This is only supposed to happen to other people, right?

[Bishop]

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/1335318432.html

I really was hoping to find an excuse to buy this car, but it should go to an enthusiast. If you're in the area that is

[chadthestampede]

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/1335318432.html

I really was hoping to find an excuse to buy this car, but it should go to an enthusiast. If you're in the area that is

I'm actually in NY, but my brother lives right outside of denver, so I might have to send him in to check that out. Thanks man.


It's funny because I basically have the entire country to look for a car, cause I live in buffalo but have family around Sacramento, LA, Reno, Denver and Michigan.

[Bishop]

Well you're set then. If that car is as legit as they make it sound, it would probably be a good buy.

[e30slut]

Dude I'm sorry for your loss... Try to get your car clean and detailed and remove any junk. If you have any reciepts for the motor swap show them to an appraiser. You need to hire an appriaser if you want anything back from this car. Do not settle for 1300. Seeing that the car is beyond repair, whatever the appraiser says it's worth, the insurance will pay. Oh, and make sure you get that old lady to pay for it as well..

Trust me on this. Once you get the check buy it back and start parting out..

[ILoveMPower]

I am so sorry for you man, all I can do is give my condolences and hope for the best!

[mcr_driver]

wow...that sucks man :( that right there is my biggest fear when parking either of my cars in parking lots...

[chadthestampede]

Not trying to bump this back up for pity or anything but I just got a call from the insurance company, and Mandy (that bitch) was nice enough to inform me that:

"I went through all those receipts, and unfortunately I'm not going to be able to use one of them! Some are more than a year old, (how that affects the value I don't know, especially considering not one is more than a year and 2 months old) and blah blah blah"

"Unfortunately the only one that would add any value would have been the engine, and you don't seem to have that in here" (I bought it locally so I just picked one off ebay to give a ballpark for price)

Then she said they could only give me money for it if they verified the mileage on the engine, or some bs like that, I was livid so I wasn't listening.

So basically they're trying to blow me off again, and I'm kind of out of ideas as to what to do. She was insistent that the only way they could verify it, and subsequently give me money would be if I had an oil change receipt or something, and when I told her I did all the work myself she seemed skeptical.

She told me, and I quote, "MOST people, when they install an engine, get it done at a shop, and they buy a brand new engine, which is what gives it value."

By that time I was just tired of her and told her I'd let her know. Any ideas what to do here?

[kishg]

Sue

[chadthestampede]

Sue

I would but I already talked to a lawyer and he said it wouldnt really be worth it. Basically the car is old enough to be considered an 'old car' but not quite old enough to be considered a 'classic' so they value it accordingly.

[chadthestampede]

I'm bumping this back up because I'm still having problems with Metlife. Horrible fucking insurance company. Anyway I started talking to my bitch adjustor through email, because I'm in school and because someone told me to get it all in writing was better.

Like I said I sent in a bunch of receipts, and for some things I didn't have a receipt for I sent some Bavauto pages to get a ballpark on the price. I don't have a receipt for the engine so I found one on ebay to give her a ballpark. Most of the receipts are paypal. I also sent the correspondance I had with most of the buyers.

I figured that would be enough, but she told me she couldn't use any of them. Here is the email I got.

As I explained when we spoke on 8/31/09, I would need the mileage at the
time the new engine was put in, as CCC requires this information. Most of
the paperwork you sent didn't have the actual parts purchased, just the Pay
Pal invoice. Some items that were listed on the invoices were personal
preference items, and would not add to the value. Most of them were over a
year old, and I cannot use maintenance receipts over one year old. The
print outs you sent for the radiator, clutch kit, and trunk lid appear to
be printed from the Bavarian Autosport website, but I did not receive any
receipts showing the amount you paid, and the date purchased. The ebay
print out for the used BMW engine ($500.00) would most likely add to the
value, however I will need the amount you actually paid for it; I see that
$500 was the "buy it now" price, but I do not see a receipt showing what
you paid. I would also need the mileage from the date the engine was put
in; when we spoke on 8/31/09, you said you would look for something showing
mileage at that time, but I have received nothing to date.
Carly Lorini

I don't have any proof of the mileage when the engine was put in, or anything. I also don't have a receipt for the engine since I pad cash for it locally.

Some of the 'personal preference' items she talks about that I sent receipts for are bilsteins, springs, a fucking driveshaft, the transmission, an afm, a flywheel, an ecu, etc. I really don't know how these count as personal preference, and how only the engine would add value.

EDIT: Keep in mind I sent the original email to her over a week ago, and I didn't get a response until I sent this:

Carly,
Since it's becoming increasingly obvious that you have no desire to deal with my claim, is there any way I could talk to your superior instead? We've made zero progress and this accident is almost 2 months old already.


Thank you,
Bob

[N2MYE30]

Ew. What a nasty situation. GL to ya Bob. I hope I never have to deal with that BS.

[marakka]

I'd ask them how they determined that the car is only worth $1300. I'm looking at Kelly Blue Book and find that the private party value of an 89 (not sure of the year of yours) with 65k on it goes for 2300. Thats in my zip, not yours. Also that doesn't factory into if you have to go to a dealership to find another. I'd assume that number to be over $3000 at least.

I would arm myself with all the numbers from KBB and NADA and make a phone call. If the numbers don't start to rise for the car then I'd start talking about bringing a lawyer into the picture with them.

[chadthestampede]

I'd ask them how they determined that the car is only worth $1300. I'm looking at Kelly Blue Book and find that the private party value of an 89 (not sure of the year of yours) with 65k on it goes for 2300. Thats in my zip, not yours. Also that doesn't factory into if you have to go to a dealership to find another. I'd assume that number to be over $3000 at least.

I would arm myself with all the numbers from KBB and NADA and make a phone call. If the numbers don't start to rise for the car then I'd start talking about bringing a lawyer into the picture with them.

They actually sent me a report from the CCC on how they got the value. I shouldn't say they valued it at 1300, because technically it was valued at 1600-171 (They say it was leaking oil (it wasn't) and for the paint and since I removed the a/c they took off) for condition, +141 for sales tax, then -213 for me buying the car from them. So technically their value is around 1550 or so.

They also have the last reported mileage as 184,841, the odometer reading was broken, but was close to the mileage on the m30 I put in, I forget what the exact mileage on the m30 was, 80k or so.

The thing that gets me, is that they try to grab a value from around my zip code, but instead they got estimates from dealers 60 miles away, in Canandaigua, instead of the BMW dealer that is 10 miles away.

So the two quotes from these 'dealers' one of which is a Ford dealer, the other a 'Best Valu Auto' are $1200 and $2000 respectively. For my model and year, a '91 325i 5 speed with 184k miles.

[chadthestampede]

Haha I just got another email from them, now we're up to $2,800 net. Funny how it can be raised over $1000 just by me bitching.

[graveshaker]

Wow man, If it helps any, I'm using your situation as a lesson on my current m30 swap. It seems the most crucial element is the actual mileage and cost of motor. I understand your pain and I'm not even doing the install. I am making sure all receipts are descriptive as possible. Best of luck and stay positive as positive attracts positiveness.