Progressive Insurance Insurance Adjusters are a Joke Mayfield Village Ohio

Because my car is old and had 100,000+ miles, it was declared a total loss by the insurance adjuster. The damage was 95% cosmetic. The rest being made up by a bad need for a 4-wheel alignment (bear in mind I drove the car home from the accident site - some 50 miles) and later to the repair shop on more than one occasion.  No engine damage whatsoever, and I'm not ready to give up so easily on a Honda.  The estimate was unnecessarily driven up by the need to repair 2 largish hail dents on my hood, and a cracked windshield which were both pre-accident. Ultimately, it was driven up to a point that was within $100 of 75% of the value of the car so it could be deemed 'totaled'. When I  showed the estimate to my repair shop (owned by a friend of a friend) he actually laughed, and asked me if they were serious.

I was given the lowest possible value for my car.  It was compared against other vehicles that were not remotely similar - one having twice as many miles and no details about trim packages (I have a rear spoiler and sunroof). When I asked for more specifics about the comparisons they weren't available.  When I made references to NADA and KBB I was told they used "industry standards' to make their evaluations.  I never got the opportunity to ask them to clarify what constituted 'industry standards' since it obviously isn't anything that the public has access to. Because my car was totaled there was a salvage fee.  Despite the apparent damage to my car the salvage fee was jacked up at least twice the amount of what it should have been. I know this only because my auto shop helped me do the research.

When I explained that I was going to have the car fixed because I'm not in a position to be authorized for a car loan I was told that my employment status wasn't relevant to the value of my car. I tried to be fair and honest, mentioning that all I wanted was enough money to make the repairs to my car. I made the mistake of using 'I've been  a loyal customer' (for over ten years) as a bargaining chip and basically told that it didn't mean squat.  Then I got angry.

I made it a point to find multiple listings which WERE similar in features and miles of my own car.  I argued the point that what they were offering me wouldn't even allow me to go find something similar to my car, and set them with the task of finding something that was. No viable answer for that.  I got my own estimate which came in well below the insurance company's bid.  I tried to tell them that the car shouldn't have been totaled the first place given my estimate compared against the revised value.  Then they threw the 'industry standards' back in my face, even though it's safe to say I pretty much proved that the estimate was bogus all the way around. I even asked if I could have a second estimate done by the insurance company. I was given a flat out 'NO, we don't do that."  

By this point I just kept talking regardless of how inane my argument, making sure to make lots of references about social media and word of mouth, until I heard them say "I can run this past my supervisor" just so they would escalate my case and move it along to shut me up.  I was able to achieve this twice and each time I was given a counter offer. It's against my nature to be aggressive, angry and out for blood but it seem to be only way to achieve a positive outcome for yourself when it comes to dealing with insurance companies. Luckily, I actually had the time to make a nuisance of myself,  but overall it was an arduous time-consuming process.

The icing on this half-baked cake was when my auto shop informed me that a non-ASE certified/outside Honda specs repair had been made to my car.  I was t-boned in an accident many years prior and took my car to a 'preferred' insurance shop then. I could write a novel about that experience. I made sure to tell the insurance company about that also, in this case as my own form of insurance to ensure that my payout check arrived promptly. To their defense I had the check within two days.

The moral of the story, insurance companies play dirty. Do your research, stand your ground and get your claws out. Just make sure you put them away when you're done.