bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

Update: So happy I got my car back felt good to have her back. Everything looked pretty good, although I can see the difference because I can see the exact color difference but I have to look at it real close.

SW17LS

Bear in mind too that the bumpers are always a little different than the metal panels, especially on silver...

Liaury

Can't see any difference from these pictures. You're good to go!

DIMINISHED

If only it were as simple as hiring a licensed appraiser and submitting their automobile diminished value report to the insurance company. When prospective clients call us with questions, after they hear the answers, most of them disappear - never to be heard from again. St Lucie Appraisal prepares the best auto diminished value appraisal that can be obtained in any of the 50 states. We hate to turn away business but the cold hard truth is, regardless of the fact that you'll be submitting irrefutable evidence of how much value your car has lost after collision repairs, companies like Allstate, American Family, Farmers, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm, Travelers and USAA will still offer settlements representing a fraction the actual diminished value. Where do these people vanish to? Perhaps other independent appraisal companies promise huge settlements or maybe people become frustrated and meekly accept these lowball payouts but being dishonest about our customers' prospects is no way to do business. A more reasonable reality is that you'll need to make a formal complaint to your state's insurance department for unfair claims practices and, perhaps, go so far as hiring an attorney. But in the event your complaint escalates into a courtroom battle, you'll be asking for compensation for appraisal and attorney fees on top of your diminished value and there's a good chance you'll win! Why? Read on.

The automobile diminished value report you receive from St. Lucie Appraisal is based entirely on the opinions of used car managers at automobile dealerships. Was your Honda wrecked and repaired? Our report provides six quotes from Honda dealerships that specifically address your actual vehicle and the exact amount and severity of damage that was repaired. When people trade their cars in, those are the guys who buy them so their opinions are valid. Other appraisal companies providing diminished value reports may use formulas such as the inappropriate (as ruled by The Georgia Supreme Court) Rule 17-C or collect data from auto auctions to formulate their figures. I'm not guaranteeing success if you march into court with this type of appraisal. Insurers can successfully argue that they do not address your specific car or the damages it incurred.

The Georgia Supreme Court's ruling on the inequity of Rule 17-C laid the foundation for fair automobile diminished value settlements in all 50 states. Formulas such as State Farm's Rule 17-C severely shortchanged vehicle owners and, in doing so, provided themselves and other insurers using formulas to determine diminished value with unjust enrichment.

Subsequent to your accident, the adjuster from the responsible driver's insurance company will offer you a settlement for diminished value. If you ask them how they came up with the figure they will either point to a formula, a "certified" appraiser's report or simply refuse to explain their process altogether. I have seen the diminished value reports prepared by independent appraisers hired by insurers and they are a joke. They contain no reasonable facts to back up their assumptions. Most of them are not licensed in any state. Note that "certified" appraisers belong to pay-to-be-certified organizations, not unlike the Better Business Bureau and should not be confused with "licensed" appraisers. A number of insurance company attorneys have contacted St. Lucie Appraisal in the past to inquire about hiring us. Once they learned about our process of using dealer quotes, however, their interest faded quickly as they realized that our reports would result in higher (translation: fair) diminished value settlements. In front of a magistrate or mediator, these types of reports provide actual evidence of how much less your car is worth in the real world. Appraisals based on formulas or auction results can not compare. And insurance company diminished value estimates made up out of thin air (yes, they do exist) will certainly be looked upon as unfair at best and possibly fraudulent in the eyes of a judge.

Face it, even your own insurance agent or broker hasn't informed you of your right to collect diminished value from the insurer of the responsible driver. Regardless of the fact that the settlement isn't even costing your own insurer a dime, agents are mum on the subject altogether. Automobile diminished value is the newest thorn in the insurance companies' side. Their mission is to keep it a secret and their hope is that it will go away.

SW17LS

Its a bumper guys...theres no diminished value. Lexus would repaint the bumper as part of their CPO certification process.

harleymark

I'm not sure I agree...even if fully repaired with no issues, the car no longer has a clean history (as will be shown on Carfax), which will reduce the car's value. A Lexus dealer may still, depending on the extent and type of damage, certify the car as a CPO, but they (or another buyer) will most likely offer you less for it on a trade or outright purchase.

My car has been fully repaired, and it was all cosmetic. Even so, I will be following up with a diminished value claim.

SW17LS

I have had many bumpers repaired and replaced and it has never shown up on a Carfax. Your damage was a good bit more significant than his because it involved the rear fender, we're talking about $500 worth of bodywork here...they did not even replace the bumper cover. We're talking about a small bump 1/2" x 1/2" here. I wouldn't be surprised if yours doesn't show up on a Carfax either.

Basically every car I've ever owned has had a bumper repainted or replaced during its life, never shown up on a Carfax, never been an issue at trade time. Hell, our Prius was hail damaged, $3k in hail damage and it didn't show up on a Carfax and was not an issue at trade in.

I think people blow this way out of proportion. Cars exist out in the world, and they get bumped into from time to time. Not everybody who has minor bodywork done winds up with "diminished value".