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Posted

X-posting, sorry and thanks:

Posting here for hope for some resolution before I choose violence. Dumbfuck scum crashes into my daughter's car in June. He's insured by GEICO. We file a claim, and everything starts great. Drop the car off, body shop says no worry of total etc.

Get a call a few days later, after already making arrangements based around having the rent car for the 2 weeks they said it would take, GEICO says it's totaled. Repair bill is $9100, they say car is worth $9000. I point out that we have a brand new engine in it with a 3y, 100k mile warranty, brand new cat converter, brand new fuel injection system. They bump up to $12,200 value, which would be a $9300 payout if I take the car. They won't budge off the total decision though. Why would they rather pay me $9300 than the body shop $9100 (and probably less than that under their contract let's be honest)? No clue, other than because it fucks me. 

Texas law and GEICO agree that no salvage title is needed, b/c the repairs aren't "100% or more of the vehicles market value". However, body shop says they can't work on the car once it's a total loss, even without a salvage title, and what's more, neither can anyone who works with GEICO ever again.

This is the biggest bunch of bullshit scam shit I have ever heard. It would be bad enough if this was under my own policy that I agreed to in the fine print. But this is this fuckstain's policy, if they don't like it, don't insure people too motherfucking stupid to not hit parked cars. Anyone have any tips or suggestions or a connection at GEICO who you can talk into not losing money just to fuck me? Or is it just self-help retribution time?

Posted (edited)

Not Geico, but I’ve been through this when a hail storm totaled my BMW. If you really want to keep the car, take the money and tell the shop you need to do a cash deal. Usually they will work with you, and you get to keep the car. 
Since salvage title is not a thing on cosmetic only damage (assuming that’s the case) you’ll even be able to insure the car as before.

BUT

The catch here is that your resale/tradein value will be in the shit because even though the title won’t be impacted, the determination that the car was totaled will wind up on the carfax report. So you better really want to keep that car or hope for a hailstorm to total it a second time right around the time you get tired of it, which also happened to my BMW right about the time I was going to sell it. So I got lucky, I guess.

Edited by Bozo_Casanova
Posted

the shop won't do a cash deal, won't repair it, say no one that networks with GEICO can repair it. 

It is literally insane that an insurance company that I don't contract with can decide to ruin a car by totalling it with literally zero guidelines or guardrails. Could be $100 in damage and they can just say "totalled". Just absolute garbage. 

Posted
Just now, TXSooner518 said:

the shop won't do a cash deal, won't repair it, say no one that networks with GEICO can repair it. 

It is literally insane that an insurance company that I don't contract with can decide to ruin a car by totalling it with literally zero guidelines or guardrails. Could be $100 in damage and they can just say "totalled". Just absolute garbage. 

It sounds like they're trying to steal your car from you

Posted

that's the thing, I can get the car back! Plus them paying more to me than they would have to pay the shop! It makes no sense for them either and ruins the value of my car. 

Posted
1 hour ago, TXSooner518 said:

 

Texas law and GEICO agree that no salvage title is needed, b/c the repairs aren't "100% or more of the vehicles market value". However, body shop says they can't work on the car once it's a total loss, even without a salvage title, and what's more, neither can anyone who works with GEICO ever again.

 

I'm not sure this is accurate.  Full disclosure I'm a recovering TM in a Total Loss Unit of a major carrier.  It's been about 15 years so my data may be wrong at this point.  

During that time the state had 4 ways to classify the title after it was deemed a TL.  Yes, the repair % factored in, but it was still declared a "Total Loss" and through salvage processing would get a Salvage Title labelled either "Repairable" or "Non-Repairable"  Non-Repairable was like a torn frame.  

After looking it's going to get some version of a Salvage Title.  https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/title-check-look-before-you-buy/salvage-brands

Owner Retention is a large headache.  Once fully repaired it has to pass inspection to get a rebranded title, but also check with your insurance as they may only allow Liability on it with no Comp/Coll.  

Posted

I agree with TBoo as a recovering insurance company employed car wreck lawyer.  

There is not an easy solution if you want to go through GEICO.  You might be able to call your carrier, tell them GEICO is fucking you over, make it a first party claim which your carrier would then subrogate against GEICO to recover $$ for.  I had this happen personally where United Fire paid me almost 40% more than Berkshire was going to pay on some damaged equipment and then United Fire recovered they payment from Berkshire 100 cents on the dollar later.  

You can also sue the dipshit in small claims court, present your claims and recover the "cost" to fix it and seek payment from GEICO to satisfy the judgment.  

There are plenty of good body shops that aren't in the tank for GEICO.  Find one of them and pay cash to get the work done.  

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