Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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I've had to explain more than a few times that, no, I am not exempt from taxes for the first seven years.
My goal is for the total loss. Will using the rental policy help effect the TL?
In my limited experience the two issues are independent - i.e. your policy has separate clauses for rental and disposition of the covered vehicle.
tidester, host
Typically carriers or states will have a threshold which is usually breached before this happens however.
I would surmise that if you were within 1-2% of being totalled, and the rental would take 2-3 months or longer, that the $500-2000 rental MAY be enough to push it over the edge, but, if so, you are probably talking that 1 in 1000 cases, not just collisions, but totalled vehicles...and since totals probably make up under 25% of all accidents (Bob's estimate, based on no actual facts...if anyone can offer better info, feel free to correct me), it is really probably 1 in 3-5000 wrecks that this mystical theory could work...
Sadly, if they can reasonably fix it cheaper than total, they will fix it, and you and I are stuck with a wounded baby that no one wants to buy after disclosure of the wreck...
Altho, maybe the QE2 needs a spare anchor, and your wrecked 72 Chevy Nova may be just what the Captain ordered..:):):)
biggal -- I have to admit I might be the most disgustingly lazy person in the evenings -- I didn't read your body shop post, but here is my guess for that situation. As referred to above, an insurance company got themselves too deep into a repair to cut it off and total the vehicle -- sometimes an extra thousand in repairs is cheaper than obtaining a vehicle and processing it and selling it for salvage or with a branded title. Depending on what state the accident occurred in, and what exactly "a few years back" means, the other carrier may or may not have bent a few laws in the process -- ultimately, are you happy with the repairs? If so, I say it all worked itself out (this from the man who still has yet to read the body shop post.)
Thanks again, you guys have been very informative.
License plate fees are to be Pro rated from date of loss until when they expire.
Sales Tax is dependent on your state laws. Some states require it to be considered because you can't buy a replacement vehicle without paying S.T. and some states don't have law pertaining to the subject. Just remind the adjuster a replacement expense will include the S.T. and you expect that to be a line item in the adjustment check.
Sometimes getting a car totalled can actually be a good thing especially if the person was getting ready to trade it in!
And most of the "regulars" from these forums have lost interest or moved on so I don't spend mush time here anymore. Good to hear from you!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Some time ago I received a response from Marsha7 that mentioned the MIB holds a master file for insurance claims. While negotiating my injury claim today, the adjuster said she thought she saw in my history that I had previously filed an auto injury claim and I emphatically stated no. When I got off the phone I started to wonder...when I was 5 years old (I am now 35) I was hit as a pedestrian by a drunk driver. My mom obtained a lawyer and received compensation to cover my expenses. Does that show up on my MIB master record? And even if it does, is it a valid argument for her to use? My current injury is back/neck. When I was 5, the accident broke my hip and femur. Can I logically and truthfully say no, I have never filed an auto injury claim?
My second question relates to the collateral source rule. The subrogation company for my health insurance reported to the at-fault insurance company that they received some compensation from MedPay for their expenses. It only amounts to half of the med expenses, but boy, I didn't want them to have that information at all! Really, my only recourse is to respond that under the collateral source rule, it doesn't matter if and how my expenses were paid to date and should not be a consideration. I know it WILL be considered by them, but anyone have an idea/phrase or two I can throw back to the adjuster to counter this, other than what I have already stated?
Other than that, negotiations are going as expected and I appreciate all of the advise from this site in getting me to this point!
Either she saw it or she didn't. She should have her facts straight before tossing out questions like that. Ask her to show it to you so you have the opportunity to correct false data. Also, when you were five years old you were not a policy holder so you could not have filed a claim.
tidester, host
When clients have used a doctor, MD or Chiro, usually if they have gone 6-12 months w/o trt, we can usually squeak it thru as a new injury...
Collateral source...we use the phrase "collateral source" in GA because it applies here by our law...your state may be different, in fact, it may be the law in your state that a liability carrier has EVERY RIGHT to reduce your compensation if the bills have been paid by a collateral source...I do not know if your state has a law that is for you or against you, so my argument may not be valid in your state...sorry I can't be more helpful on that one, but any PI attorney in your state would know...
Yes, those MIB claims, if indeed that is where they found it, can be a real PITA, if you ask me...:):):):):)...maybe if all those computers were to crash.....
1. I agree. She should have her facts straight before saying something like that. She caught me off guard because I haven't ever filed a claim so I was and sounded confused. Anyway, note to self and future folks on this site, request a copy of your MIB file BEFORE going into negotiations so you know what they know. I just did it yesterday and should have done it months ago (had I known you could do such a thing), giving myself ample time to correct any misinformation if it exists. In my favor, I KNOW I've never filed a claim so she can't be seeing anything (that is correct anyway).
2. The broken bones were treated for about one year until I was 6 and then no other treatment was needed, so it is helpful to know even if she sees this, it is a moot point.
3. I live in NH and from my research, the collateral source rule does apply here (Live free or die!! Got to love NH.). I still wish she didn't know I received any compensation but my simple reply will be that the collateral source rule applies and should not be a factor in determining a fair settlement.
I'm comfortable with all of that. And while I HATE negotiating anything, this is proving to be not as difficult as I anticipated. Thanks again all!! I can't stress enough how helpful everyone has been.
What are my options? I'm obsessed with my car's appearance, and I'm thinking that it will never quite look the same. Can I trade it in as-is and take the money? Obviously, I'd lose some dough, but it seems like a better alternative than never being happy with my car again. Any experience with insurance reimbursement for hail would be greatly appreciated.
My insurer (Nationwide) had PDR personnel at their claim center for evaluation assistance. As it happens, I've used this particular shop a number of times and been happy with their work. They assured me that they can successfully repair ALL of the damage (including extensive damage to the curved area between the top of the side windows and the roof).
Now to your questions: IF you get into paintwork, it is quite possible that your vehicle will never look the same again. However, successful PDR should restore it to its former self.
You likely will take a severe hit though if you try to trade it in its present state. Whether it's a house, a car, electronic equipment, or anything else, the deduction for repairs will ALWAYS be more than the cost of repair in order to protect the buyer.
My two cents - have a good PDR shop fix it and don't accept it unless it's right.
The car repaired but the paint did not look as good. Instead of being a clear glossy white it was a softer, duller white. The reflections of trees in the paint was not nearly as clear as it was before.
Such is life. There are a lot worse things that can happen. The duller paint did not detract one bit from the enjoyment we got from driving the car. We have gotten too old to let silly things like that bother us.
Example...723.1 is the code for neck pain...724.2 is the code for back pain...so, if you state on a form that you never suffered from back pain before the wreck, but some doctor sent in a claim with the code 724.2, then you have made a claim for back pain...
What bothers me about this is that some doctors are quite loose with their coding when they bill, and can royally screw you forever on a pre-existing condition...if you went in complaining of sciatica, which usually originates in the lower back, he/she may diagnose it as lower back pain when it really isn't...
Then, an auto ins adjuster looks up in the MIB and finds that you complained of "back pain" just 6 months ago, when you really didn't...
One way to beat it (can't change the past, just alter the future) is to pay for most visits in cash, where there is not need to send to health ins...once the diagnosis is made, it is there forever...at least on Equifax, stuff will come off in 10 years, but the MIB lasts forever...
It is another discussion about symptomatology that I won't go into here, and that is the simple fact that even if you complained of back pain last year, getting slammed at 50 mph now has no real relation to your stiff back of last year from a heavy day of gardening...:):):)
I also do not know if medpay and other liability claims are submitted to the MIB, but it was created for the health ins companies so there could be a master tracking of symptomatic complaints, once the symptoms were given computer codes like the ones I mentioned above...
MIB will provide consumers with record disclosure once annually without charge!
To obtain free disclosure, you must call MIB’s toll-free phone number listed below.
A few things to bear in mind before you call -
If you have not applied for individually underwritten life, health, or disability insurance during the preceding seven year period, MIB will not have a record on you.
We will ask you for personal identification information to assist us in locating a record, if one exists. We may validate the identification information that you provided with other consumer reporting agencies.
You will be asked to certify under penalty of perjury that the information you provided about yourself to request MIB disclosure is accurate, complete and you represent that you are the person that is requesting disclosure.
MIB’s toll-free number for disclosure is 866-692-6901
(TTY 866-346-3642 for hearing impaired)
http://www.mib.com/html/request_your_record.html
Thanks again for the help!!
For instance, I had my gall bladder removed in 2003 and received short term disability from work because I was out a few weeks. Pretty standard stuff...one of my normal company benefits and I didn't think anything of it. I assume what you are saying is that it shows up on my MIB record? And I went to the doc for a sprained ankle several years ago. They would have submitted the bills to my health insurance. Does THAT show up on my MIB record as well? All of that might explain how the adjuster "thought" she saw something in my history.
What concerns me more is that she or anyone has access to that information. What are the guidelines to obtaining my MIB information? Is there a limitation on the information someone can obtain about me and my MIB file? Just curious.
I've been doing some additional research on their website and the web and see that they only keep records for 7 years. Does anyone know the accuracy of that statement? Means not even my sprained ankle would show up. Again, just curious.
was the car repainted? I am especially unsure about the fate of PDR repaired dents in severe weather (i.e., cracking paint). also, I have heard white is hard to match (thankfully, my car is red).
That was in June 1999. Our daughter drives the car now and it still looks very good.
smoochy: I am quite sure that your gall bladder, short term disability, sprained ankle, etc are ALL on the MIB if you made a claim on your health ins...
It is my belief (and I do not know whether employers have this ability now) that employers should be able to screen and determine if you have been treated for things like lung conditions (say, if you are a smoker), because that person, statistically, will be a higher cost drain on a group policy than a nonsmoker...you cannot simply believe when you ask on a job app when they state they do not smoke, because people lie, but the chronic treatment of lung conditions may be a good reason to exclude you, simply on a cost basis...when employers offer health ins, it is a benefit, not a constitutional right, and I, as an employer, will do everything possible to minimize my ins cost...knowing what you have been treated for in the past will help me make that decision...in a similar vein, knowing you have made 3 comp claims in the past for back injuries will make me highly unlikely to hire you if I have a manual labor position that needs an employee...
Everybody howls about employee rights, as tho they have the right to run up every else's costs w/o penalty...employers have rights, too, and the right to minimize future insurance payouts by avoiding smokers, motorcyclists, hang gliders, people with chronic back injuries, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other efficiency-reducing conditions is one that an intelligent employer should exercise...no one has the RIGHT to a job, and I would do everything possible to screen out the problem cases...the MIB, tracking those diagnoses, is one place to start...
BTW, I used myself as the "abstract employer" in my example, but since I practice alone, I do not have any actual employees, which is why I did not know how to contact the MIB, as I asked about earlier...
If the paints glossiness came off there may be a multitude of reasons -- none of which would likely be insurance related. There's not much more a carrier can do than pay for the proper repairs. If the shop of your choice failed to correctly paint the vehicle (or perhaps your vehicle is single stage -- which would fade on its own and lose its glossiness regardless) that would then be a shop obligation as your carrier has satisfied their obligation by paying for the proper repairs.
The direction you seem to be going is a touch toward the "can my car ever be repaired to pre-loss condition?" Well, no, the manufacturer will never disassemble and reassemble your vehicle, and no body shop can reproduce the OEM paint process -- simply ask them. Know that this argument will not work with your insurer however -- and the day it does your car insurance will likely go up exponentially (literally.)
Thanks
The bad part about Geico doing repairs is the deep suspicion as to whether or not they are performing an honest appraisal of the damages and not cutting corners where it really matters, and I generally have a serious distrust of insurance companies...
I suppose one way for an "almost good comparison" is to compare the two quotes and see if they call for the same parts to be replaced...if the parts are the same but the Geico labor is discounted, that would make sense, since after paying their workers, Geico would not be charging to "make profit for itself" like an independent body shop, but just to cover their costs of labor...I hope I said that to make sense...after all, an independent body shop would make money off its workers labor, as they should, whereas Geico is hiring them to do the job, and they are paid by Geico, but Geico's source of revenue is not the shop but their premiums and investments...
Another factor is new vs used parts...on any car under two years old, in GA, new parts are GENERALLY used, and any car older than two years can use used (junkyard) parts...that is also one way to save money...if on a 1 year old car, the indy shop uses new bumpers and fenders, where Geico on the same car uses used parts, that could also result in quite a savings, if it is legal where you are...add the savings on labor to the possible savings on used parts, and suddenly Geico can repair a $3,000 job for under $1,500...again, I am ASSUMING that both shops have competent technicians doing the labor and appraising the damages the same, with agreeing that the same parts need repair/replacement...
So, if that is the case, and Geico is playing fair, why not cut the cost in half by having your own body shop do the repairs???...if everything is on the up-and-up, I think it is a great idea...
But if they are doing it solely to cut corners and short-change you on the actual repairs needed, I am concerned...
Oh, and I almost forgot...it is also possible that the independent body shop is overestimating, overcharging, or recommending parts that do not actualy need replacement, feathering their own damage estimate...it is not always the ins company that is crooked, but the indy shop as well...
1) OEM parts used by dealership vs. Aftermarket parts used by GEICO
2) More parts replacement by dealship vs. simple fix by GEICO.
It seems like that labor rate is almost identical, just # of hours on some specific tasks are different.
Also the GEICO adjuster told her that any bodyshop has to follow GEICO guideline. So, if GEICO doesn't think the replacement parts are needed, dealerships may have no choice.
After all, it may just simply boils down to equipment used and technician skills. Anyone has any experience with GEICO technician.
BTW, what about manufacture warranty? Is it going to be void if GEICO did repair, not dealership itself?
Thanks
When Geico guarantees for a lifetime, it is for only the time you own the vehicle, not the life of the car and they are gambling their guarantee on the fact that most people trade their cars in frequently enough to not challenge their warranty.
No insurance company should be allowed to get away with this practice as it cheats the Insured out of First Class parts thus a "First Class" repair. :mad:
As I'm sure you're aware, we're already moving in that direction. I've seen news articles about companies requiring their employees to quit smoking as well as companies that will not hire a smoker. It's only a matter of time before ones cholesterol level is used as well as things like family medical history.
I won't go further as this could really lead to an off topic thread here. Thx for the clarification on MIB.
i know i made a mistake and i would appreciate it if people refrained from calling me a bad parent. any help would be appreciated.
tidester, host
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S