Interesting approach, but wouldn't private sales listings from Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace be seen as less reliable by insurers? I mean, dealers at least have some standardized pricing, even if it's inflated. When my Audi got sideswiped, I used certified pre-owned listings from luxury dealerships—figured they'd carry more weight. The insurer pushed back initially, but eventually budged. Curious if anyone else found dealer listings more persuasive than private sales data...?
When my Subaru got rear-ended a couple years back, I tried the private listings route first—figured it'd show the "real-world" value better. But the insurance adjuster pretty much dismissed them outright, saying they weren't verifiable enough. I switched gears and gathered dealer listings instead, even though I knew the prices were a bit inflated. Surprisingly, that seemed to do the trick. The adjuster still grumbled a bit, but eventually upped their offer closer to what I was expecting.
I think insurers just trust dealer listings more because they're easier to verify and seem more "official," even if we all know dealers pad their prices. Private sales might reflect reality better, but insurers probably see them as too variable or unreliable. Still, I wouldn't completely rule out private listings—maybe they'd help if you had enough of them to show a clear pattern?