemnity company, you want to be able to prove that the cable car is worth the highest value possible.
After the Accident
Step 1
Determine the rate of your car by checking car-pricing sites like Edmunds or Kelley Blue Book. You can enter your fomite ‘s specifications into the web site ‘s calculator, and it will give you the retail, private sale, and trade-in values for the car.
Step 2
Find comparable cars for sale in your area. The insurance party should offer you the Actual Cash Value ( ACV ) of your car, so you need to know what your car would have sold for if you had tried to sell it anterior to the accident. This sum may be higher or lower than the Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds value, so it is beneficial to have both sets of numbers.
Step 3
negotiate with the indemnity party. Just as dealers and buyers haggle over the price of a car, you can negotiate with the adjuster for the rate of your cable car. In his article, “ Confessions of an Auto Claims Adjuster, ” Phillip Reed, a erstwhile adjuster, suggests that you do not take the insurance company ‘s first offer, which will constantly be abject. Adjusters are prepared to give you more for the cable car if you decline the first gear offer.
Step 4
Challenge the appraiser ‘s composition. If you think that the appraiser has undervalued your car, you can argue that your car was in better condition, had recent upgrades, or had a forte trim box that the appraiser failed to notice. Edmunds writer Steve Siller explains, “ Do n’t be afraid to present your subject and ask them to make an adjustment—if your argument is sound, companies will credibly listen to you. In fact, your insurance company is required by law to give you a average price. ”
Step 5
Ask the adjuster to reduce the number of comparables. The adjuster ‘s crack is based on the average sell price of respective comparable cars. You can ask the adjuster to lone use the top five cars on his list to raise the average prize. Remember that the indemnity ship’s company will give you the actual cash prize, or honest grocery store value of the car. They are not required to give you what you paid for the car, or even what you hush owe on the cable car. References
- My Consumer Rights: Auto Accidents and Insurance
Writer Bio Kristen Dennis has been writing since 2010. As an have educator, she has taught English, reading, history, science and mathematics to students of all ages. Dennis graduated with high honors from Stetson University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in education and English.