Take Full Insurance Settlement, Don't Retain the Vehicle!
Many auto insurers encourage their policyholders to keep their vehicles even after declared a total loss. One major insurers boasts that nearly 25% of their total loss claims result in the salvage being "retained" by the policyholder. It works like this - policyholder gets check for the full value of the claim and then purchases the vehicle at a reduced (salvage) value from their insurer. Seems like a great idea for the insurer and the policyholder, right?
Wrong!
Many insurers are under the impression that there is "goodwill" associated with the owner- retained option since the policyholder did not want to scrap the car. Policyholders sometimes like this option because they are attached emotionally to the car or can't afford to replace it even with a full settlement. What policyholders often don't anticipate is the impact of a salvage title on their car's value - the title brand, but it will reduce the value by up to 50%!
Additionally, many policyholders believe they can repair the vehicle themselves based what seems to be an inflated damage estimate. However, many policyholders end up abandoning the project and liquidating the dismantled vehicle at a loss. Or, they fix the vehicle inadequately and drive the vehicle with sub-standard repairs.
There are success stories with owner-retained vehicles, but more often than not the policyholder ends up dissatisfied. When a policyholder asks DamageMAX to bid on their owner retained vehicle we decline to make an offer. Instead, we encourage the policyholder to take the full settlement and shop for a new vehicle.
However, many policyholders are in a more difficult situation - their vehicle is wrecked but not totaled and they can't or won't repair it. In this case DamageMAX will buy the policyholder's vehicle AS-IS.
Don't be taken, call DamageMAX for a fast, free, no obligation quote. It only takes a few minutes of your time to get MAX value for your Damaged Car. Please call 888-629-2137 or visit http://damagemax.com/contact-us.htm.
|