bro is getting shafted by insurance, he's about to enter ranger school - help

[Sh3rpak!ng]

My brother just called me and told me his car is getting totaled by insurance. He has USAA insurance. He is a recent West Point graduate in the first year of infantry training, about to enter ranger school and he just graduated air assault school yesterday? so basically he doesn't have time for this.

About 4 weeks ago a semi dropped a tire directly in front of him and took out a bunch of stuff (I don't really have details yet) (ironically this happened a day before my e30 got smashed). It sounded like bumper, fog lights, maybe oil pan (yea I know what that could mean), radiator, and don't know what else - probably whatever is in that general vicinity. He dropped the car off at a local BMW dealership IIRC. The car is a 2002 330ci, charcoal, sport package, 5 speed manual, in very good shape exterior 8.5/10 interior 8/10 with about 130k miles on it. Apparently the insurance has been very poor with communication and just called him today to tell him they are totaling the car and have offered him $5800. During this time he had a rental which they also told him without warning was due back on the 5th of January.

What can he do in this situation? We both feel that $5800 wouldn't replace the car with something comparable. He told me he basically needs a car by next weekend and doesn't really have time to even go look at anything since he is in some tight training schedule.



His plan is to buy a low mileage e36 m3 in the 80k mileage $10-12k range and get a small loan (which is very easy for him to do through the military)



Sorry for so little details, he literally just called me in a rage. He said he will type up a better summary that I will post tomorrow. I just wanted to post something now to get some preliminary advice.

[M-technik-3]

Surprised USAA is top notch normally for car insurance payouts. I had a full check at my door in three days the last time I had an incident. Mine was a hit and run and I found the offender later in the day and they went after the business with vengence.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Surprised USAA is top notch normally for car insurance payouts. I had a full check at my door in three days the last time I had an incident. Mine was a hit and run and I found the offender later in the day and they went after the business with vengence.

Well, he told me the rep assigned to the account has been impossible to get a hold of, very rude, and basically hasn't communicated anything to him. Also, like I mentioned before he hasn't given me much info to go on.

[BMWManiac]

I love USAA....tell him that this is exactly what that cow loan was for....emergencies! There really is nothing special about a 2002 330ci, so I think $5800 might be what they have looked up in their NADA price guide or whatever they use. Tell him to take the $5800 and buy a car from the Ft. Campbell lemon lot. If not, you can't tell me one of his battle buddy's won't give him a lift for a couple of weeks until he finds one....tell him to focus on AA.

USMA '01

[BMWManiac]

Also, tell him to contact USAA and raise a fuss with a supervisor....someone will review the audio recordings and deal with it....

[Sh3rpak!ng]

I love USAA....tell him that this is exactly what that cow loan was for....emergencies! There really is nothing special about a 2002 330ci, so I think $5800 might be what they have looked up in their NADA price guide or whatever they use. Tell him to take the $5800 and buy a car from the Ft. Campbell lemon lot. If not, you can't tell me one of his battle buddy's won't give him a lift for a couple of weeks until he finds one....tell him to focus on AA.

USMA '01

Also, tell him to contact USAA and raise a fuss with a supervisor....someone will review the audio recordings and deal with it....

Yea, actually now that I'm thinking about it, $5800 might be close. But knowing what the condition of the car was prior, it does feel like the low side.

Thanks for the lemon lot advice. Passed it on.

I'm not sure why he is dead set on having the car so soon. Not sure what's going on in his head or if there are other circumstances I don't know about, but again, thanks for the advice I'll pass it on!! :)

[BMWManiac]

I bought my 97 M3 right after OBC and spent almost the first couple weeks every month in the field, never enjoying it, then deployed to Iraq for a year.....my advice to him is to buy something he doesn't mind throwing a duffel bag in...like a tacoma, f150, or some other truck/POS.....save that money, pay off his cow loan, then buy the car he really wants once he makes CPT.....I know that is a long time, but he won't regret it

[Sh3rpak!ng]

I bought my 97 M3 right after OBC and spent almost the first couple weeks every month in the field, never enjoying it, then deployed to Iraq for a year.....my advice to him is to buy something he doesn't mind throwing a duffel bag in...like a tacoma, f150, or some other truck/POS.....save that money, pay off his cow loan, then buy the car he really wants once he makes CPT.....I know that is a long time, but he won't regret it

Thank man, I'll pass this on. Sounds like solid advice.

Also, my mistake earlier. He just graduated air assault and he's about to start ranger school at the end of the month

[BMWManiac]

Well, so 3 weeks to find a car to drive to Benning....again, I would recommend a small truck, like tacoma for all his TA 50

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Well, so 3 weeks to find a car to drive to Benning....again, I would recommend a small truck, like tacoma for all his TA 50

Thanks, I'll pass it on :)

sidenote, do you have build threads for those two monsters listed in your sig?

[Kershaw]

$5800 for a 2002 330ci doesn't sound like he's getting shafted, but maybe it's a bit on the lower side. Local to me I found a bunch of 330cis from $3000-11000, with most in the 5-8 range.

I would complain about a rude USAA rep. And maybe argue for another grand.

[djjerme]

$5800 for a 2002 330ci doesn't sound like he's getting shafted, but maybe it's a bit on the lower side. Local to me I found a bunch of 330cis from $3000-11000, with most in the 5-8 range.

I would complain about a rude USAA rep. And maybe argue for another grand.

This.

There is a reason they are using them for SE46 - the prices have almost bottomed out for the chassis, and you can find really nice examples for just under $5K.

[CENTURION]

hope all goes well for your brother.
and tell him Good luck in RGR School. ft Benning will suck during the winter.

[BlackSpeed66]

I've worked in the auto insurance industry for over 10 years now. If he wants to press the issue with the value, many of the larger insurance companies use CCC or Mitchell for their vehicle values in a total loss. They should be able to (if they already haven't) provide him with their valuation which should have the comps they used of other vehicles to establish the value. It would also include details for how they rated the condition of the car too (can be up-rated or down-rated). You can review these comps and dispute one or more of them if you feel they are inaccurate (within reason). You also may have the opportunity to find comps of vehicles on your own and bring those to the table with you (again, within reason - similar condition/mileage/options). Usually we just want to see proof to support the value or settlement someone is demanding. May also want to see if the claim rep will offer to front the sales tax (varies by state law).

[Heitzke]

I'd also try to press the issue of value a little further. Honestly, sounds like he got the ONE bad person at USAA. He should totally make a note of that with a supervisor there, they take customer service and satisfaction very seriously.

Genuinely can't say enough good things about that company.