Help! New A3 t-boned - diminished value claim

[cjmagnuss]

Hi everyone,

So a month ago, I bought a 2011 A3 TDI Premium Plus (6k miles) from Prestige Imports in Lakewood, CO. Last night, I got t-boned by an old man who ran a red light. Yes I am pissed off!!! So, I have towed to Prestige (they are listed on the Audi USA site for collision repair). I'm sure they can repair it and do it well. I'd be shocked if the car got totalled, no air bags went off. You can see the damage in the picture here. Right now the car is waiting at Prestige for the USAA (old guy's insurance) adjuster to come and do an appraisal. Assuming they do a great job and fix everything back to Audi specs, there is still the question of diminished value??? Just from having an accident show up on the carfax. Yes, it's worth less. This is a difficult number to go after considering there are so few A3 TDI's out there but I need to get compensated here. Anyone dealt with this type of thing before? Thanks in advance,

On a side note, kudos to Audi for making a safe car.

[tp.]

seats for sale?
looking to buy rear driverside inside door pannel

[everfresh59]

seats for sale?
looking to buy rear driverside inside door pannel

lol

[everfresh59]

Hi everyone,

So a month ago, I bought a 2011 A3 TDI Premium Plus (6k miles) from Prestige Imports in Lakewood, CO. Last night, I got t-boned by an old man who ran a red light. Yes I am pissed off!!! So, I have towed to Prestige (they are listed on the Audi USA site for collision repair). I'm sure they can repair it and do it well. I'd be shocked if the car got totalled, no air bags went off. You can see the damage in the picture here. Right now the car is waiting at Prestige for the USAA (old guy's insurance) adjuster to come and do an appraisal. Assuming they do a great job and fix everything back to Audi specs, there is still the question of diminished value??? Just from having an accident show up on the carfax. Yes, it's worth less. This is a difficult number to go after considering there are so few A3 TDI's out there but I need to get compensated here. Anyone dealt with this type of thing before? Thanks in advance,

On a side note, kudos to Audi for making a safe car.

From the looks of it, you actually don't look too bad, the rocker panels look like they didn't sustain any damage from the impact. It looks like it's just the door.

You probably could've avoided him if you had a 2.0T Stage 1 APR....lolol!

[ceese]

I haven't had a claim but read up on it for a friend a few months ago. It's dependent on what state you are in and insurance companies hate them so your insurance company won't go to bat for you on it unless you push them into it. It's typically based off the current value of the car. Your car is new so it should actually be a pretty sizeable amount. I'm guessing over $1000.

Go for it and keep us posted on how it turns out.

[cjmagnuss]

haha wow. seats are not for sale.

in addition to the door, there is some damage to the runner, a little bit on the back door, and a little bit on the panel in front of the door.

accident was not my fault so it would be a 3rd party diminished value claim, very legal in colorado. the hard part is valuing my car w/ accident so i know what a fair settlement would be. I haven't involved my insurance company up to this point. Should I?

[krazyboi]

accident was not my fault so it would be a 3rd party diminished value claim, very legal in colorado. the hard part is valuing my car w/ accident so i know what a fair settlement would be. I haven't involved my insurance company up to this point. Should I?

being that it's not your fault, i would involve your insurance company. they can handle everything for you. and it's not like it would affect your standing w/ the company.

[RedLineRob]

seats for sale?
looking to buy rear driverside inside door pannel

hey he is serious

[...um]

doesn't look too bad. wish i thought of trying to get reimbursed for diminished value when i got him in my acura...

[cjmagnuss]

being that it's not your fault, i would involve your insurance company. they can handle everything for you. and it's not like it would affect your standing w/ the company.

True, so far his insurance (USAA) has been good in taking care of things but I'd imagine they'll try to get out paying for diminished value and having my insurance involved will be helpful.

[dmorrow]

Definitely keep pictures of the before. My wife backed into my car and dented just the door but pretty good and the repair was about $1700. When you go to sell it and someone see's there was a collision and repair for some high number it may bother them. If you show them the pictures and that it didn't cause frame or other structural issues then they will feel better about it.

My car has now had two repairs, one wife into the door and another while at Audi and some idiot running into it in a beat up van and then taking off. Both repairs made it look perfect and years later it doesn't matter at all to me, now with 126k miles and a 2006 I don't think I have lost much of anything.

I can see you being pissed about it but you might be surprised at how well it is fixed.

[Fellow Gaucho]

Nice wheels

Sorry to hear about the accident. Sounds like you yourself got off without much injury and your car other than the door basically didn't get it too bad. Repair places are amazing nowadays

[cjmagnuss]

Just read through some other threads on the diminished value claim topic and responses are all over the board. I have no doubt that the collision center at prestige audi will do a great job. They are the only place listed by Audi USA so they better be pretty damn good.

I just don't want to get screwed if for some reason I need to sell the car in the next few years and find out this accident has devalued my car by thousands of dollars. I understand that in 10 years accident or no accident, the car is probably worth the same (provided the repair was done well), but not being compensated for it certainly effects my options (considering I just made the FIRST payment a few days ago!!!!!)

I will discuss it with my insurance company in the morning.

[TurboChrisB]

this was JUST discussed on another forum I'm active on...here you go.and USAA? You couldn't be in better hands.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ght=diminished

[tazzzam222]

I have experience with DV claims. In Texas, I used an independent company to assess my vehicle and submitted the claim to the at-fault party's insurance company. You don't need to involve your own insurance company if it wasn't your fault.

Keep in mind the insurer has no interest in paying you additional compensation beyond the repair cost for the vehicle, so getting an independent assessment will go a long way to proving your case and getting the DV $$ you are owed. The assessment costs money, so check your local area for pricing.

The fact is your vehicle is now worth less, even after being repaired, because of the accident.
The amount of money you are due depends on the severity of the accident. In my case, my DV claim was over $4500. My car was 1.5 years old at the time. I still own it and it still drives like a champ.

[cjmagnuss]

this was JUST discussed on another forum I'm active on...here you go.and USAA? You couldn't be in better hands.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ght=diminished

Good stuff. Thank you.

[dmorrow]

Good stuff. Thank you.

From reading that I am not sure if you would have to go after the insurance company or the owner of the car that hit you. If the insurance company has it written in their policy that the insurance if for collision repair then the owner that caused the accident would not have insurance to cover the diminished value claim and you would need to go after them.

I wouldn't do it if I had to involve a lawyer as I think the cost would end up being too close to the claim for me to deal with the hassle.

[Pretarion]

I got hit in the rear quarter panel end of last year. The driver who hit me accepted 100% fault. The car was repaired, and everything is great. I submitted a diminished value claim on my vehicle to his insurance because my car is a lease, and I did not want to be hit at the end of the lease term if they dinged me for the loss from the wreck. My girlfriend works for an insurance company, and helped me submit the letter. My repairs totaled 5k in damage.

Instead of hiring a third party to do my work, I took my car up to the closest Audi Dealer, and had them appraise my car for what it is worth at that moment. They gave me a written letter of the appraisal to submit to the insurance.

I requested $5k in diminished value, and ended up settling for $2000. Now, before you say... "uh?", that is $2k in my pocket, to do whatever I want with. I can save it until the lease turn in to be sure I am not upside down, or I can spend it.

Most insurance companies will battle you on diminished value. At first they will say they will deny it. Appeal it and keep fighting. They will end up giving you something. The average policy holder doesn't even know about a diminished value claim. When I talked to the insurance rep that took my claim, she asked how I knew about it. Ironically, my repair shop told me about it first before my girlfriend shared the information as well. Most companies average $1k - $2k in settlement.

[cjmagnuss]

I got hit in the rear quarter panel end of last year. The driver who hit me accepted 100% fault. The car was repaired, and everything is great. I submitted a diminished value claim on my vehicle to his insurance because my car is a lease, and I did not want to be hit at the end of the lease term if they dinged me for the loss from the wreck. My girlfriend works for an insurance company, and helped me submit the letter. My repairs totaled 5k in damage.

Instead of hiring a third party to do my work, I took my car up to the closest Audi Dealer, and had them appraise my car for what it is worth at that moment. They gave me a written letter of the appraisal to submit to the insurance.

I requested $5k in diminished value, and ended up settling for $2000. Now, before you say... "uh?", that is $2k in my pocket, to do whatever I want with. I can save it until the lease turn in to be sure I am not upside down, or I can spend it.

Most insurance companies will battle you on diminished value. At first they will say they will deny it. Appeal it and keep fighting. They will end up giving you something. The average policy holder doesn't even know about a diminished value claim. When I talked to the insurance rep that took my claim, she asked how I knew about it. Ironically, my repair shop told me about it first before my girlfriend shared the information as well. Most companies average $1k - $2k in settlement.

Talked to the appraiser this morning and they estimate $3600 in repairs. All new Audi parts. I mentioned diminished value to him and he told me to call the adjuster but that having all new Audi parts would probably mean very little diminished value and that it probably would not end up on carfax. Not sure how much of this is bullsh*t or not.

Did your accident go on your carfax?

[Pretarion]

Talked to the appraiser this morning and they estimate $3600 in repairs. All new Audi parts. I mentioned diminished value to him and he told me to call the adjuster but that having all new Audi parts would probably mean very little diminished value and that it probably would not end up on carfax. Not sure how much of this is bullsh*t or not.

Did your accident go on your carfax?

If you have the repairs done through insurance, and have it done at a reputable shop, it will go on a carfax. The only way I have seen it not show up, is if you pay cash for the repairs or ask the shop not to file. Most shops will, especially ones that are contracted through the insurance.

My car had OEM parts, not China-made parts, and I still got the diminished value. I think it is bull****. I doubt the appraiser will know the details. You do need to mention to the adjuster that you will be filing a diminished value claim before you close your file with them. That way they can expect further details on the claim. You have up to 2 years to file a diminished value claim, at least that is the law here in Texas.

[maverickar15]

Ouchy...sorry about the accident. Looks like the damage is all localized to the door only, which is good.

I would take it to a reputable shop and have them work it out with insurance. When my mother had an accident in her A4, I first got the quote by insurance adjuster, they said it will be about $1700 in repairs (using refurbished parts, F-that), and offered me if I wanted a check for that. I went to a reputable shop around here and had them give me a quote, and using all new Audi parts it came out to over $3000. The insurance paid for all that.

[cjmagnuss]

Bit of an update.

The A3 is being fixed with all new Audi components by Prestige collision (listed on Audi USA). Initial appraisal is for $4600. I got the check from USAA. The guy at Prestige says there will be more but they tell the appraiser and get paid directly by the insurance company.

I called my adjuster and inquired about a diminished value claim. They have standard paperwork for it that they're sending me. I plan to go to a couple different Audi dealers with the car and the paperwork to get a good idea of fair diminished value. Had I not inquired about DV, they never would have said anything.

Thanks for the good discussion. I can't wait to get back in my A3.

[Pretarion]

Exactly what I told ya. Why would they let you know it is available? It is more money they have to pay out.
Congrats on the repairs. Sounds like you are getting taken care of.

[Bezor]

Definitely keep pictures of the before. My wife backed into my car and dented just the door but pretty good and the repair was about $1700. When you go to sell it and someone see's there was a collision and repair for some high number it may bother them. If you show them the pictures and that it didn't cause frame or other structural issues then they will feel better about it.

My car has now had two repairs, one wife into the door and another while at Audi and some idiot running into it in a beat up van and then taking off. Both repairs made it look perfect and years later it doesn't matter at all to me, now with 126k miles and a 2006 I don't think I have lost much of anything.

I can see you being pissed about it but you might be surprised at how well it is fixed.

I'd go along with this thinking.

[...um]

please let us know if you actually get a payout for dv.. according to this article it looks like it was killed in most states. http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/...car-value.html

[Pretarion]

please let us know if you actually get a payout for dv.. according to this article it looks like it was killed in most states. http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/...car-value.html

All insurance companies will deny most and all claims, IF, you don't word the claim properly. It is all about the wording in your request letter. Do a lot of research about DV before you submit.

[Shawn O]

Any update to this? Found it via search. Just had an accident Sunday in a new car I picked up the day before.

[cjmagnuss]

Any update to this? Found it via search. Just had an accident Sunday in a new car I picked up the day before.

Update. My A3 was in the shop for 7 weeks. I got it back, they did a great job on the repairs and even put more sound dampening foam in after I told them the door closing sounded a bit hollow. Sounds great now. The total bill was around $7500.

I asked the dealership for an appraisal on the car and they refused to give me one. It is their policy to send clients looking for help with diminished value claims to a 3rd party (who charges $450 for an appraisal).

The insurance company (USAA) sent me some very generic paperwork for the diminished value claim. I sent it in and after about 2 weeks I received a check for $1583. There was nothing else in the envelope just a check.

I have no idea if I've been fairly compensated or not. It sounds a bit low but I did get a brand new door and most parts were replaced not repaired with all new audi parts. They probably have some study that says this amount of money will keep them from pursuing any further. If its not on carfax, its probably fine to drop it at this point but if it is then I probably should try to get more $ from them. Anyone know how the black magic of carfax works?

[mattA3]

If there was an insurance claim or a police report it will eventually show on carfax.
I used these guys for my DV claim http://www.autoloss.com/ Appraisal was about $100. Still didnt get what I thought was fair but it was better then nothing.
Or tell the dealer you want to trade in your car and get the trade in value in writing.

[ceese]

please let us know if you actually get a payout for dv.. according to this article it looks like it was killed in most states. http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/...car-value.html

That's only a few states but you can always sue for it in civil court in those states although it's likely going to cost you a lot more than you'd get from your claim and your chances of getting a win overturned by those state's supreme courts are pretty good.

"Car insurance claims against someone else

But what if someone else crashes into you (a third-party claim)? Shouldn’t they, and their insurance company, be responsible for reimbursing you for your car’s drop in value?

"Third-party claims may be payable on a case-by-case basis under liability coverages. That’s based on state law and is not a part of the insurance contract. As is the case for any other third-party claim, State Farm may require proof of the alleged loss of market value," Diggs says.

A third-party claim against someone else is your best shot at getting diminished value paid – but not in all states.

According to Diggs, "In the past decade, a number of courts have squarely addressed the issue of diminished value claims under comprehensive and collision auto insurance coverages.”

The majority of these courts have ruled that comprehensive and collision coverage limit liability to payments for proper repairs and do not provide for payments for losses in value, he says. State supreme courts that have set this precedent include those in Delaware, Indiana, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas. A few appellate courts have made similar rulings, including those in Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin."