1998 V70 Insurance esimate

[cardiegoV70]

OK Matt! I missed the posts in question, but as usual, MVS came through. It's been so long since I've made any claim or had an accident, the process was foreign to me.

Made appt. with two independents for estimates with OEM headlight assemblies. Will keep you all posted and post some before and after pics.

One other thing that bugs me is I'm illegal for a broken lamp and I need to keep driving the car. That ticket could be correctable, but I recall it needs to be within 30 days of the violation. I doubt it will happen unless I get pulled over. It's been 12 years since I've been pulled in a car (the moto is a different story so I'm confident that will not happen.

[stephansvolvo]

Good luck!

[precopster]

I recently had an insurance claim on my 2000 V70 and I didn't insist on genuine parts as my car is high mileage however they fitted a genuine guard (the only panel required) however the side marker must have been non genuine as it has filled with condensation

The paint match in navy blue was spot-on however orange peel is more evident on this panel than I remember.

This is a pretty typical outcome and it was handled well.

They sent me a feedback form last week. Yes I know a different country and different insurance climate (Australia) however there are parallels here.

[E Showell]

Insurance claims handling is one thing I've found to vary a lot state-by-state and company-by-company. One thing I will say is that I have had uniformly bad experiences with Allstate when prosecuting claims against the driver of the vehicle causing the damage. Anybody who wants to know more should look for references to a book titled "From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves" detailing some changes in Allstate's claims handling policies made about ten years ago.

If you do not have your home and auto insurance through a mutual company, as opposed to a stock company, you are not doing yourself any favors.

Mutual companies are "owned" by the policyholders, i.e., they exist for the benefit of the policyholders. Stock insurance companies, on the other hand, exist for the benefit of the shareholders. They face entirely different sets of incentives. A pretty good indicator of whether your insurer is stock or mutual is the name. If it has mutual in the name it is probably a mutual company. The lack of "mutual" in the name is not dispositive, however. My auto insurer -- New Jersey Manufacturers-- does not have mutual in the company name, yet is a mutual company. If in doubt, call your carrier and ask. If you can switch to a mutual company, it is probably to your advantage to do so. Many rebate a portion of your premium following the end of the year based on claims experience. I have never failed to receive a "dividend" check from NJM and their claims handling has been prompt, efficient and fair, although as with any other company, it is a negotiation process and I do not recommend you accept the first settlement offer from any insurer -- mutual or not -- if you feel it is below fair value.

I do believe that, but for an antitrust exemption for companies carrying on the business of insurance, they would all be subject to prosecution for antitrust violations for paying less than reasonable hourly wage rates for body shop labor. The last time that information was relevant to me -- a few years ago -- they were paying NJ body shops c. $44-45/hr. I don't know about other parts of the country, but it would be difficult to keep the lights on in a body shop in NJ at those rates.

[cardiegoV70]

Well $500 became $1013 after the body shop took things apart. It may have easier to get money from the uninsured lady who hit me than the insurance though. According to Progressive, they can't pay out until the other company officially denies coverage.

So I am out of pocket for it, but the car looks great. The shop found a used OEM headlight, and a new aftermarket marker light. The bumper came off for a full sand, painted to a good match. Makes the car close to new in front.

Now I just need to get bumped from behind to fix the oxidized rear bumper. They quoted me $700+ to do that. It's a high end shop that does all the euro dealer cars. It's a wrap.

[matthew1]

Thanks for the followup, Cardiego. Out of pocket = ouch. It looks good = (smile).