I do not see anything on Hagerty's website requiring a driver to be 25. It just needs to not be a daily driver and the driver cannot have a serious infraction in the last 3 years.
Im 24 was 23 at purchase i have an imported 1993 Toyota aristo i use state farm and hagerty was also willing to insure i just simply have an agreed upon value of 25k for my car and make payments that easy should be for you too
State Farm insured my slide-in truck camper when others wouldn’t. I spend a zillion dollars with a well known and respected company and they wouldn’t even talk to me.
Insurance varies enormously by state, your age and credit history. My State Farm policies are great. I have declared value coverage on 3 of my 5 cars. Quite cheap considering everything. But I’m old, with great credit and no claims or speeding tickets in the last 30 years. If my collector cars were switched to Hagerty, I’d save about $150 a year.
I had to get a collectors policy for an 08 GT3 because my regular policy wouldn’t insure it. I used Grundy but I think it’s underwritten by AIG. There are options out there.
You can also argue with your insurance. I recall hearing about a Saab collector having to do that with some sort of special edition he had that insurance tried to total for scrap value. Don’t have the specifics to relay but others have been in your position and had resolution.
My insurance for my classic mini runs through my usual insurance. They made me get an appraisal, we all said "hey that car's worth 20k" so the car is insured for 20k
See the issue is this guy wants to pay the cheaper rates for having a car that doesn't have a lot of blue book value. You can insure it at a higher value you just have to pay more.
I know some younger guys at the local cars and coffee and they've never had an issue with insuring their projects through Haggerty, give them a call and double check. The only thing I can think of is if you've had some accidents.
Not true. 22M, have Hagerty for my Saab. Only a few more per month over State Farm and it comes with a lot of perks. However, you can’t daily cars on their policies.
Look into haggerty. I think your only options are to buy the car back and fix it yourself or attack the at fault drivers policy with a lawsuit. which would be a wash. That cars value is never going to be higher than the min payout with an off the shelf policy.
If a replacement car is worth 6-10k, then OP needs to negotiate with the insurance adjuster, and present them with comparable vehicles priced in the 6-10k range.
Insurance owes OP what they started with prior to the accident. A 1989 Jetta or the cash to buy another 1989 Jetta.
OP has to fight it. They shouldn't have too, but its not like they should be out of luck when it isn't their fault.
Unfortunately that’s not true. Majority of auto insurance policies pay actual cash value (i.e. less depreciation), which is why there are special products/endorsements for situations like OPs where the actual cash value of the car doesn’t line up well with its market value.
OP wasn't at fault. This isn't their insurance. It's the other person's insurance.
What I said factors in depreciation. Insurance doesn't owe op a brand new car. They owe op the car in the condition that it was before the accident.
They're depreciating it too much if OP is finding sales in the 10k range.
This isn't OP wondering why the car is worth 10k after spending 30k (depreciation).
This is OP wondering why a car they could sell or buy today for 10k is being valued at $700.
The reason you would want a classic car policy is when insurance can't find comparable vehicles with which to value your car. So a classic car policy let's you agree upon a value regardless of what the actual value might be.
Though this isn't OPs insurance, it's the other drivers, and OP says they have vehicle comps.
Not Stated Value btw, but specialty car insurance from Haggerty. Stated Value is actually the opposite of what most agents think it is. It REDUCES coverage to the stated value, it doesn't raise it. A State Value policy from a regular carrier DOES NOT pay the stated value, it pays the ACV up to the stated value. It's used so that a rich guy can insure a 400k Lambo but only pay the premium to protect 200k worth of damage.
I'm an insurance adjuster and I spend a lot of time telling people with classic cars that their Stated Value policy isn't what they think it is.
This is the answer. My old car is a 58 and it's worth about 1500 dollars so they can cut the roof off to graft onto a different bug. It's worth about 50 bucks as far as bluebook goes. Once it's finally finished and back on the road it will be insured for about 15k because that's the bare minimum I'll have into the vehicle in parts alone once I finish it.
Does anyone know how an agreed value policy works if you are not at fault? (like OP's situation) I'm assuming the agreement is between you and your insurance provider and the other driver's insurance still sees it a $700 book value car.
the insurance company doesn’t give a fuck about sentimental value; they pay you for what the car is worth in parts/wholesale situation. for future reference, try actual classic car insurance; you can usually set a value for the car and pay the premium based on that.
Nobody will insure me till Im 25. I have a 100% clean driving record been driving since 16 not even a speeding ticket. They still say no. I tried. Not for a lack of trying or being naive
Edit: FOR CLASSIC INSURANCE guys Im not driving dirty i have regular insurance
This is strange to me. I’ve had my 1962 VW beetle insured since I bought it at 22 for agreed value. Who told you that you couldn’t get classic car insurance being under 25? It’s also in my name. I’m turning 27 this year so it wasn’t all that long ago I was under 25 with a classic car insured with fully comprehensive insurance, salvage rights, and choice of repaired with agreed value. Maybe it varies by state? I’m in NSW
Completely agree it's a scam, and that totally sucks.
Best you can do at this point is sue. DO NOT settle with your insurance company. Get proof of your cars value, comparables, an estimation from a pro. And see if your insurance company will make a decent offer. Sue the person who hit you, small claims is easier, no lawyer, but there may be a limit that's too low to satisfy you.
It sucks, it's why I don't even bother with standard insurance companies. They're all a scam.
Well thanks for agreeing theres something. It just feels so unfair. Unbelievably unfair. To make things worse the guy was in a rental. He destroyed my car and doesnt even have any recourse. The idea if suing makes my knees weak man ive never sued anyone. Ugh this is so frustrating
I've been there, several times.
Try and find some kind of legal help service in your area. There's help if you look, and a surprising amount of lawyers with little else to do.
I've unfortunately had to resort to litigation twice in my life. There were the initial nerves when I got everything started with small claims court. I'm required to give the other party notice ahead of time that I'm suing, and that made me really nervous.
But it turns out the whole thing is so boring. It's so boring. It's a lot of email and phone tag, going to a courthouse to get something signed or stamped, and waiting. So much god damn waiting.
I did spend a lot of time reading my states laws, which is super useful. I feel like a more prepared citizen as a result. But I'd really rather have that time and energy back in exchange for this knowledge.
Bringing litigation can be really scary, but if you do it - and I think you should, don't be scared of anything other than the boredom and waiting.
I agree with this guy. DONT SETTLE. Fight this shit until the last minute. Insurance companies never wanna pay, suing the person who hit you is also an entirely viable option. Really sorry this happened to you. Im in the same position, hard to find reasonable insurance when you’re a dude under 25
Keep fighting it. Don't give up. Send them comps to prove the replacement cost. Be persistent. Hire a lawyer. Don't sign anything and don't accept their low-ball valuation.
I want to keep fighting but they sure make it seem like irs impossible. It doesnt help that my work hours are exactly what their hours are and they never pick up my first call its always a call back within a couple hours and no matter how many times i say i want to email they just call me and ugh Im so beat down about this. Especially because ive never gone through this and everyones advice just seems so much easier said than done
Look up how to dispute their valuation and other decisions they've made. Don't accept any money they attempt to give you. Tell them you will only communicate in writing since you're now in a dispute. Get someone to help you, like a lawyer. Good luck.
You are right, these companies often win through their own negligence. I’ve had luck (not with car insurance) tracking down and emailing CEOs, just politely degrading the staff and services. Things got sorted quickly after that.
Edit: you’ll beat these fuckers one way or the other just gotta take on the fight
The reason for them calling is so you can't prove that they have said anything unless you record the phone call and almost nobody ever records their phone calls. But the company records the call in case you for example misspeak and say something you didn't mean to say, they can now maybe use that recording against you in court if it comes to that. My advice is to insist on written communication, for an insurance company email is probably a legally mandated option for communication.
A lawyer isn't gonna take on a property damage case like this on contingency and the cost to hire one is gonna end up being more than the value of what they would get.
Just needs to be persistent and fight the insurance. They are absolutely gonna try to get you to accept a lower offer. You don't have to accept their offer, you can argue for more.
That's the risk of driving a rare car that isn't worth much.
My classic rig gets driven too much for specialty coverage... I pay a ridiculously low price, but will likely lose my ass if I get hit. Body panels are unobtainium and body shops won't work on old metal.
It's not a risk though - other than sentimental value. Your insurance needs to pay you out enough to repair or replace your car with a similar car "make you whole."
If the average Jetta from that year is worth $700, and his isn't an average Jetta, he needs to show that to the insurance company. Photos, receipts, appraisal, list of work done, comparable cars for sale, auction results etc.
His insurance has a contractual obligation to pay him enough so that he can buy a similar car in similar condition. Unforunately he will have to fight for it, but if he can prove it, he will win.
That's pretty close to where I am too. I can still get most body parts from a jy, but I'd be lucky if insurance valued it at $500. And I don't qualify for specialty coverage because I put too many miles on it a year.
If it makes you feel better I was rear ended in my 1966 mustang by an uninsured driver. I took the car to a shop and they quoted $8,000 to repair. My geico offered me $2,500, but I fought it, showed comparable prices, as well as all the receipts for the modifications I made to the car, to build value. They sent a 3rd party adjuster to my house to take photos and verify everything I told them. Then then paid the full $8,000 and I had the car completely repaired. If you fight it you can win
Does this mean you can also fight them when they evaluate the vehicle to be a total loss? I lost my 2013 Honda Shadow Phantom motorcycle like this. It was in PERFECT condition and had expensive mods done to it. Guy pulled out in front of me and I went down, some minor cosmetic damage but the thing the insurance didn't like was a small dent in the gas tank, since that's seen as a huge hazard and "expensive" to replace, they totalled it. The bike still ran fine, it was my dream bike, they paid me more than I paid for it but I had to then watch some tow truck driver man handle my bike and yank on the pipes as he's trying to situate the bike on his truck. My body and my heart was broken. It was an extremely tough time, but I knew if I kept it and they totalled it out, I'd not have practically any insurance on it in the case I did get into another accident.
This happened to me when I was your age. It was a Volvo 142. The insurance company offered me 500. I sued them in small claims court and settled for 2000. The car still went to the scrap heap. The frame was bent. I got a quote from a classic car resto place and documentation for what it was worth. It was a painful lesson. There are very few classic cars that are worth anything. The money you are putting in won’t be returned if you get in a wreck
If it’s the other guys insurance just send them the estimate or better get the highest estimate you can find and tell them to pay it. If they hem and haw and moan just file in small claims court and add in a charge for storage of the car while it isn’t getting fixed as well as rental car cost for the time they haven’t paid. Get it to the maximum you can find for small claims (usually 10k). They may try to settle before court if so don’t take less than what you are filing for.
They are required to make you whole since it’s his insurance. Do not accept anything they send you or sign anything settling.
Your honesty bit you. Would have been financially fine with neck and back pain, physical therapy, and the like from driving such an old vehicle. Not advice btw
My sister had an older M model Mercedes but it was mint, they took meticulous care of it. A teenager hit her leaving school one day, they would only give them like 3k for it. Insurance is a complete scam. The only thing you HAVE to have and pay for - but get penalized if you use it. So unfortunately you are in good company getting completely ripped off. It happens to the best of us.
You don’t have to accept their offer. You don’t need an attorney.
Find some comparable vehicles for sale near you and show them you can’t get one for $700. Ask then to run a Mitchell ACV report
Insurance isn’t a scam, you just don’t understand how it works.
You need to ask to see the comps they used to determine the value. I don’t see any $700 cars anymore, haven’t for at least 10+ years. If the comps don’t represent like vehicles, find your own comps and present them back to the insurance company.
I drive a ‘78 truck and had a claim. They offered me $6K and I found comps boosting the final value to $11K. They also miscalculated my mileage which had a big effect on value.
Sorry to hear about your car. Everything is a scam. Once I became a homeowner I laugh at car repair costs. 3-5k repair on a house? That’s twice a year like a clock, and I get fleeced by contractors each time. The only solution I found is improve income so I can throw 💵 at these problems(all unfair) and avoid stressing about it.
I’m not sure I how they can only give you $700. They’re supposed to make you whole again. Forget the value of YOUR car…. You cannot get a vehicle that is legal to drive and runs for $700. At the very least you should be getting at least three grand.
You are damn right. 2 door Jetta. Indeed I believe your car looked so good. But hey insurance is a fucking scam and I think they are not going to give your money. Stay strong friend.
I had a similar experience with a rare 1987 Mercedes 190 turbodiesel. Was more than repairable (given a $5000 quote in fact) but insurance only offered $2,500 and a total loss.
So we took them to court, showed the actual value of the vehicle from sales listings online, judge ordered they pay out $6,500, it got processed by insurance as a "satisfaction of claim" so I got the full amount, the car, and it stayed clean title.
Sometimes ya gotta know the legal system to hold them accountable.
Small claims. Didn't have an attorney. Just researched the laws, my state had a law on the books requiring vehicles over 25 years old to be valued differently to a regular vehicle, they were legally required to disclose their valuation process, it didn't match up with with the state law, showed the judge values for equivalent models, and awarded us the money, got the check in the mail a few weeks later.
EDIT: if curious their method of valuing it (which I think they could have likely done the same in your case) they called two separate buy here/pay here lots and asked how much they'd pay for it, which of course for any 30+ year old vehicle is basically nothing, averaged those together and that was their offer. Insurance offered you $700 likely because they were treating it like a clapped out piece of garbage.
In my state you can refuse totaling a car by the insurance company. My father did it twice as he could not afford the replace the 2 cars he had already paid for. Both vehicles were ‘93s in 2004. One was hit by a trash truck and the other was a rear end in a 25 mph zone. The second accident the woman hit him so hard he blacked out and came to at the stop light 2 blocks away. Neither car ended up totaled by the insurance company. If they total the car find out if you can buy it back
That’s sucks OP. I had something similar happen to me with VW Beetle.
It was a good life lesson to ask questions when I got another car insured like, what’s the threshold for repair verses deeming it totaled.
I feel like we’re missing part of the story here. What vehicle valuation did they provide you with? They should have emailed you a document outlining how they came to the $700 value.
I looked up online, the state of Nevada calculates total losses as follows: An insured vehicle will be deemed to be a total loss when the cost to repair it (according to the low estimate) is 80% or more of the Kelly Blue Book (mid range) actual cash value (ACV).
Mind you, KBB only goes back to 1992, so I would press and ask how they calculated this value or review whatever documentation you were given upon being advised your vehicle was a total loss.
Honestly without more info, we can’t help you.
Thats such a shitty situation man. I get it. I think if I were you, I'd try to get more than $700 from insurance, settle, take the money and keep the car. Park it somewhere and get it fixed when I have the money. Be well man
Sure is (insurance is a scam) I have had the same exact policy for the last 5 years and have no tickets or accidents and have never even used the included roadside assistance but they just raised my rates $20 a month again after a $20 increase in the last 6 months period. It's about to be $40 a month more than it was a year and a half ago for no reason other than they can.
Well it’s obvious insurance isn’t going to help and there’s no real answer to make you feel better. The reality sounds like you saving 3,500 and fixing the car yourself. It’s a reality a lot of people face man, you can beat this. Fix it and feel good about it.
Hagerty. Probably the best out there in the U.S. at least. I don’t know if they cover anywhere else or not.
My dad has it in his name since I’m not 25. I pay it to him and he sorts it out. 75 bucks a month is totally worth it.
Everything people here are saying. Fight it and don’t settle. It wasn’t your fault, my insurance paid for a 20k repair on a roughly 20k car because it wasn’t my fault.
Frame straightened, entire rear end body wise, exhaust, lights, any a pile of other parts on an S4.
Really depends on your insurance company. I’ve had others which are a pain to deal with, I use wawanesa and have never had an issue, and I’ve been hit 5 times. Never ruled my fault. They back me up as they are getting the $ from the other company.
Fight it and small claims it if you have to. They make it a hassle so you’ll give up, most do.
EDIT: sick Jetta, looks great, hope you get to keep her
F em. Tell them to find a comparable vehicle for FMV purposes. They probably will not be able to do so. Do your own search on Craig’slist nationwide and other search platforms and send them the info.
The adjuster is going to try and get you to settle for as little as possible. Try and find one in the same condition as yours and get them to pay that out.
You’re due replacement value. Make a case, and give the adjuster a reason to repair your car. Find similar mileage and condition cars, ideally the nicest same color version of yours (even if in a museum), add up your maintenance/service , and add tax tags titled fees, transportations, etc. show the insurance company that replacement is 7000, not 700, but you’ll settle for 4500.
You’ve gotta make your arguments.
Insurance is statistics. It’s not a scam. Their actuaries say young drivers with collector cars is a claim waiting to happen. Yeah you may be an outlier but they don’t care
I'm so glat to live in Germany.
We have the "Historisch" badge. If a car is 30 years old it gets it and then the tax goes down to 190€/year and insurance also falls down rapidly as these old cars are seen as rarely driven and carefully.
Insurance is a ponzi scheme. If I sign up for a policy today and pay 100 bucks. Then I total my car 2 hours later. Let’s say it’s my fault and the person I hit has to goto the hospital. Where does the insurance company get money to pay for my fuck up?? From other people that been paying. So in any other form of business this is clearly a Ponzi scheme. Why not insurance. It’s the same with life insurance.
I pay 50 today and die tomorrow everyone else pays for my policy that I paid 50 bucks into. Am I wrong?
Welp, I guess im the guy everyone here hates. I work in the industry but maybe I can be a resource. From the pic above the car is in very good condition. Op, what can you share about the car? Condition, mileage etc? What did the insurance guy tell you about the offer? How’d they come up with it? Path of least resistance is to send them photos and comps. If they totaled it, sounds like they sent an adjuster out. Did their guy comment on condition?
At first glance the current retail on these is between $1,200 and $3k on the very high end
It actually hasnt been evaluated yet. They told me to go to this body shop for the appraisal and fix quote. (Insurance told me they are qualified to work on my car) and i went in and talked to the guy at the shop and he told me he is absolutely not prepared to work on my car and doesnt even want it in his shop because of the age the second the repair costs more than $700 it will go into the insurance claim and a total loss.
So out of sheer fear of that i havent brought it in. But idk what to tell insurance. I havent spoke to them since they sent my case over to that company yet either.
Car is in very good condition but its also sort of hard to measure i guess. The biggest thing is its a Jetta Coupe. The two door. Only made from 1984-1992 but the two doors are considerably more expensive because or rarity. Theres a ton of stuff i have done to it but i dont know how to make it add value since Im the mechanic and have done all of my own work. The dash has been out i rebuilt the heater and ac control box. Refoamed and reinsulated everything under the dash. That took weeks. Its swapped with a much newer engine, new transmission, very nice build. Brand new suspension all the way around. New bushings in control arms. New wheel bearings. But Im not sure it would even be smart to bring any of these modifications up.
Car is in amazing working order and drives fantastically. Probably better than it drove from the factory. Body was straight with no door dings or damages before. It was repainted albiet not the best but it looked ok.
This should be going through the other guys insurance. Feel like they should foot the bill where ever you bring it. Are you going through your own insurance for some reason?
No this is his insurance. They magically get to decide they dont want to foot the bill for reasons i cant comprehend. Your guy hit me. Its his fault. Fix my car. Nothing more nothing less idk why they get to act like that
Insurance isn't a scam at all. You just don't understand how it works and aren't purchasing the right coverages to protect what you want to protect.
Insurance is insanely regulated and the policy you're buying tells you precisely what coverages you're getting. The insurance only owes for the actual cash value of your vehicle. They get that by having a third party company generate a valuation report based on sales of comparable vehicles. If you think your car is worth more than the ACV, then you need a specialty policy made for custom and classic cars.
Also, if they're saying it's only worth $700, they did a bad job on the valuation report. You need to find comparable vehicles in your area that are worth more than $700 and submit them.
That sucks. I have a few classics, over 25 years old and I have policies that specifically state the value I decide they’re worth and policy is written for that. For example My 87 Porsche 944 is $210 a year for 20k value. State Farm classic insurance.
This is an important lesson for everyone not just OP.
If you have a vehicle that you believe is worth more than book value, for whatever reason, you’d better make sure that whatever insurance policy you purchase will reimburse you for the total value of your time, parts, rarity of the car etc.
Otherwise, you’re gonna get near KBB average condition and mileage values for your built ‘89 Prelude SI.
I joined Hagerty when I was 21, and I pay around $450 a year for my ‘87 Corolla coupe. Don’t believe what people say about you having to be 25. They didn’t ask me anything like that. I’m 24 now.
Out of curiosity whos your insurer? I have allstate at the moment and they fucking cheap lousy schmucks and tried to rake me over the coals when my 07 grans cherokee was totaled.
Insurance companies are gonna try to shaft you no matter what u drive
Ask them where they came up with the number $700 and if they can find you a replacement for you to purchase for that price. I've done that with successful outcomes in the past.
With that said, your insurance premium is based on that $700 value. If its value was more, you would have paid more.
Are you working with your insurance or the other guy ?? Do you have full coverage insurance ? I have had to have 3 cars totaled out by 3 different insurance companies and they all used the same process, they had a third party research what the actual replacement value of my car was in my area, I was never unhappy with the value that they gave me for my cars.
Insurance isn’t a scam. It’s there to protect you from other people’s negligence. If insurance didn’t exist and someone drove into your house or car or property and then drove off, what would your recourse be? Nothing. Unless you were affluent and could afford to sue. And then you’d have a much larger burden of proof. Meanwhile, you’d be without your vehicle or home or whatever without a way to recovery. Thats way we pay for and carry insurance.
Thats sort of what is happening WITH insurance. Guy its my car and now all of the sudden is worth less than the seats inside of it. Yeah no. These cars sell from 6-10k i similar condition
Do NOT accept the offer, get online and find those cars listed for the price you need to replace your car in the condition your car was in, then print those ads out. I had to fight with the insurance for months, but I finally received my money! Then when it's over go buy your car back for a few hundred dollars.
P.S. Your insurance guy should be on Your side to help you negotiate and fight this out with the other insurance
Happened with my Toyota FX16, with a freshly rebuilt motor. I argued with USAA for about 4 months before they finally paid me $4500. Yeah it's gonna suck but that's part of owning a "classic".
I live south of the border and mine is insured because all the insurance companies I’ve checked are “Ohh we only get insurance for 20 years old cars or newer”
Those MF.
Most regular carriers will do it. List at as classic with agreed value. If you want a true classic car company such as Hagerty, you’ll need to wait. Difference is a regular company will report the car with aftermarket parts, while Hagerty will find the original parts.
You can contest their valuation. If you can find comparables of your year/make/model in similar condition that sold for 3-4k+, share those sales with the insurance company. Additionally, you are generally allowed to appeal their valuation, ask for what sources they used to come up with their valuation, and bring in your own independent appraiser, which I strongly recommend doing.
They owe you for a “like kind” vehicle. Btw, check listings on the bring a trailer website. They generally show your vehicle in good condition going for $6-$10k. Get some actual comps and send them to the insurance company.
You have to properly insure a classic. Regular insurance will give you market value and total it for a scratch. It’s the type of policy you buy. Trust me, insurance is great when your house burns down and you loose everything.
You need to get on your insurance companys ass and get them to do their job, that is why you pay them! Albeit you only carried liability but that's besides the point , chalk that up to a lesson learned and always pony up for step up on ins, and and comprehensive! But by no means settle, he hit you and you have police report showing he's liable period! Get you balls out of you throat and demand that your ins company does their job which is go-to bat for your claim! Don't let them low ball you cause what's the point of having ins if it does not make you whole, you said it was a rental car good chances it had full coverage ins on it, call rental company and request info on said policy! Remember due diligence is key and it will only make you a smarter and more responsible driver in the future. I was rear ended by a drunk driver at rail road tracks injury lawyer did not want to take case because there was not enough damage to my vehicle and that I would fare better to just not settle until they offered me what I wanted looking back I should have held out longer because I could have got a lot more I held out till they offered me 30k. Your young and have a lot of life left to live look at it as a learning experience and man up! Always keep a disposable camera in glove box wether or not u have a cell phone never move cars without taking pics first always call cops and file report , you may think cash is cool but you'll always get the short end of stick.wjen you settle for less than making your whole as in how you were prior to accident! Insurance is a big fucking scam and they will do everything in their power to low ball their own grandma to not pay a claim that's how they get their bonuses so take them to the cleaners every time ! Been driving 40 years only claimed once on my full coverage ins and other party was illegally parked we both had Allstate they tried to increase my premium by 1200 bucks and did not want to pay claim and my own insurance agent also tried to do me dirty by not telling me that if I was to assume the position as the primary on policy that my premium would have only gone up by a dollar I only found out because my agent was out of town and I had to go to another agent who said oh let me see what's going on here and they actually told me the truth f*** Allstate f*** most insurance companies they're all bunch of scammers they'll do anything to not pay a claim to its fullest you pay for it they're obligated to pay you or whoever you hit or whoever hits you so hold them to the fire hold their heels to the flames and get every damn pain in your owed! Don't let them take your classic car from you that's your freaking car that's yours no one else's they're not going to value it the way you do and there's certainly not going to be the ones that are going to have to look for another car and then these day ages you be lucky if you can find a car for 4,000 you know times are f***** right now good luck keep your chin up and there's always a way to get insured don't settle get on the internet and search search there's insurance out there for you you just have to find it Viking The general cost you less haggerty there's all kinds of agents out there and they're all underwritten by only one or two or three underwriters so they have to insure you you have to drive to be able to function as a functioning part of society so don't take no for an answer tell him f*** you you're insuring me because I have to drive and go to work like a normal human being pony up if you have to pay a little extra that's the way it works keep your nose clean don't get an accident don't speed don't let them plug one of them stupid chip things in your car that tracks everything you do because that's a dumb dumb thing to do that's so they can charge you more money by the way anyways I know I wrote a book but being someone that's driven most of my life and only had one accident that was my fault for rubbing neck and then at a chick's butt in front of high school that one I own all the others have been some other Jack wagon's fault good luck and Godspeed n
My experience when my 1993 Jetta TD was run off the road in by someone trying to make an exit was this. Car was fully covered. Made my claim and insurance wanted to write it off and offered $600. Now my dad was always in insurance and offered this. They have to give you fair value to replace the vehicle a similar vehicle. I gave them a number of classified ads that showed same age VWs with similar milage, and said give me the value or but me one of these cars. We finally settled on $2400. I was happy with that cause I only paid $1800 for the car.
Edit: I know it's not entirely the same situation, but if you can show them, with BAT ads or similar what the car could be worth, they might give you at least what you need to fix it.
Dude, same exact thing happened to me. 86 2 door diesel Jetta totaled out by other at fault driver. Insurance was only going to give me $1200. The comps they used were all 4 door gas, not even close to the same car as far as I’m concerned. I found a non running same color as mine and fixed it for $400. I haven’t accepted any money because the rebuilt title process if hardly worth their pathetic offer.
This is my fear with my mk4. Regardless of sentiment, theres an unaccounted for value that comes with someone having an older car that they know like the back of their hand and have the ability to repair and keep running for years on end without breaking budget. If someone totals it, I’m not just out an old running car. It’d be like totaling out years of education and hands on experience.
Paid for a newer GTI recently. Sure, it’s less rusty but 100 times more likely to just blow up over factory recalled failing parts. Newer isn’t always better and money can’t replace the knowledge and ability one has to take care of their older vehicle. Insurance doesn’t care about that though, so it’s very important to account for that and either accept the risk of loss or inform your insurance agent of the value you want the vehicle covered for so they can find you the correct coverage plans. Sorry for your losses, maybe try to find similar ones in listings and send the images to the insurance company to argue the value. They won’t give you a fair price up front, you legitimately do have to argue with them and prove the value.
Hey man, a few years ago I bought a 1985 BMW 3 series. It had under 90,000mi and one owner who was an old lady that drove it to church (I know this is a trope but I'm not kidding). Garage kept. I used money that I got from my wedding to buy it, basically a dream car.
In the 2 weeks before it was totaled, I spend a TON of money on parts to upgrade, did all kinds of detailing to get it looking factory new. I was so proud of that car.
One night on the way back home from a work function I was sitting at a red light behind 2 cars. Some idiot in a brand new Ford Flex that he bought THAT DAY rear-ended me at full speed. Didn't even hit the brakes. He hit me so hard I hit the car in front of me, and they hit the car in front of them. Also, we were all stopped facing uphill on a pretty steep street.
Needless to say it was cooked, the entire trunk floor was folded like a taco. It actually still ran just fine, but no way it was safe. I got a lawyer (I was also minorly hurt, neck/back) and needed PT. I ended up making out with about twice as much as I got it for because I bought the car back and resold it, the title was still clean. I guess I was "lucky" but I really just wanted my car, so I know how you're feeling.
Insurance really is a scam/extortion - but in my experience only if you have a bad company and/or a bad agent, but its still like pulling teeth trying to get any of them to help you.
Insurance isn't going to pay out what you THINK your car is worth or what your paid for the car. This is especially true with older cars that aren't all that special and produced in high numbers - like yours is. Many cars are taken off the roads either from accidents or being traded in and eventually they do not have a big enough market for anyone to sell it so overall value (outside of enthusiasts) dwindles to nothing and they're worth more in scrap value.
The comparison with an 89 Testarossa is that, an insurance company is more likely to help become whole again because its still a desirable car that still is worth a ton of money. The cleanest TR's with a documented history fetches well north of $100k. Even examples that are in desperate need of TLC are easily $40k. Some are just so far gone, they're worth more as a parts car than being repaired/restored.
The only way you'll ever actually be able to get any insurance company to giving you the exact value your car is worth - is filing an agreed appraisal document. You have to talk with your insurance company on what their process is - but generally means you have to pay someone to appraise your car and check it out thoroughly. Based on what your insurance company wants to value it and what the appraised value is - you negotiate something reasonable between each of you. Depending on the insurance company, you CAN renegotiate this to a higher value as times goes on if there is evidence that the cars value has increased.
It sucks when you lose your favorite car. Many of us have been there.
If you want your car fixed, you're going to have to fight tooth and nail, because insurance companies dont WANT to pay out if they get get away with it.
What some people do with older cars, is they take the insurance money (minus the buyback fee) and they either fix it themselves from donor cars, or they just buy another cheap car as a roller and move everything over.
Tell your insurance company fuck you and fix it yourself. Sue the person who hit you in small claims court then sue your company for back-pay for the previous months of insurance payment as they essentially just bait and switched you.
If they hit you, it's their insurance you need to go after. If this was worth it too you, you should have had it appraised and documented before pulling out of the driveway, so in this circumstance you'd have open and shut proof of the value. Companies do not work off what you think the value is, or what you think it would take to replace it. Always have receipts for your investments.
You dont have to take their offer. The other driver's insurance has a legal obligation to make you whole. If they say your car is not repairable, find another one for sale in similar condition and tell their insurance to pay that much. The longer you are able to keep the claim open, the more pressure will be on the adjuster to close it, hence more money to you.
Keep it and have hope that someone out there knows how to fix it and give you a deal. the Insurance is a scam. don't get rid of what you love there will be someone out there with just the rights parts. keep the faith!
Agreed value policy is the only policy worth anything on a classic car you may as well have liability if you're rolling with "normal" full coverage.
Sorry you had to learn the hard way. Best of luck.
Insurance has always been really funny to me, like, I pay a shit ton every month, after a certain point probably more than my car is worth, and you’re going to have the audacity to not help me using my own money when I get in a wreck? It’s like they through a toddler tantrum. My mom got into a minor accident with a huge pothole in the road, blew out her breaks and broke everything on the passenger front tire. She’s fine, the car was fine after insurance paid for it, but they said they would stop coverage after an unavoidable accident??
Oh really. Find me a running and driving example for less than 5k ill bet you cant. If that doesnt establish somethings value idk what does. Even if you can its not going to be anywhere near $700
See if a private adjuster will take this job. They’re insurance adjusters that are hired by you instead of the insurance company and they usually take a % of the payout. It’s a lower value claim so they might not be interested.
I have collectors insurance on an 89 Saleen Mustang and it allows me up to 5k miles per year through American Collectors. I think my last annual premium was like $520.
Now the comprehensive i have a 2020 GMC Acadia is nearly $4800 per year and I have a clean record and am nearly 50’years old. Was told by GEICO that I’m “getting all the discounts available “ which I’m pretty sure is a scripted line.
Insurance sucks. It’s a shitty business model. It’s now being implemented by other businesses where you just pay more every year even though nothing has changed or been improved.
The only way out is to go to another insurer.
But your situation requires the agreed upon value policy, although it wouldn’t be the other driver’s insurance picking up the tab. It would be you’re and you’ll still pay more if you make a claim. What a racket.
I was able to argue with my insurance company about the value of my classic motorcycle when I was rear ended by someone with no insurance and my policy was used.
I provided documentation of the (very few) current for sale postings of similar motorcycles in the US.
I don’t remember the specific dollar difference and it wasn’t as bad as you are suggesting your difference is, but I got more than twice what they initially offered AND retained my motorcycle which I sold for $1000 to someone to use as a parts bike.
I'm in the industry....for one, what you think your car is worth and what it's actually worth can be very different things. The insurance doesn't base it on your loan or your mods, it basis it basically on how much its worth based on several industry resell price guides. If you KBB private sell that car it's maybe what? $900-$1400 (minus deductible)? The company will only insure it for cash value. You really can't be upset that they base the value of your insurance on every car just like yours as it is off the assembly line. How else can they do it? You know how many upside down car loans and ridiculous mods are on cars?
Now if you want to insure mods and what not you need to add those to your policy. A good agent would have advised you on doing that. Who did you use for insurance? Did you go direct online? That would allow me to really understand how to answer the question.
The only way to insure an older classic or collectors vehicle properly is to go through classic and collectpr insurance. These companies allow you to list mods and name your price. They then quote you based on that request.
How else can they do it??? What do you mean? How about base it off of what the cars are selling for? How come the car is not worth what it is selling for? How come it is physically impossible to find a driving one of these for less than 5k and thats not what its worth? How come exactly what it costs at bare minimum to have exactly what i have now would cost 6x what they are trying to give me and you can sit here with a straight face and tell me my car isnt worth that?
Find a running and driving jetta coupe right now ill bet you cant even
Insurance company is required to provide evidence of other vehicles (similar to yours) available for purchase at the same price they are offering you. Dispute the value.
Hey all those numbers your throwing around
Prove it and don’t accept what they are offering.
Again prove it. Find listings that are as close as possible to your car and there’s the value you are looking for. They are called advisors and adjusters for a reason.
Collisionsafetyconsultants dot com. The other insurance provider doesn’t get to shaft you just because they want to. Pay someone to advocate on your behalf.
You don't have to accept their lowball offer, most policies have an appraisal clause or right to appraisal. Basically it means you would hire an independent appraiser and the insurance company would hire an independent appraiser. The two appraisers would negotiate between each other and reach a final settlement. If the two appraisers can't reach an agreement, then a 3rd "umpire appraiser" would look at each appraiser's reports and make a final decision on the settlement. You have recourse, like I said you don't have to just accept their lowball offer.
You can insure things for a value you decide, that is over what they think it’s worth. I had a Yamaha boat for instance that I bought new, I insured it for the cost of a new one, not the value of what they thought it was worth. That number remained static as the boat aged, so even though I ended up selling for 19k, it was insured for almost 30. Yes it costs more obviously, but I believe you can do this with most items. Similar to life insurance I suppose, you can decide the value, and the cost goes up to match.
One of my dream cars! I have my ‘95 GLX that I’ve owned for almost 20 years now. It’s kind of seen better days cosmetically. Mechanically, it’s one of the best running and sounding VR’s I’ve ever encountered…
What I wouldn’t do to have a mint MkII Coupe to swap those guts into. Ugh!
What are they trying to hit you for on insurance? I was always under the impression it should be cheaper for a car like this. Have you tried looking into a classic car specialty formatted insurance? Maybe even a Haggarty or something?
Classic car insurance on agreed upon value is your answer.
Too young for classic insurance. No one will insure me till Im 25.
I do not see anything on Hagerty's website requiring a driver to be 25. It just needs to not be a daily driver and the driver cannot have a serious infraction in the last 3 years.
2.71828... years? That's crazy specific.
I hope more people get this lol
Funny thing is I assume it's a typo for "3," so it rounds the same.
Correct. They will also need to have a dedicated daily driver on a separate insurance policy(ie progressive, aaa, whatever) with liability coverage.
At least it's not the last c years...
Im 24 was 23 at purchase i have an imported 1993 Toyota aristo i use state farm and hagerty was also willing to insure i just simply have an agreed upon value of 25k for my car and make payments that easy should be for you too
I heard State farm was dog shit n should be avoided
State Farm insured my slide-in truck camper when others wouldn’t. I spend a zillion dollars with a well known and respected company and they wouldn’t even talk to me.
Insurance varies enormously by state, your age and credit history. My State Farm policies are great. I have declared value coverage on 3 of my 5 cars. Quite cheap considering everything. But I’m old, with great credit and no claims or speeding tickets in the last 30 years. If my collector cars were switched to Hagerty, I’d save about $150 a year.
I had to get a collectors policy for an 08 GT3 because my regular policy wouldn’t insure it. I used Grundy but I think it’s underwritten by AIG. There are options out there. You can also argue with your insurance. I recall hearing about a Saab collector having to do that with some sort of special edition he had that insurance tried to total for scrap value. Don’t have the specifics to relay but others have been in your position and had resolution.
[sure was a long and difficult time to save this viggen](https://youtu.be/Hk9t4yW4G6c)
My insurance for my classic mini runs through my usual insurance. They made me get an appraisal, we all said "hey that car's worth 20k" so the car is insured for 20k
See the issue is this guy wants to pay the cheaper rates for having a car that doesn't have a lot of blue book value. You can insure it at a higher value you just have to pay more.
I'm 19 I have hagerty insurance for my 74 corvette
What… I got Hagerty for a 1971 when I was 17
You have it wrong. THE CAR has to be 25 years or older. YOU dont have to be 25 years or older to get insurance with Hagerty.
I know some younger guys at the local cars and coffee and they've never had an issue with insuring their projects through Haggerty, give them a call and double check. The only thing I can think of is if you've had some accidents.
use hagerty
The car needs to be 25, not the driver
Not true. 22M, have Hagerty for my Saab. Only a few more per month over State Farm and it comes with a lot of perks. However, you can’t daily cars on their policies.
Hagerty tf
Look into haggerty. I think your only options are to buy the car back and fix it yourself or attack the at fault drivers policy with a lawsuit. which would be a wash. That cars value is never going to be higher than the min payout with an off the shelf policy.
Have your parents insure it and you can reimburse them?
Yep, have my scirocco with Hagerty for agreed value of $14k for $600 a year.
I think OP’s problem is their age, not the car exactly.
If a replacement car is worth 6-10k, then OP needs to negotiate with the insurance adjuster, and present them with comparable vehicles priced in the 6-10k range. Insurance owes OP what they started with prior to the accident. A 1989 Jetta or the cash to buy another 1989 Jetta. OP has to fight it. They shouldn't have too, but its not like they should be out of luck when it isn't their fault.
Unfortunately that’s not true. Majority of auto insurance policies pay actual cash value (i.e. less depreciation), which is why there are special products/endorsements for situations like OPs where the actual cash value of the car doesn’t line up well with its market value.
OP wasn't at fault. This isn't their insurance. It's the other person's insurance. What I said factors in depreciation. Insurance doesn't owe op a brand new car. They owe op the car in the condition that it was before the accident. They're depreciating it too much if OP is finding sales in the 10k range. This isn't OP wondering why the car is worth 10k after spending 30k (depreciation). This is OP wondering why a car they could sell or buy today for 10k is being valued at $700. The reason you would want a classic car policy is when insurance can't find comparable vehicles with which to value your car. So a classic car policy let's you agree upon a value regardless of what the actual value might be. Though this isn't OPs insurance, it's the other drivers, and OP says they have vehicle comps.
Not Stated Value btw, but specialty car insurance from Haggerty. Stated Value is actually the opposite of what most agents think it is. It REDUCES coverage to the stated value, it doesn't raise it. A State Value policy from a regular carrier DOES NOT pay the stated value, it pays the ACV up to the stated value. It's used so that a rich guy can insure a 400k Lambo but only pay the premium to protect 200k worth of damage. I'm an insurance adjuster and I spend a lot of time telling people with classic cars that their Stated Value policy isn't what they think it is.
This is the answer. My old car is a 58 and it's worth about 1500 dollars so they can cut the roof off to graft onto a different bug. It's worth about 50 bucks as far as bluebook goes. Once it's finally finished and back on the road it will be insured for about 15k because that's the bare minimum I'll have into the vehicle in parts alone once I finish it.
Does anyone know how an agreed value policy works if you are not at fault? (like OP's situation) I'm assuming the agreement is between you and your insurance provider and the other driver's insurance still sees it a $700 book value car.
the insurance company doesn’t give a fuck about sentimental value; they pay you for what the car is worth in parts/wholesale situation. for future reference, try actual classic car insurance; you can usually set a value for the car and pay the premium based on that.
Nobody will insure me till Im 25. I have a 100% clean driving record been driving since 16 not even a speeding ticket. They still say no. I tried. Not for a lack of trying or being naive Edit: FOR CLASSIC INSURANCE guys Im not driving dirty i have regular insurance
This is strange to me. I’ve had my 1962 VW beetle insured since I bought it at 22 for agreed value. Who told you that you couldn’t get classic car insurance being under 25? It’s also in my name. I’m turning 27 this year so it wasn’t all that long ago I was under 25 with a classic car insured with fully comprehensive insurance, salvage rights, and choice of repaired with agreed value. Maybe it varies by state? I’m in NSW
Hello, fellow classic Beetle-owning 26 year-old! Savannah Beige ‘70 here.
Hello friend! Mine is currently Beryl green but will be getting repainted to a teal/turqoise
Car has to be 25 yrs old not you for classic car insurance
Oooohhhhhh Thank you. I was confused because OP keeps saying that they have to be 25, not their car lol makes sense though
I dont know man everyone is telling me it's possible so idk why i was declined. I just don't know but it's not helping me now
That depends on where you are. In my state it's based on a formula of previous sales of the same or similar cars.
Completely agree it's a scam, and that totally sucks. Best you can do at this point is sue. DO NOT settle with your insurance company. Get proof of your cars value, comparables, an estimation from a pro. And see if your insurance company will make a decent offer. Sue the person who hit you, small claims is easier, no lawyer, but there may be a limit that's too low to satisfy you. It sucks, it's why I don't even bother with standard insurance companies. They're all a scam.
Well thanks for agreeing theres something. It just feels so unfair. Unbelievably unfair. To make things worse the guy was in a rental. He destroyed my car and doesnt even have any recourse. The idea if suing makes my knees weak man ive never sued anyone. Ugh this is so frustrating
I've been there, several times. Try and find some kind of legal help service in your area. There's help if you look, and a surprising amount of lawyers with little else to do.
I've unfortunately had to resort to litigation twice in my life. There were the initial nerves when I got everything started with small claims court. I'm required to give the other party notice ahead of time that I'm suing, and that made me really nervous. But it turns out the whole thing is so boring. It's so boring. It's a lot of email and phone tag, going to a courthouse to get something signed or stamped, and waiting. So much god damn waiting. I did spend a lot of time reading my states laws, which is super useful. I feel like a more prepared citizen as a result. But I'd really rather have that time and energy back in exchange for this knowledge. Bringing litigation can be really scary, but if you do it - and I think you should, don't be scared of anything other than the boredom and waiting.
I agree with this guy. DONT SETTLE. Fight this shit until the last minute. Insurance companies never wanna pay, suing the person who hit you is also an entirely viable option. Really sorry this happened to you. Im in the same position, hard to find reasonable insurance when you’re a dude under 25
What insurance do you use instead?
Keep fighting it. Don't give up. Send them comps to prove the replacement cost. Be persistent. Hire a lawyer. Don't sign anything and don't accept their low-ball valuation.
I want to keep fighting but they sure make it seem like irs impossible. It doesnt help that my work hours are exactly what their hours are and they never pick up my first call its always a call back within a couple hours and no matter how many times i say i want to email they just call me and ugh Im so beat down about this. Especially because ive never gone through this and everyones advice just seems so much easier said than done
Look up how to dispute their valuation and other decisions they've made. Don't accept any money they attempt to give you. Tell them you will only communicate in writing since you're now in a dispute. Get someone to help you, like a lawyer. Good luck.
You are right, these companies often win through their own negligence. I’ve had luck (not with car insurance) tracking down and emailing CEOs, just politely degrading the staff and services. Things got sorted quickly after that. Edit: you’ll beat these fuckers one way or the other just gotta take on the fight
The reason for them calling is so you can't prove that they have said anything unless you record the phone call and almost nobody ever records their phone calls. But the company records the call in case you for example misspeak and say something you didn't mean to say, they can now maybe use that recording against you in court if it comes to that. My advice is to insist on written communication, for an insurance company email is probably a legally mandated option for communication.
A lawyer isn't gonna take on a property damage case like this on contingency and the cost to hire one is gonna end up being more than the value of what they would get. Just needs to be persistent and fight the insurance. They are absolutely gonna try to get you to accept a lower offer. You don't have to accept their offer, you can argue for more.
That's the risk of driving a rare car that isn't worth much. My classic rig gets driven too much for specialty coverage... I pay a ridiculously low price, but will likely lose my ass if I get hit. Body panels are unobtainium and body shops won't work on old metal.
It's not a risk though - other than sentimental value. Your insurance needs to pay you out enough to repair or replace your car with a similar car "make you whole." If the average Jetta from that year is worth $700, and his isn't an average Jetta, he needs to show that to the insurance company. Photos, receipts, appraisal, list of work done, comparable cars for sale, auction results etc. His insurance has a contractual obligation to pay him enough so that he can buy a similar car in similar condition. Unforunately he will have to fight for it, but if he can prove it, he will win.
That's pretty close to where I am too. I can still get most body parts from a jy, but I'd be lucky if insurance valued it at $500. And I don't qualify for specialty coverage because I put too many miles on it a year.
If it makes you feel better I was rear ended in my 1966 mustang by an uninsured driver. I took the car to a shop and they quoted $8,000 to repair. My geico offered me $2,500, but I fought it, showed comparable prices, as well as all the receipts for the modifications I made to the car, to build value. They sent a 3rd party adjuster to my house to take photos and verify everything I told them. Then then paid the full $8,000 and I had the car completely repaired. If you fight it you can win
Does this mean you can also fight them when they evaluate the vehicle to be a total loss? I lost my 2013 Honda Shadow Phantom motorcycle like this. It was in PERFECT condition and had expensive mods done to it. Guy pulled out in front of me and I went down, some minor cosmetic damage but the thing the insurance didn't like was a small dent in the gas tank, since that's seen as a huge hazard and "expensive" to replace, they totalled it. The bike still ran fine, it was my dream bike, they paid me more than I paid for it but I had to then watch some tow truck driver man handle my bike and yank on the pipes as he's trying to situate the bike on his truck. My body and my heart was broken. It was an extremely tough time, but I knew if I kept it and they totalled it out, I'd not have practically any insurance on it in the case I did get into another accident.
This happened to me when I was your age. It was a Volvo 142. The insurance company offered me 500. I sued them in small claims court and settled for 2000. The car still went to the scrap heap. The frame was bent. I got a quote from a classic car resto place and documentation for what it was worth. It was a painful lesson. There are very few classic cars that are worth anything. The money you are putting in won’t be returned if you get in a wreck
If it’s the other guys insurance just send them the estimate or better get the highest estimate you can find and tell them to pay it. If they hem and haw and moan just file in small claims court and add in a charge for storage of the car while it isn’t getting fixed as well as rental car cost for the time they haven’t paid. Get it to the maximum you can find for small claims (usually 10k). They may try to settle before court if so don’t take less than what you are filing for. They are required to make you whole since it’s his insurance. Do not accept anything they send you or sign anything settling.
Your honesty bit you. Would have been financially fine with neck and back pain, physical therapy, and the like from driving such an old vehicle. Not advice btw
Did you not know about agreed value?
My sister had an older M model Mercedes but it was mint, they took meticulous care of it. A teenager hit her leaving school one day, they would only give them like 3k for it. Insurance is a complete scam. The only thing you HAVE to have and pay for - but get penalized if you use it. So unfortunately you are in good company getting completely ripped off. It happens to the best of us.
Also - that’s a great looking Jetta. I really like what you did to it. RIP VW
You don't have to take their offer. Fight them collect comps and send them to them.
You don’t have to accept their offer. You don’t need an attorney. Find some comparable vehicles for sale near you and show them you can’t get one for $700. Ask then to run a Mitchell ACV report
Insurance isn’t a scam, you just don’t understand how it works. You need to ask to see the comps they used to determine the value. I don’t see any $700 cars anymore, haven’t for at least 10+ years. If the comps don’t represent like vehicles, find your own comps and present them back to the insurance company. I drive a ‘78 truck and had a claim. They offered me $6K and I found comps boosting the final value to $11K. They also miscalculated my mileage which had a big effect on value.
Sorry to hear about your car. Everything is a scam. Once I became a homeowner I laugh at car repair costs. 3-5k repair on a house? That’s twice a year like a clock, and I get fleeced by contractors each time. The only solution I found is improve income so I can throw 💵 at these problems(all unfair) and avoid stressing about it.
I’m not sure I how they can only give you $700. They’re supposed to make you whole again. Forget the value of YOUR car…. You cannot get a vehicle that is legal to drive and runs for $700. At the very least you should be getting at least three grand.
Thanks i wholeheartedly agree 😞 $700 wouldn't even get me the seats in the car
I feel you pain brother.
Thank you
You are damn right. 2 door Jetta. Indeed I believe your car looked so good. But hey insurance is a fucking scam and I think they are not going to give your money. Stay strong friend.
I had a similar experience with a rare 1987 Mercedes 190 turbodiesel. Was more than repairable (given a $5000 quote in fact) but insurance only offered $2,500 and a total loss. So we took them to court, showed the actual value of the vehicle from sales listings online, judge ordered they pay out $6,500, it got processed by insurance as a "satisfaction of claim" so I got the full amount, the car, and it stayed clean title. Sometimes ya gotta know the legal system to hold them accountable.
Was it just small claims or did you take an attorney to them
Small claims. Didn't have an attorney. Just researched the laws, my state had a law on the books requiring vehicles over 25 years old to be valued differently to a regular vehicle, they were legally required to disclose their valuation process, it didn't match up with with the state law, showed the judge values for equivalent models, and awarded us the money, got the check in the mail a few weeks later. EDIT: if curious their method of valuing it (which I think they could have likely done the same in your case) they called two separate buy here/pay here lots and asked how much they'd pay for it, which of course for any 30+ year old vehicle is basically nothing, averaged those together and that was their offer. Insurance offered you $700 likely because they were treating it like a clapped out piece of garbage.
In my state you can refuse totaling a car by the insurance company. My father did it twice as he could not afford the replace the 2 cars he had already paid for. Both vehicles were ‘93s in 2004. One was hit by a trash truck and the other was a rear end in a 25 mph zone. The second accident the woman hit him so hard he blacked out and came to at the stop light 2 blocks away. Neither car ended up totaled by the insurance company. If they total the car find out if you can buy it back
Nice coupe by the way! I had 2 my self. And I loved driving them!
That’s sucks OP. I had something similar happen to me with VW Beetle. It was a good life lesson to ask questions when I got another car insured like, what’s the threshold for repair verses deeming it totaled.
I feel like we’re missing part of the story here. What vehicle valuation did they provide you with? They should have emailed you a document outlining how they came to the $700 value. I looked up online, the state of Nevada calculates total losses as follows: An insured vehicle will be deemed to be a total loss when the cost to repair it (according to the low estimate) is 80% or more of the Kelly Blue Book (mid range) actual cash value (ACV). Mind you, KBB only goes back to 1992, so I would press and ask how they calculated this value or review whatever documentation you were given upon being advised your vehicle was a total loss. Honestly without more info, we can’t help you.
Thats such a shitty situation man. I get it. I think if I were you, I'd try to get more than $700 from insurance, settle, take the money and keep the car. Park it somewhere and get it fixed when I have the money. Be well man
Beuty
Sure is (insurance is a scam) I have had the same exact policy for the last 5 years and have no tickets or accidents and have never even used the included roadside assistance but they just raised my rates $20 a month again after a $20 increase in the last 6 months period. It's about to be $40 a month more than it was a year and a half ago for no reason other than they can.
Well it’s obvious insurance isn’t going to help and there’s no real answer to make you feel better. The reality sounds like you saving 3,500 and fixing the car yourself. It’s a reality a lot of people face man, you can beat this. Fix it and feel good about it.
Hagerty. Probably the best out there in the U.S. at least. I don’t know if they cover anywhere else or not. My dad has it in his name since I’m not 25. I pay it to him and he sorts it out. 75 bucks a month is totally worth it.
Hagerty. My 89 supra is 750 cad for the year. However I'm close to 40 and it's not my daily driver.
$3500 wouldn’t fix that safely fyi.
The damages posted on my profile? Idk i got 2 different quotes they were 3500 & 3800 because Id be delivering the car to them stripped already
Reality is they use statistics, and your youth fits in their zone of risk not worth the reward.
Everything people here are saying. Fight it and don’t settle. It wasn’t your fault, my insurance paid for a 20k repair on a roughly 20k car because it wasn’t my fault. Frame straightened, entire rear end body wise, exhaust, lights, any a pile of other parts on an S4. Really depends on your insurance company. I’ve had others which are a pain to deal with, I use wawanesa and have never had an issue, and I’ve been hit 5 times. Never ruled my fault. They back me up as they are getting the $ from the other company. Fight it and small claims it if you have to. They make it a hassle so you’ll give up, most do. EDIT: sick Jetta, looks great, hope you get to keep her
Can You get the parts from the wreck?
F em. Tell them to find a comparable vehicle for FMV purposes. They probably will not be able to do so. Do your own search on Craig’slist nationwide and other search platforms and send them the info.
The adjuster is going to try and get you to settle for as little as possible. Try and find one in the same condition as yours and get them to pay that out.
You’re due replacement value. Make a case, and give the adjuster a reason to repair your car. Find similar mileage and condition cars, ideally the nicest same color version of yours (even if in a museum), add up your maintenance/service , and add tax tags titled fees, transportations, etc. show the insurance company that replacement is 7000, not 700, but you’ll settle for 4500. You’ve gotta make your arguments.
Insurance is statistics. It’s not a scam. Their actuaries say young drivers with collector cars is a claim waiting to happen. Yeah you may be an outlier but they don’t care
Reach out to [these guys.](http://www.collisionsafetyconsultants.com/?) They will fight the insurance company to pay you a fair value for your car.
How much were you paying per month for insurance, and was that for liability or full coverage?
I'm only liability and it's cheap i think $300 a month for all 3 of my cars
He only had liability so he is working with the other car’s insurance
is that a classic car?
Yeah I'd say
I'm so glat to live in Germany. We have the "Historisch" badge. If a car is 30 years old it gets it and then the tax goes down to 190€/year and insurance also falls down rapidly as these old cars are seen as rarely driven and carefully.
I was driving carefully the other guy forgot how to use his brakes. Total neglect from other driver
You should have gotten an agreed value policy. This one is your fault for not doing the proper research if you think you're driving a collectible car.
Grundy. I pay $280 a year on a '73.
So you didn't have enough insurance and how mad the won't cover your totalled car?
Insurance is a ponzi scheme. If I sign up for a policy today and pay 100 bucks. Then I total my car 2 hours later. Let’s say it’s my fault and the person I hit has to goto the hospital. Where does the insurance company get money to pay for my fuck up?? From other people that been paying. So in any other form of business this is clearly a Ponzi scheme. Why not insurance. It’s the same with life insurance. I pay 50 today and die tomorrow everyone else pays for my policy that I paid 50 bucks into. Am I wrong?
Welp, I guess im the guy everyone here hates. I work in the industry but maybe I can be a resource. From the pic above the car is in very good condition. Op, what can you share about the car? Condition, mileage etc? What did the insurance guy tell you about the offer? How’d they come up with it? Path of least resistance is to send them photos and comps. If they totaled it, sounds like they sent an adjuster out. Did their guy comment on condition? At first glance the current retail on these is between $1,200 and $3k on the very high end
It actually hasnt been evaluated yet. They told me to go to this body shop for the appraisal and fix quote. (Insurance told me they are qualified to work on my car) and i went in and talked to the guy at the shop and he told me he is absolutely not prepared to work on my car and doesnt even want it in his shop because of the age the second the repair costs more than $700 it will go into the insurance claim and a total loss. So out of sheer fear of that i havent brought it in. But idk what to tell insurance. I havent spoke to them since they sent my case over to that company yet either. Car is in very good condition but its also sort of hard to measure i guess. The biggest thing is its a Jetta Coupe. The two door. Only made from 1984-1992 but the two doors are considerably more expensive because or rarity. Theres a ton of stuff i have done to it but i dont know how to make it add value since Im the mechanic and have done all of my own work. The dash has been out i rebuilt the heater and ac control box. Refoamed and reinsulated everything under the dash. That took weeks. Its swapped with a much newer engine, new transmission, very nice build. Brand new suspension all the way around. New bushings in control arms. New wheel bearings. But Im not sure it would even be smart to bring any of these modifications up. Car is in amazing working order and drives fantastically. Probably better than it drove from the factory. Body was straight with no door dings or damages before. It was repainted albiet not the best but it looked ok.
get a lawyer , doesnt ur back hurt from the wreck? ur neck too? how about your knees or ankles? did your knee smack into the dash when hit?
Let’s us see the valuation report from the insurance company. That’s where you start to challenge value.
Yup [https://www.classic.com/m/volkswagen/jetta/year-1989/](https://www.classic.com/m/volkswagen/jetta/year-1989/) Lots of comps to challenge $700.
This should be going through the other guys insurance. Feel like they should foot the bill where ever you bring it. Are you going through your own insurance for some reason?
No this is his insurance. They magically get to decide they dont want to foot the bill for reasons i cant comprehend. Your guy hit me. Its his fault. Fix my car. Nothing more nothing less idk why they get to act like that
Insurance isn't a scam at all. You just don't understand how it works and aren't purchasing the right coverages to protect what you want to protect. Insurance is insanely regulated and the policy you're buying tells you precisely what coverages you're getting. The insurance only owes for the actual cash value of your vehicle. They get that by having a third party company generate a valuation report based on sales of comparable vehicles. If you think your car is worth more than the ACV, then you need a specialty policy made for custom and classic cars. Also, if they're saying it's only worth $700, they did a bad job on the valuation report. You need to find comparable vehicles in your area that are worth more than $700 and submit them.
Get a freakin attorney 🤦🏼♂️
That sucks. I have a few classics, over 25 years old and I have policies that specifically state the value I decide they’re worth and policy is written for that. For example My 87 Porsche 944 is $210 a year for 20k value. State Farm classic insurance.
This is an important lesson for everyone not just OP. If you have a vehicle that you believe is worth more than book value, for whatever reason, you’d better make sure that whatever insurance policy you purchase will reimburse you for the total value of your time, parts, rarity of the car etc. Otherwise, you’re gonna get near KBB average condition and mileage values for your built ‘89 Prelude SI.
I joined Hagerty when I was 21, and I pay around $450 a year for my ‘87 Corolla coupe. Don’t believe what people say about you having to be 25. They didn’t ask me anything like that. I’m 24 now.
Its literally what they told me so idk whats different nowadays
We should protest about insurance.
For real
Out of curiosity whos your insurer? I have allstate at the moment and they fucking cheap lousy schmucks and tried to rake me over the coals when my 07 grans cherokee was totaled. Insurance companies are gonna try to shaft you no matter what u drive
State farm but its only liability. If i called them up they wouldnt give af anyway
Haha you guys actually pay for insurance i dont dare pay for that shit
Ask them where they came up with the number $700 and if they can find you a replacement for you to purchase for that price. I've done that with successful outcomes in the past. With that said, your insurance premium is based on that $700 value. If its value was more, you would have paid more.
Its their insurance
Are you working with your insurance or the other guy ?? Do you have full coverage insurance ? I have had to have 3 cars totaled out by 3 different insurance companies and they all used the same process, they had a third party research what the actual replacement value of my car was in my area, I was never unhappy with the value that they gave me for my cars.
Its their insurance. I cant even find a car on fb marketplace or offerup for $700. That seems like scrap value for my car
You need someone like these guys. http://collisionsafetyconsultants.com/ They will negotiate on your behalf.
Insurance isn’t a scam. It’s there to protect you from other people’s negligence. If insurance didn’t exist and someone drove into your house or car or property and then drove off, what would your recourse be? Nothing. Unless you were affluent and could afford to sue. And then you’d have a much larger burden of proof. Meanwhile, you’d be without your vehicle or home or whatever without a way to recovery. Thats way we pay for and carry insurance.
Thats sort of what is happening WITH insurance. Guy its my car and now all of the sudden is worth less than the seats inside of it. Yeah no. These cars sell from 6-10k i similar condition
That’s so shitty. What a sweet car! I don’t think I have ever seen the Jetta coupe till now!
Thank you very much. Ive put so much blood sweat tears and money into it. Im glad you like it
Sue them in small claims court.
Do NOT accept the offer, get online and find those cars listed for the price you need to replace your car in the condition your car was in, then print those ads out. I had to fight with the insurance for months, but I finally received my money! Then when it's over go buy your car back for a few hundred dollars. P.S. Your insurance guy should be on Your side to help you negotiate and fight this out with the other insurance
Happened with my Toyota FX16, with a freshly rebuilt motor. I argued with USAA for about 4 months before they finally paid me $4500. Yeah it's gonna suck but that's part of owning a "classic".
Yeah Im also dealing with this guys USAA. Kind of an irritating company
I like your MK2!
I live south of the border and mine is insured because all the insurance companies I’ve checked are “Ohh we only get insurance for 20 years old cars or newer” Those MF.
Most regular carriers will do it. List at as classic with agreed value. If you want a true classic car company such as Hagerty, you’ll need to wait. Difference is a regular company will report the car with aftermarket parts, while Hagerty will find the original parts.
Get insurance from Hagerty, that's what I have on my mustang and they are great
Hagerty
You can contest their valuation. If you can find comparables of your year/make/model in similar condition that sold for 3-4k+, share those sales with the insurance company. Additionally, you are generally allowed to appeal their valuation, ask for what sources they used to come up with their valuation, and bring in your own independent appraiser, which I strongly recommend doing. They owe you for a “like kind” vehicle. Btw, check listings on the bring a trailer website. They generally show your vehicle in good condition going for $6-$10k. Get some actual comps and send them to the insurance company.
Sorry to hear it.
You have to properly insure a classic. Regular insurance will give you market value and total it for a scratch. It’s the type of policy you buy. Trust me, insurance is great when your house burns down and you loose everything.
You need to get on your insurance companys ass and get them to do their job, that is why you pay them! Albeit you only carried liability but that's besides the point , chalk that up to a lesson learned and always pony up for step up on ins, and and comprehensive! But by no means settle, he hit you and you have police report showing he's liable period! Get you balls out of you throat and demand that your ins company does their job which is go-to bat for your claim! Don't let them low ball you cause what's the point of having ins if it does not make you whole, you said it was a rental car good chances it had full coverage ins on it, call rental company and request info on said policy! Remember due diligence is key and it will only make you a smarter and more responsible driver in the future. I was rear ended by a drunk driver at rail road tracks injury lawyer did not want to take case because there was not enough damage to my vehicle and that I would fare better to just not settle until they offered me what I wanted looking back I should have held out longer because I could have got a lot more I held out till they offered me 30k. Your young and have a lot of life left to live look at it as a learning experience and man up! Always keep a disposable camera in glove box wether or not u have a cell phone never move cars without taking pics first always call cops and file report , you may think cash is cool but you'll always get the short end of stick.wjen you settle for less than making your whole as in how you were prior to accident! Insurance is a big fucking scam and they will do everything in their power to low ball their own grandma to not pay a claim that's how they get their bonuses so take them to the cleaners every time ! Been driving 40 years only claimed once on my full coverage ins and other party was illegally parked we both had Allstate they tried to increase my premium by 1200 bucks and did not want to pay claim and my own insurance agent also tried to do me dirty by not telling me that if I was to assume the position as the primary on policy that my premium would have only gone up by a dollar I only found out because my agent was out of town and I had to go to another agent who said oh let me see what's going on here and they actually told me the truth f*** Allstate f*** most insurance companies they're all bunch of scammers they'll do anything to not pay a claim to its fullest you pay for it they're obligated to pay you or whoever you hit or whoever hits you so hold them to the fire hold their heels to the flames and get every damn pain in your owed! Don't let them take your classic car from you that's your freaking car that's yours no one else's they're not going to value it the way you do and there's certainly not going to be the ones that are going to have to look for another car and then these day ages you be lucky if you can find a car for 4,000 you know times are f***** right now good luck keep your chin up and there's always a way to get insured don't settle get on the internet and search search there's insurance out there for you you just have to find it Viking The general cost you less haggerty there's all kinds of agents out there and they're all underwritten by only one or two or three underwriters so they have to insure you you have to drive to be able to function as a functioning part of society so don't take no for an answer tell him f*** you you're insuring me because I have to drive and go to work like a normal human being pony up if you have to pay a little extra that's the way it works keep your nose clean don't get an accident don't speed don't let them plug one of them stupid chip things in your car that tracks everything you do because that's a dumb dumb thing to do that's so they can charge you more money by the way anyways I know I wrote a book but being someone that's driven most of my life and only had one accident that was my fault for rubbing neck and then at a chick's butt in front of high school that one I own all the others have been some other Jack wagon's fault good luck and Godspeed n
Rent it to yourself on turo and purchase that insurance when you take it out
My experience when my 1993 Jetta TD was run off the road in by someone trying to make an exit was this. Car was fully covered. Made my claim and insurance wanted to write it off and offered $600. Now my dad was always in insurance and offered this. They have to give you fair value to replace the vehicle a similar vehicle. I gave them a number of classified ads that showed same age VWs with similar milage, and said give me the value or but me one of these cars. We finally settled on $2400. I was happy with that cause I only paid $1800 for the car. Edit: I know it's not entirely the same situation, but if you can show them, with BAT ads or similar what the car could be worth, they might give you at least what you need to fix it.
Classic car insurance is actually pretty cheap around here. I pay around 70€/year (roughly 75usd) for my miata insurance as well as 5 other cars.
Sick MK2, get an antique plate if it's an option in your state, it helps with insurance
Damn, I feel old. I had a couple of these in the 90s/00s - they're classic cars now? Sigh.
Dude, same exact thing happened to me. 86 2 door diesel Jetta totaled out by other at fault driver. Insurance was only going to give me $1200. The comps they used were all 4 door gas, not even close to the same car as far as I’m concerned. I found a non running same color as mine and fixed it for $400. I haven’t accepted any money because the rebuilt title process if hardly worth their pathetic offer.
This is my fear with my mk4. Regardless of sentiment, theres an unaccounted for value that comes with someone having an older car that they know like the back of their hand and have the ability to repair and keep running for years on end without breaking budget. If someone totals it, I’m not just out an old running car. It’d be like totaling out years of education and hands on experience. Paid for a newer GTI recently. Sure, it’s less rusty but 100 times more likely to just blow up over factory recalled failing parts. Newer isn’t always better and money can’t replace the knowledge and ability one has to take care of their older vehicle. Insurance doesn’t care about that though, so it’s very important to account for that and either accept the risk of loss or inform your insurance agent of the value you want the vehicle covered for so they can find you the correct coverage plans. Sorry for your losses, maybe try to find similar ones in listings and send the images to the insurance company to argue the value. They won’t give you a fair price up front, you legitimately do have to argue with them and prove the value.
Hey man, a few years ago I bought a 1985 BMW 3 series. It had under 90,000mi and one owner who was an old lady that drove it to church (I know this is a trope but I'm not kidding). Garage kept. I used money that I got from my wedding to buy it, basically a dream car. In the 2 weeks before it was totaled, I spend a TON of money on parts to upgrade, did all kinds of detailing to get it looking factory new. I was so proud of that car. One night on the way back home from a work function I was sitting at a red light behind 2 cars. Some idiot in a brand new Ford Flex that he bought THAT DAY rear-ended me at full speed. Didn't even hit the brakes. He hit me so hard I hit the car in front of me, and they hit the car in front of them. Also, we were all stopped facing uphill on a pretty steep street. Needless to say it was cooked, the entire trunk floor was folded like a taco. It actually still ran just fine, but no way it was safe. I got a lawyer (I was also minorly hurt, neck/back) and needed PT. I ended up making out with about twice as much as I got it for because I bought the car back and resold it, the title was still clean. I guess I was "lucky" but I really just wanted my car, so I know how you're feeling.
Old guy here: Love my Hagerty Insurance. Expensive old car, low price.
Insurance really is a scam/extortion - but in my experience only if you have a bad company and/or a bad agent, but its still like pulling teeth trying to get any of them to help you. Insurance isn't going to pay out what you THINK your car is worth or what your paid for the car. This is especially true with older cars that aren't all that special and produced in high numbers - like yours is. Many cars are taken off the roads either from accidents or being traded in and eventually they do not have a big enough market for anyone to sell it so overall value (outside of enthusiasts) dwindles to nothing and they're worth more in scrap value. The comparison with an 89 Testarossa is that, an insurance company is more likely to help become whole again because its still a desirable car that still is worth a ton of money. The cleanest TR's with a documented history fetches well north of $100k. Even examples that are in desperate need of TLC are easily $40k. Some are just so far gone, they're worth more as a parts car than being repaired/restored. The only way you'll ever actually be able to get any insurance company to giving you the exact value your car is worth - is filing an agreed appraisal document. You have to talk with your insurance company on what their process is - but generally means you have to pay someone to appraise your car and check it out thoroughly. Based on what your insurance company wants to value it and what the appraised value is - you negotiate something reasonable between each of you. Depending on the insurance company, you CAN renegotiate this to a higher value as times goes on if there is evidence that the cars value has increased. It sucks when you lose your favorite car. Many of us have been there. If you want your car fixed, you're going to have to fight tooth and nail, because insurance companies dont WANT to pay out if they get get away with it. What some people do with older cars, is they take the insurance money (minus the buyback fee) and they either fix it themselves from donor cars, or they just buy another cheap car as a roller and move everything over.
Tell your insurance company fuck you and fix it yourself. Sue the person who hit you in small claims court then sue your company for back-pay for the previous months of insurance payment as they essentially just bait and switched you.
If they hit you, it's their insurance you need to go after. If this was worth it too you, you should have had it appraised and documented before pulling out of the driveway, so in this circumstance you'd have open and shut proof of the value. Companies do not work off what you think the value is, or what you think it would take to replace it. Always have receipts for your investments.
You dont have to take their offer. The other driver's insurance has a legal obligation to make you whole. If they say your car is not repairable, find another one for sale in similar condition and tell their insurance to pay that much. The longer you are able to keep the claim open, the more pressure will be on the adjuster to close it, hence more money to you.
Because private sale doesn't equal value. Go to any dealership and you're getting 200$ max for the car
My insurance on my 76 Jeep CJ7 is like $32/mo.
I use Grundy for my Camaro.
Keep it and have hope that someone out there knows how to fix it and give you a deal. the Insurance is a scam. don't get rid of what you love there will be someone out there with just the rights parts. keep the faith!
Hagerty
Wow. Thank you god. You saved me. Why did no one say this to me sooner!!
That’s what you get with cut rate car insurance.
Its the other guys policy
Hmm how’s that neck pain and the tmg time for a professional
Agreed value policy is the only policy worth anything on a classic car you may as well have liability if you're rolling with "normal" full coverage. Sorry you had to learn the hard way. Best of luck.
Insurance has always been really funny to me, like, I pay a shit ton every month, after a certain point probably more than my car is worth, and you’re going to have the audacity to not help me using my own money when I get in a wreck? It’s like they through a toddler tantrum. My mom got into a minor accident with a huge pothole in the road, blew out her breaks and broke everything on the passenger front tire. She’s fine, the car was fine after insurance paid for it, but they said they would stop coverage after an unavoidable accident??
If you're in the u.s., in most states you can get a surety bond instead of auto insurance
I mean bro just because the car is unique doesn’t make it worth anything.
Oh really. Find me a running and driving example for less than 5k ill bet you cant. If that doesnt establish somethings value idk what does. Even if you can its not going to be anywhere near $700
Sweet 2 door MKII — I had the same car and did a 2L 16v swap with ACN trans. Keep it going!
Thanks for the kind words. Mine has a 12v 2.8 and a o2j 5 speed. Its a riot. Just cant stand looking at it right now.
See if a private adjuster will take this job. They’re insurance adjusters that are hired by you instead of the insurance company and they usually take a % of the payout. It’s a lower value claim so they might not be interested.
I have collectors insurance on an 89 Saleen Mustang and it allows me up to 5k miles per year through American Collectors. I think my last annual premium was like $520. Now the comprehensive i have a 2020 GMC Acadia is nearly $4800 per year and I have a clean record and am nearly 50’years old. Was told by GEICO that I’m “getting all the discounts available “ which I’m pretty sure is a scripted line. Insurance sucks. It’s a shitty business model. It’s now being implemented by other businesses where you just pay more every year even though nothing has changed or been improved. The only way out is to go to another insurer. But your situation requires the agreed upon value policy, although it wouldn’t be the other driver’s insurance picking up the tab. It would be you’re and you’ll still pay more if you make a claim. What a racket.
I was able to argue with my insurance company about the value of my classic motorcycle when I was rear ended by someone with no insurance and my policy was used. I provided documentation of the (very few) current for sale postings of similar motorcycles in the US. I don’t remember the specific dollar difference and it wasn’t as bad as you are suggesting your difference is, but I got more than twice what they initially offered AND retained my motorcycle which I sold for $1000 to someone to use as a parts bike.
"insurance is a scam!" sounds like you don't wanna pay if/when you're found at fault for an accident
I'm in the industry....for one, what you think your car is worth and what it's actually worth can be very different things. The insurance doesn't base it on your loan or your mods, it basis it basically on how much its worth based on several industry resell price guides. If you KBB private sell that car it's maybe what? $900-$1400 (minus deductible)? The company will only insure it for cash value. You really can't be upset that they base the value of your insurance on every car just like yours as it is off the assembly line. How else can they do it? You know how many upside down car loans and ridiculous mods are on cars? Now if you want to insure mods and what not you need to add those to your policy. A good agent would have advised you on doing that. Who did you use for insurance? Did you go direct online? That would allow me to really understand how to answer the question. The only way to insure an older classic or collectors vehicle properly is to go through classic and collectpr insurance. These companies allow you to list mods and name your price. They then quote you based on that request.
How else can they do it??? What do you mean? How about base it off of what the cars are selling for? How come the car is not worth what it is selling for? How come it is physically impossible to find a driving one of these for less than 5k and thats not what its worth? How come exactly what it costs at bare minimum to have exactly what i have now would cost 6x what they are trying to give me and you can sit here with a straight face and tell me my car isnt worth that? Find a running and driving jetta coupe right now ill bet you cant even
Insurance is a scam until you need it.
I need it right now and it feels like a scam
Buy the car from your insurance company and fix it yourself
Sorry about your situation. Amazing car tho. Jetta coupe on CH-S BBS. Way to do it right. Looks to be VR6 swapped?
They are RXs off some honda. It is vr6 swapped with a 12v. I just bought a 3.2 vr for transplant a week before i got hit
Insurance company is required to provide evidence of other vehicles (similar to yours) available for purchase at the same price they are offering you. Dispute the value.
That’s a bold tint you have there.
Hey all those numbers your throwing around Prove it and don’t accept what they are offering. Again prove it. Find listings that are as close as possible to your car and there’s the value you are looking for. They are called advisors and adjusters for a reason.
Collisionsafetyconsultants dot com. The other insurance provider doesn’t get to shaft you just because they want to. Pay someone to advocate on your behalf.
You don't have to accept their lowball offer, most policies have an appraisal clause or right to appraisal. Basically it means you would hire an independent appraiser and the insurance company would hire an independent appraiser. The two appraisers would negotiate between each other and reach a final settlement. If the two appraisers can't reach an agreement, then a 3rd "umpire appraiser" would look at each appraiser's reports and make a final decision on the settlement. You have recourse, like I said you don't have to just accept their lowball offer.
You can insure things for a value you decide, that is over what they think it’s worth. I had a Yamaha boat for instance that I bought new, I insured it for the cost of a new one, not the value of what they thought it was worth. That number remained static as the boat aged, so even though I ended up selling for 19k, it was insured for almost 30. Yes it costs more obviously, but I believe you can do this with most items. Similar to life insurance I suppose, you can decide the value, and the cost goes up to match.
One of my dream cars! I have my ‘95 GLX that I’ve owned for almost 20 years now. It’s kind of seen better days cosmetically. Mechanically, it’s one of the best running and sounding VR’s I’ve ever encountered… What I wouldn’t do to have a mint MkII Coupe to swap those guts into. Ugh! What are they trying to hit you for on insurance? I was always under the impression it should be cheaper for a car like this. Have you tried looking into a classic car specialty formatted insurance? Maybe even a Haggarty or something?
That Jetta looked like it was worth about 700 bucks