"My cars have always been daily drivers, and I can't justify paying extra for coverage that limits how much I can use them."
Totally get where you're coming from—my Audi sees daily action too, so specialty insurance was a no-go. Have you checked if your regular insurer offers agreed-value options without mileage caps? Mine did, surprisingly...might be worth a quick call.
"Have you checked if your regular insurer offers agreed-value options without mileage caps?"
That's interesting, I didn't even realize regular insurers offered agreed-value coverage without mileage restrictions. I've always stuck with standard policies because specialty insurance seemed too restrictive for daily driving. But now you've got me thinking...do they typically require an appraisal or something to set the value? My Benz isn't exactly a classic yet, but I'd hate to get shortchanged if something happened.
Ha, I feel you—my Subaru's nowhere near classic either, but I'd be pretty salty if insurance offered me peanuts after a fender-bender.
Good question...anyone know if a dealership valuation works, or do they insist on a full-blown appraisal?"do they typically require an appraisal or something to set the value?"
Yeah, dealership valuations can sometimes work, but insurance companies usually prefer a professional appraisal—especially if you're pushing for a higher payout. When I went through a similar headache last year, they insisted on a third-party appraisal to verify the market value. Dealership quotes helped as supporting evidence, but weren't enough alone. I'd say go ahead and get both if you can swing it...gives you more ammo if they try lowballing you.
"Dealership quotes helped as supporting evidence, but weren't enough alone."
Yeah, that's been my experience too. But I'm curious—does anyone know if insurance companies have specific appraisers they prefer or trust more? I mean, if you get your own third-party appraisal, is there a chance they'll dispute it anyway and insist on their own guy? I've heard stories of people paying for an appraisal only to have the insurance company reject it and demand another one. Seems like a waste of time and money if that's the case...
When I had my accident a couple years back, I just went with the insurance company's recommended appraiser to avoid any hassle. It worked out okay, but now I'm wondering if maybe I left money on the table by not getting a second opinion. Has anyone actually seen a significant difference between dealership valuations and independent appraisals? Just trying to figure out if it's worth the extra effort next time around.
