ZHP Down!! This sucks.

[Blaster3500]

Sounds like a nightmare. Hopefully his insurance will step up and pay you for what the car is worth. I am curious to see the outcome of this. Good luck!

[apridge]

Unfortunately my family has been through this a few times in the last year (M5, X3, and Toyota Tacoma... yeah, bad year for us..). In my experience when I wrecked the M5, the insurance company came back to us with basically a midrange blue book offer on the cars current value, which was significantly less than we paid for the car. What really helped us fight for a better settlement was researching on our own -cars of the same condition and mileage, and sending them into the insurance company. All to many times the insurance companies will offer you the bare minimum for the car without taking into consideration its upgrades and options. The M5 had the upgraded butterscotch leather package, which was ignored in the first offer, which made a big difference in the outcome. We also sent in receipts for recent repairs and money put into the car. We ended up getting a much better offer, and they even paid for all four Michelin tires we had put on the previous week.

My point, you can definitely work with the insurance companies. Send them a handful of cars currently for sell that are as close to yours as possible. Get them receipts of repairs you've done recently, and they should adjust their offer. The only advise I'd give you when trying to reason with them is to be patient. It took forever for us to come to an agreement, and to finally get the settlement. About 2 months of emailing back and forth.

Good luck, and I'm sorry to see such a beautiful machine in that condition.

[Rock Nova]

I heard back from his insurance company again today with their revised offer. They went up a whopping $700! Now we are up to $14,8XX. I told them that is still too low and asked for what options and packages they are including in their valuation. He said he didn't have that information in front of him, but that it did include the "sports package". To which I further explained there is a sport package and then there is a performance package which is a step above the regular sports package. He said he will contact his field guy that supposedly determined the options, packages, etc.

[johnrando]

I heard back from his insurance company again today with their revised offer. They went up a whopping $700! Now we are up to $14,8XX. I told them that is still too low and asked for what options and packages they are including in their valuation. He said he didn't have that information in front of him, but that it did include the "sports package". To which I further explained there is a sport package and then there is a performance package which is a step above the regular sports package. He said he will contact his field guy that supposedly determined the options, packages, etc.

Rock On Rock Nova! You got it now, keep staying strong and they will come up again. Good call on making sure they knew the difference between the packages.

[wsmeyer]

Just an update - apparently, the guy I talked to this morning was from the shop's insurance company - not from the girl who ran the stop sign's company. The girl who was at fault's insurance company still hasn't determined liability because the guy from the shop won't answer their questions. So, I'm a little confused how the shop's insurance company could already have an offer for me, but the primary company involved has yet to determine liability. I'm supposed to hear back from them this afternoon.

I think that's a pretty good indication that, at least in your state, the shop is held liable for the safe keeping of your vehicle. You should call your insurance company and find out. If that is the case I would be presenting your idea of value to the shop owner and explain that regardless of who cuts the check, if that's not the amount, you're going to sue the shop.

William.

[Rock Nova]

I think that's a pretty good indication that, at least in your state, the shop is held liable for the safe keeping of your vehicle. You should call your insurance company and find out. If that is the case I would be presenting your idea of value to the shop owner and explain that regardless of who cuts the check, if that's not the amount, you're going to sue the shop.

William.

I'm with you. He told me he would call me today. Well, he didn't. I believe that is the conversation we are going to have Monday. I expect a check for the real value of my car - not the value of a regular 330i or even a sport package 330i, but the value of a very clean, mechanically flawless, impeccably maintained, 79k mile, performance package 330i. If it looks like his insurance company is not going to honor that, then I will lawyer up and come get my money from him/his shop/his insurance company/his dog/whoever.

[wsmeyer]

I scrolled through again and it sounds like you'd be happy with 17k and they would give you 13k for repairs. The shop owner might be just as happy to put this behind and be willing to buy the car off you for the 4k difference. He can repair it, part it out whatever.

[Rock Nova]

I scrolled through again and it sounds like you'd be happy with 17k and they would give you 13k for repairs. The shop owner might be just as happy to put this behind and be willing to buy the car off you for the 4k difference. He can repair it, part it out whatever.

I would be happy if they gave me $16k for the car at this point. Although I think $16.5k would be more of a fair value of the car. I mean if I were buying the car right now, I would have no trouble paying $16.5k for it.

[az3579]

I would be happy if they gave me $16k for the car at this point. Although I think $16.5k would be more of a fair value of the car. I mean if I were buying the car right now, I would have no trouble paying $16.5k for it.

I'm pretty sure $16.5k is around what the actual value is. Hope you get it!

[otisdog]

I think it's crazy that the girl's insurance thinks that it's the mechanics fault...she's the one that blew the stop sign.
Good luck!