Car might be totalled, will insurance fuck me?

[Andarvi]

Long story short, my car may be totaled.

Its a 2000 audi a6 2.7t and the front right fender, hood, grill, front right light, and bumper all will need to be straight up replaced. Not too sure about engine damage, the car could drive but sounded a lil funny. Don't know about the frame, couldn't tell, though i know if that is damaged its totaled for sure.

Do insurance companies usually low ball the shit out of you? Would they cut me a check based on the trade in or retail value? I bought this car 2 years ago for 13k when it retailed for 17k, it now retails for 13.2k, though the trade in value is fucking low at around 7.5-8k.

I had pictures taken in june and it only had a dent about the size of a baseball on the front right fender that could be buffed out. Other than that it was in perfect condition.

Edit: "Totaled" in the title.

[archibaldcrane]

I doubt they do trade-in value. That wouldn't make any sense. I assume they use the blue book, you'll probably be fine.

[Byrd]

I believe most insurance companies will consider the car totalled if the damage is more than the Blue Book value of the car. They will likely pay up to that value, but not more.

[Kazen]

Usually goes by Blue book not trade in.

[Penthesilea]

Usually Blue-Book - deductible = what they'll pay. If the total for the estimates > what they'll pay it's totalled.

[Khamsin]

But which Blue Book value? Trade-in, private sale, or retail markup? They provide all three values.

[Penthesilea]

probably retail. when mine was totaled they averaged 3 different value books and gave that to me as what they valued it as.

Actually, now that I'm remembering, I think it wasn't even that. Ave. value was 5.5k, damage was 3k, and with my deductible it was still worth more. hmmm i dunno, but they totaled it anyways

[Correction]

What insurance company do you use, btw? I know mine (State Farm) doesn't lowball people on estimates and is usually pretty generous on the totaled car checks. Not from personal experience of course, but I do know of at least 3 cases where cars were totaled and State Farm just promptly paid up the bluebook value.

[Andarvi]

I've got Commerce insurance.

[deivi]

honestly, if it's an 8yr old totaled car don't even turn in the claim, Good chance they'll raise your rates. You'll be better off just selling it to salvage, or if you have the time sell parts off first.

[Melena]

my brother totaled his mustang 3 days after buying it, and since they went by blue book, and he was able to buy it under blue book, he ended up making like 500 profit on it. so I wouldn't worry too much.

[netz]

my brother totaled his mustang 3 days after buying it, and since they went by blue book, and he was able to buy it under blue book, he ended up making like 500 profit on it. so I wouldn't worry too much.

500 profit after they raised his premium in addition to putting a fuckton of points on his license?

I slid into a guardrail in the winter in my car (a honda civic). Normally I don't fail so badly at winter driving, but whatever, shit happens. Two companies estimated damages around $2000 (fuck you, plastic car bodies), but the insurance adjuster took a look at it and a check from St. Paul Traveler's came in for $800. That was pretty awesome; I was going to be really upset, until the body shop told me they just bill the insurance company for the difference...

[Churchill]

stop driving crappy FWD cars in the snow lol.

[netz]

stop driving crappy FWD cars in the snow lol.

This is useful information I learned the hard way after thinking I was invincible.

[archibaldcrane]

Points on his license?

Insurance companies don't do that, at least not that I've ever heard of, ever.

Telling this guy to throw away like $5-6,000 so his insurance rates don't maybe go up $1-200 every six months for the next 3 years is retarded.

[MarkM.]

I read the title of this thread, and I saw you edited it once, so you need to edit it again, imo. It's not will insurance fuck me, it's how bad will insurance fuck me.

More than likely one of two things will happen.

1) They take care of you claim, and drop you. Which you will have to find a new ins company and you just totaled a car, good luck getting good rates.

2) Same thing along the lines of one, except your premium is just gonna sky rocket.

My advice, take defensive driving, it gives you like 10 to 15% off insurance, depending on what company you use.

[Tyche]

stop driving crappy FWD cars in the snow lol.

Thats a bullshit fallacy

[netz]

Points on his license?

Insurance companies don't do that, at least not that I've ever heard of, ever.

Telling this guy to throw away like $5-6,000 so his insurance rates don't maybe go up $1-200 every six months for the next 3 years is retarded.

4 SDIP (MA Safe Driver Insurance Plan) points on my license (each increases the premium $80 a point per year? I forget the exact conversion...) + a premium increase (because I lost the discount I was going to get for driving safely for several years consecutively) were applied to my car insurance because the accident involved just my car, so they automatically assume it's more than 50% my fault... I didn't contest it, BECAUSE it was my fault, so given the massive jump in my insurance premium I'll basically pay out the cost of the repair over the next 3 years.

May or may not apply to Andvari's case, depending on how exactly he damaged his car so badly.

edit: I'll probably have the policy renewal plus the new SDIP statement in November or December, can't wait, I'm guessing it'll be $1900 for the year.

[archibaldcrane]

Hell, a friend of mine has a 3 year old DUI and just started leasing a $48,000 BMW, and his insurance is only $160/mo (in California) even considering both of those things.

How badly could this guy's accident hurt him? Also, regardless as to how much they jack up your rates, look for competitor's quotes from every company. Every time my car insurance situation changes (old ticket drops past date where they care, etc.) I shop around, usually there's something lower than what I'm paying.

[netz]

Hell, a friend of mine has a 3 year old DUI and just started leasing a $48,000 BMW, and his insurance is only $160/mo (in California) even considering both of those things.

Yeah, I'm getting raped on insurance no doubt. Time to look around once I get the policy renewal for comparison!

edit: Massachusetts also changed their regulations recently, so national insurers are now on the scene here... before, Geico and the like wouldn't touch this state. I _think_ MA drivers paid above-average insurance rates before, but they changed stuff earlier this year, so it's possible that I might be able to get a cheaper plan now.