Buy back your totaled rig - how?

[MT Mike]

The fact that you are dealing with someone other than your own insurance company is to your advantage. Negotiate. Drop the word lawyer here and there if need be. Play hard ball. Work your way up their chain of adjusters if need be. Otherwise, you'll just get bent over. Just my .02¢

 

[Markos]

Cool. I actually do have free legal service through my employer. Actually $20 per month but the best $/moI've ever spent.

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Thanks for the feedback. Quoting my response for page 2.

I'll give them a ring and haggle on the buyback price. Here is how progressive works incidentally

1. They have estimators that do not know shit about cars
2. The value is 3rd party, the salvage buy back value is 3rd party
3. The want you to fix it at their shop (hell no).
4. You are first contacted by a central claims adjuster
5. Central claims adjuster dispatches to a local claims adjuster

I'll call the local claims adjuster to negotiate. She hasn't been returning my calls.

1. True, that's every insurance company though
2. Software determines the value based on what they're selling for. It also pulls the recent auction data to determine the auction value.
3. Every insurance company wants you to use their partner shop. Legally they can't require it.
4. Common practice. So does everyone else.
5. Liability tends to be handled centrally and a field adjuster who is local looks at the cars.

 

[RCman]

Unfortunately all the things you did are considered wear items and having been through the process more times than I care to mention, it is going to be hard to get them to add value for things like suspension and tires. The trick is to get them to add it to other things instead like an abnormally clean interior or the rock rails. However the second you do that, those items need to go with the vehicle if you don't buy it back; I've had them check.

The line about auction prices was used on me as well. I didn't get them to bring the cost of buy back down after we hit "that price", but I was able to get more money from the overall value. As others mentioned never take the first, or even second, price.

Also I have found the best bet was to work with my own insurance adjuster. They are only going to go after the other guy's insurance company for the money anyway. You can get both to come out and look at it.

Something else that helps is if the Jeep is parked at a lot that charges per day storage fees. It makes the process go much faster since the insurance company does not want to pay for it sitting around. B sure that in the agreement if you buy it back you have in writing that the fees are the insurance company's responsibility. Of course if it is sitting in your driveway that won't work now.

 

[RedJeep2.0]

Soo what's the ending deal??

 

[Lowrange2]

Honestly, at 6k I'd haggle a bit more for it, get some more money and let them keep the Jeep. Around here I could replace that Jeep, lift, tires and rock rails for 6k and be right back where I started with no frame damage.

 

[Markos]

I'm still gettting $5,800 for the jeep, with a $1,700 buy back. However, I'm getting another $2,500 in compensation for dealing with this whole thing. This is mostly medical for me going to urgent care, lost wages, renting a uhaul truck to do yard work, etc. etc.

I'm seriously considering nabbing the wheels and rock rails, and ditching the suspension. If I can find an OEM suspension, I should be able to swap it out quickly. I'm honestly worried about getting the replacement leafs in though since the shackles and leaf eyelets are hitting the rear crossmember.

 

[Lowrange2]

Man, at $8,500 plus the wheels, tires and rails I'd leave that thing sitting there. With no hesitation.

 

[Markos]

I agree, but I'm going put most of that money towards a better purpose. $1,700 is steep, but I think I'll still buy it back. I should be able to replicate my existing xj for $2,000 after parting out mine and parts of the recipient. Also, I haven't thrown out the option of playing the frame rails and not swapping anything.

 

[Lowrange2]

I agree, but I'm going put most of that money towards a better purpose. $1,700 is steep, but I think I'll still buy it back. I should be able to replicate my existing xj for $2,000 after parting out mine and parts of the recipient. Also, I haven't thrown out the option of playing the frame rails and not swapping anything.

But then you're still stuck with a vehicle that has a rebuilt/salvage title and 1/4 the resale value.

I wouldn't care about the title if the price was reasonable. Then again, I guess you could buy it back and still have an extra 6,500 to do whatever with.

 

[Markos]

But then you're still stuck with a vehicle that has a rebuilt/salvage title and 1/4 the resale value.

I wouldn't care about the title if the price was reasonable. Then again, I guess you could buy it back and still have an extra 6,500 to do whatever with.

What I'm saying is that I can get a recipient XJ for $1,000 and part my existing XJ out, making $700. I'm back on the road for $2,000. Or more likely buy a recipient vehicle for $1,500, which means I would have to put more effort into squeezing dollars out of my part out. It's less of a money making opportunity, but I have a jeep to drive around while I hunt for a recipient. Plus as you mentioned I still have $6,500.

 

[Lowrange2]

Yeah, I guess that'd work too just require more effort. If you can snag the wheels and tires off of it is it really worth the effort to get the suspension back out? Seems like you'd be ahead monetarily by ditching the suspension. (Assuming you can get the wheels and tires back off of it.)

 

[Markos]

Yeah, I guess that'd work too just require more effort. If you can snag the wheels and tires off of it is it really worth the effort to get the suspension back out? Seems like you'd be ahead monetarily by ditching the suspension. (Assuming you can get the wheels and tires back off of it.)

I would have more cash in hand, but I wouldn't be ahead monetarily. The only way to be ahead is to buy a dirt cheap XJ that requires work. I could get a *decent XJ for $3,500. I could throw my rails and wheels and a few other parts on it for free. It would cost another $900 to put a new suspension on (myself). So I'm back at $4,500, and I don't have a mode of transportation while I hunt for the right XJ.

I still think I'm getting hosed on the buyback price, which is why I went after the extra money on top (per advice of everyone on here).

What I learned from a fellow member and my insurance company (not progressive) is that the buy back price is pretty much fixed. I got more money back to essentially reduce my buy back price.

This thread is becoming very specific to my situation, but I think it will prove to be a useful thread for anyone who goes through the process! I will document what it takes to achieve a comparable jeep, including the financials, and how much I make parting out my old jeep. It's still possible that I might just keep my old one though.

 

[jeepboy381]

FYI my jeep with 320,000 miles, in much rougher shape with less modifications was bought back for $500 and they offered to pay me $5000 for the jeep plus medical expenses.

I could have haggled and got more money for the jeep as well.

Remember nothing is set in stone, they don't set the value on your jeep. Have you seen what late model XJ's have been selling for lately? Your buy back is rediculous...

 

[Markos]

I don't disagree with you on the buy back price, but I'm getting $8,300 for the accident (jeep or otherwise). After buy back, I still have $6,600 which will buy me any unmodified XJ that I desire. I'm not going to get hung up on the buy back price. I'm focusing on the total equation, including buying a new vehicle, the time it will take me to do so, and the time it will take me to swap stuff over.

I can buy a highly modified XJ for less than a clean factory equipped XJ. If I wanted a 4" rough country lift and bald mud terrains, I could drop $3,500 on a number of options.

FYI - The agent was more than willing to fish for more reasons to get more compensation, but I was made whole as far as I'm concerned. FWIW, the gave me another $2,000 towards medical expenses on reserve. That is noise since it doesn't apply to the XJ.

 

[Lowrange2]

FYI - The agent was more than willing to fish for more reasons to get more compensation, but I was made whole as far as I'm concerned. FWIW, the gave me another $2,000 towards medical expenses on reserve. That is noise since it doesn't apply to the XJ.

I'd let him fish...

 

[Markos]

It's done! I bought it back. Thanks for the tips. Updates later.

 

[Markos]

Update:

At the body shop this week getting pulled. I told the shop that I want to keep it under $500. They seem confident that they can get it pretty straight, and move my shackles back away from the rear crossmember. After that I will be purchasing and installing HD Offroad Engineering rear frame stiffeners, and probably new shackle boxes.

My brother took some pics with his DSLR. Unlike my point and shoot, his camera picks up the bow in the sheet metal above the driver's rear fender flare. You can't really see it with the naked eye. The pics also show that the receiver hitch is bent. I took the hitch off so the shop could see the damage. They are going to put it back on and use it for pulling (so they don't have to remove the rear bumper). The receiver is not worth repairing IMO.

 

[scottmphoto]

When my last XJ got totaled ('92), the insurance company asked me if I wanted to buy it back. I asked how much and they said they were going to get $150 for scrap. I said "YES." They had the XJ towed to my house and just deducted the $150 from the check that they sent me. I had to sign a form and fax it to them. That was it.

 

[Markos]

Got the XJ back. $500.96 for the repairs. My hatch opens now and my rear doors are aligned again. I still have a mild ripple above the rear fender arch, but It's almost invisible to the untrained eye.

Current Investment: $2,200

Next steps:
rear frame stiffeners ($105 + shipping + labor)
used draw-tite hitch ($35)
new hitch bolts ($15)
paint ($8)

By my estimates, this was probably the most cost effective way to go for me. In theory, I could make out ahead with a low-cost shell, but the time and energy associated with swapping parts just wasn't enticing.

I had a line on two XJ possibilities

Single owner, $1500 delivered to my neck of the woods (minus the wheels)
http://bend.craigslist.org/cto/3949026368.html


$900 obo - 5 owners, drip railes were all screwed up. Overall rough shape. Way too much part swapage going on. Jeep has a blown t-case but runs fine.
http://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/3931757767.html