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My wife's 2021 RX350L got it's door dented and creased while we were parked at a local restaurant a couple of weeks ago. Guy fessed up, and Farmer's insurance is paying the repair bill no problem, a $2500 claim. No parts were needed except for wheel well trim.

Question: Farmer's said they'll pay us an additional amount for diminished value, and I have no idea how this works. I know theoretically the vehicle is now worth less than it would be otherwise if it had never been in an "accident". Anyone been down this road before. I just want what's fair, but at the same time don't want to be screwed and tatooed by Farmer's Insurance either.


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surprised they are offering this for a fender dent. normally for cars with frame or air bag deployments. Basically just what you said, compensating you for the value you would lose in the future when you sell or trade the car.

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Door dented and creased and they didn't replace it?
Questionable repair I'd say. I hope the Bondo holds up.
Diminished value would at least be the cost of a new door, $1500 at least.


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Most will review the damage and only give diminished value on autos ten years old or newer. They’ll call 2-3 dealers and get a trade in value difference, average them and pay that amount. If youre concerned about the amount they offer I would get your own quotes from dealers and provide them if needed.


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Good idea SB. Which one do you trust between auto dealers and insurance companies???? wink


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Originally Posted by elkmtb
surprised they are offering this for a fender dent. normally for cars with frame or air bag deployments. Basically just what you said, compensating you for the value you would lose in the future when you sell or trade the car.


I think the idea is that once your vehicle hits carfax as having an "accident", it's not worth what the identical vehicle is that's clear.


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Originally Posted by JGRaider
Originally Posted by elkmtb
surprised they are offering this for a fender dent. normally for cars with frame or air bag deployments. Basically just what you said, compensating you for the value you would lose in the future when you sell or trade the car.


I think the idea is that once your vehicle hits carfax as having an "accident", it's not worth what the identical vehicle is that's clear.


True, even though Carfax is BS.


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They will lowball the heck out of you. Just went through this an my new GMC AT4 Seirra, only a couple months old and a coworker left his car in neutral and it rolled into my pretty much brand new truck....didn't look like much, maybe 5mph impact, but I knew it wouldnt be cheap. He had Gieco. Repair estimate was 6k parts and labor and thats about where it ended up at. All new oem parts too, no repaired bent stuff. Geico adjuster offered 800 in depreciation, bs! After I said no way, the supervisor offered 1500. I then contacted a asset/appraisal lawyer out of north Ga, i think he works several states. For 299, he writes up an appraisal and gives you what to send to the insurance company. He wrote mine up as 5900ish and it was detailed on how he came to that number, the market of used/wreck vehicles in that price range/mileage, etc. It took about a month going back and forth and we finally ended at 4500. I would send him their rebuttals and he would send me what to write back.

We went from 800, to 1500, 2500, 3250, 3750, until I got them 4500 when it came time to threaten lawsuit. The $299 for his services was well worth it and included the fact that he would take it to court for you. But like he told me, it never goes to court, they wise up after awhile. I just couldnt sue a coworker for an accident, so took the 4500 bucks in depreciation.

I would image this could all be handled through email like mine was. If you want to give the guy I used a call let me know and I'll get you his number. He can at least advise you, no charge.


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A Farmers insured driver rubbed his car down the drivers side of our 2004 Covette during an improper lane change. Most of the damage was tire marks with a small amount of gel coat damage. It did require paint on door and quarter panel with a small amount of body work.

The catch was that this Covette had less than 25,000 miles on it. It took a couple of heated phone calls and an email or two to get some lose of value compensation but I was able to get a few hundred dollars from Farmers. It was not enough to cover the lost value between a clear car fax and one with an accident but at least it was something.

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There are companies that do the diminished value claims on cars. I have done this twice and it works pretty well. They are generally independent contractors and the insurance companies have all agreed to compensate me for the diminished value except for the appraisal cost. I think that was somewhere between $200 and $300. Can't remember exactly.

Either way it was more money that I would receive from the insurance company than if I didn't do it and my car would be repaired with or without it. They insurance companies don't advertise this is available when it happened to me. I had to initiate it.

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I had to initiate it as well because I took a bath on the diminished value on one of the wife's cars a few years ago so I'm not intent on letting that happen again.

killerv, thanks for the info. If I need to go that far I may have to holler at you. I appreciate the help.


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Many companies don’t even entertain it. They say “prove it”

Not saying you couldn’t win that battle.


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I have a friend that had his PU rear ended by a drunk at a stop light. He fought with the drunk's insurance company for several months until they paid. The insurance company kept stating there's no such thing as diminished value. The frame on his PU was bent behind the rear axle. He got several dealerships state in writing they would NOT take the truck in trade with a bent frame even is it had been straightened.


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Yeah a lot of them say there's no such thing. It is a somewhat newer concept (to them) and they of course want to drag their feet. Until they find a way to charge us for it and then they will mark it up and make money on it and suddenly it will exist lol

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Some bad information in this thread. Here's my take from 30 years (so far) and an insurance adjuster.

Insurance companies DO NOT call dealers and get quotes. Nor should you. Dealers ALWAYS low ball you on your car's value. After all, they want it as low as possible so they can sell it at a maximum profit. You can't use trade in value anyway.

In realty, there's a rather complex algorithm insurers use to determine Diminution In Value (DIV). Several things are taken into consideration. Among them:

1) were the repairs done properly? If so, there will be very little DIV to claim. If not, you will have to fight with the repair facility to get them to repair it properly. DIV is not owed based on shoddy repairs.
2) has your car every been in a prior accident? If so, then your DIV claim will be minimal. If not, your claim will not be impacted.
3) does your car have high mileage? If so, the DIV allowance will be reduced.
4) is your car a rolling turd? If the repairs look better than the rest of your car, you will have zero DIV claim. (BTW, if the repairs look better than the rest of your car, are you willing to give some money back for the betterment?)

Let the insurer make you an offer. If you disagree , you will need your own appraisal to fight them. You'll need your own appraisal from a certified appraiser. Anyone else is not considered an "expert." A quote from CarMax or a dealer isn't worth wiping your ass on. No one will accept it. You'll need three figures: 1) the appraised value of the car the moment before the accident, 2) the value of the car following repairs, and 3) (and hardly anyone gets this) the value of the car in it's post-accident, pre-repaired condition. Many courts will not consider a claim for DIV without all three figures. Why they need #3 is beyond me, but that's the way it is in many venues.

Listen, if repairs are done properly, DIV claims are minimal. Dealers use the fact the car has been ion an accident to give you far less than it's worth. But courts don't care about trade in value. They care about person-to-person private sale retail value. And private buyers simply do not gouge a seller over a minor fender bender like dealers do.

I've fought many folks on DIV claims over the years and never had a loosing verdict on any case I didn't settle. Keep your expectations reasonable. If you decide to fight, try and determine if the juice is worth the squeeze. The cost of an appraiser may exceed the difference between what you want and what you're offered.

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Originally Posted by 10Glocks
Some bad information in this thread. Here's my take from 30 years (so far) and an insurance adjuster.

Insurance companies DO NOT call dealers and get quotes. Nor should you. Dealers ALWAYS low ball you on your car's value. After all, they want it as low as possible so they can sell it at a maximum profit. You can't use trade in value anyway.

In realty, there's a rather complex algorithm insurers use to determine Diminution In Value (DIV). Several things are taken into consideration. Among them:

1) were the repairs done properly? If so, there will be very little DIV to claim. If not, you will have to fight with the repair facility to get them to repair it properly. DIV is not owed based on shoddy repairs.
2) has your car every been in a prior accident? If so, then your DIV claim will be minimal. If not, your claim will not be impacted.
3) does your car have high mileage? If so, the DIV allowance will be reduced.
4) is your car a rolling turd? If the repairs look better than the rest of your car, you will have zero DIV claim. (BTW, if the repairs look better than the rest of your car, are you willing to give some money back for the betterment?)

Let the insurer make you an offer. If you disagree , you will need your own appraisal to fight them. You'll need your own appraisal from a certified appraiser. Anyone else is not considered an "expert." A quote from CarMax or a dealer isn't worth wiping your ass on. No one will accept it. You'll need three figures: 1) the appraised value of the car the moment before the accident, 2) the value of the car following repairs, and 3) (and hardly anyone gets this) the value of the car in it's post-accident, pre-repaired condition. Many courts will not consider a claim for DIV without all three figures. Why they need #3 is beyond me, but that's the way it is in many venues.

Listen, if repairs are done properly, DIV claims are minimal. Dealers use the fact the car has been ion an accident to give you far less than it's worth. But courts don't care about trade in value. They care about person-to-person private sale retail value. And private buyers simply do not gouge a seller over a minor fender bender like dealers do.

I've fought many folks on DIV claims over the years and never had a loosing verdict on any case I didn't settle. Keep your expectations reasonable. If you decide to fight, try and determine if the juice is worth the squeeze. The cost of an appraiser may exceed the difference between what you want and what you're offered.



From one adjuster to another, you don’t know what the [bleep] you’re talking about. 😂



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Originally Posted by SandBilly
They’ll call 2-3 dealers and get a trade in value difference, average them and pay that amount. If youre concerned about the amount they offer I would get your own quotes from dealers and provide them if needed.


If you actually are an adjuster, and this is your best advice, then I can say with confidence that what you know about adjusting would fit in a bee's dick.

Last edited by 10Glocks; 10/18/21.
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Adjusters also call salvage companies to get salvage quotes to decide total loss claims. You probably didn’t know that either.

They also call dealers on cars with salvaged titles to determine value.


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Originally Posted by 10Glocks
Originally Posted by SandBilly
They’ll call 2-3 dealers and get a trade in value difference, average them and pay that amount. If youre concerned about the amount they offer I would get your own quotes from dealers and provide them if needed.


If you actually are an adjuster, and this is your best advice, then I can say with confidence that what you know about adjusting would fit in a bee's dick.


Who do you work for? Dairyland? You’re a joke

State specific laws vary but you’re talking completely out your ass.


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Originally Posted by SandBilly
Adjusters also call salvage companies to get salvage quotes to decide total loss claims. You probably didn’t know that either.

They also call dealers on cars with salvaged titles to determine value.


They don't call them to "decide" total loss claims.

With an insurance-company-retained total loss, the salvage amount isn't even known until after the vehicle is sold at auction, which is usually long after the total loss itself has been settled with the owner. The only time a salvage value is obtained prior a total loss claim being settled is if the car is owner-retained. And only after the value has already been determined. That's so the salvage value can be subtracted from the insurer-retained value. Some states require guaranteed bids from salvage yards, others just bids. But every state requires all insurers to determine total loss values in that state the same way. And every state I know of its based on a CCC Valuation report that takes into consideration every option on the car, condition of most components, mileage, and a comparison to verifiable comparable vehicles that are actually for sale in that economic area. That's called a Market Survey.

I hold adjusting licenses in Texas, North Carolina and Delaware. I handle claims in those states, plus Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, DC, Alabama and Germany.

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