Not sure if you’ve run into this, but some companies want you to list every mod up front. Feels tedious, but it’s better than fighting them later if something happens.
That’s the part that drives me nuts. They want a whole inventory, but then act like you’re trying to scam them if you actually list everything. I get why, but come on—if my radio is worth $40, it’s not a “custom audio system.” Half the time, I feel like they’re just looking for reasons to cut the payout.
Agreed value is the only way I’ve found that makes sense for anything older than about 15 years. Book value is a joke. If you haven’t already, push your agent for a written agreed value and make sure it covers the actual car, not just what their computer spits out. I had to argue for weeks to get mine set right.
Receipts are good, but honestly? Photos with timestamps have saved me more than once. If you swap stuff out a lot, just snap a quick shot under the hood or inside after each change. Not perfect, but it’s evidence when they start nitpicking.
Anyone else notice they’ll argue over $50 parts like it’s life or death, but ignore bigger stuff? Makes no sense.
Insurance Paperwork Is a Full-Time Job Sometimes
Man, you nailed it with the agreed value thing. I pushed for that on my old Civic and the agent acted like I was asking for the moon. Why is it such a battle to just get them to acknowledge what the car’s actually worth? I’ve had them try to lowball me with “book value” on a car that hasn’t been stock since 2006… makes no sense.
I’m with you on the photos too. Receipts are great if you’ve got them, but who keeps every single one for years? Half my stuff is junkyard finds or trades anyway. I just snap pics whenever I swap something, even if it’s just a new shift knob. Is there any downside to over-documenting? Sometimes I wonder if they’ll use it against you somehow.
And yeah, the $50 part arguments are wild. They’ll grill you over a used alternator but ignore the $1,000 wheels. Maybe they’re hoping you’ll just give up on the little stuff? It’s weird logic. Anyone ever actually win one of those tiny battles, or is it always a lost cause?
About the documentation thing—honestly, I think more is better, but I wouldn’t stress about overdoing it.
If anything, it’s saved me when they tried to argue about the “condition” of my van’s interior. I just pulled up dated pics and that was that. I do get what you mean about the tiny battles, though. I’ve actually had luck with the little stuff, but only when I laid everything out step by step—dates, parts, costs, and photos. It’s tedious, but it works.Is there any downside to over-documenting? Sometimes I wonder if they’ll use it against you somehow.
I get being worried they’ll twist your own records against you, but honestly, in my experience, the more you’ve got, the better your odds. Insurance folks love “proof.” I once had a claim where they tried to say my bumper was already dinged. Pulled up a photo from a week before—no ding, case closed. It’s a pain, but it beats arguing with someone who’s never even seen your car.
“the more you’ve got, the better your odds. Insurance folks love ‘proof.’”
I get that, but honestly, I worry about oversharing too much with insurance. Sometimes all those photos and records just give them more stuff to nitpick. I had a friend who sent a bunch of maintenance docs and they tried to say he didn’t do enough preventative work—just seemed like extra ammo for them. I just keep the basics: recent pics, receipts for big stuff, nothing more unless they ask. Less to argue about, less hassle for me.
