That’s interesting—I kinda figured the “hold up today’s newspaper” thing was just a movie trope, too. I’m new to all this, and honestly, half the insurance stuff feels like a weird scavenger hunt. When I signed up, they wanted a photo of my car with the odometer, but not the VIN. Then my friend in a different state said their company wanted a video walk-around. It’s like every company (or maybe every adjuster?) has their own secret checklist.
I keep wondering if it’s stricter here because South Dakota’s got so many rural areas and maybe they worry about people trying to claim on old damage? Or maybe I’m just overthinking it. Has anyone ever actually had an adjuster reject photos for being “too old” or not showing enough detail? That’s my worry—jumping through all these hoops and still getting told to redo it...
Honestly, the “hold up today’s newspaper” thing is mostly a joke, but yeah, we do care about when the photos were taken. I’ve had to ask people for new pics if the ones they sent were clearly from months ago or didn’t show the right angle—like, if I can’t see the dent you’re talking about, it’s tough to approve anything. It’s not really stricter in South Dakota, just depends on the company and sometimes the adjuster’s mood, to be honest. The scavenger hunt vibe is real, though... I wish there was a universal checklist, but nope.
Yeah, I get that—timing on photos matters a lot. I’ve had adjusters ask for new shots just because the lighting was off or the reflection made it hard to see the damage. It’s not just a South Dakota thing, either. Honestly, I wish there was a standard list too, but every company seems to want something different. Makes me double-check everything before sending it in... better safe than sorry.
It’s wild how much hassle a simple photo can cause. I’ve had similar run-ins with insurance adjusters, and it never seems to matter if you’re in South Dakota or anywhere else—there’s always some nitpicky detail. One time, I sent in a set of pictures after a fender bender, and the agent wanted me to retake them because apparently the “shadow from the mailbox” was blocking part of the dent. I mean, really? At that point, I started taking photos at different times of day just to cover my bases.
I keep wondering why there isn’t a universal checklist for these things. You’d think with all the tech we have now, insurance companies could at least agree on what counts as a “clear” photo. Instead, it feels like every company has its own secret set of rules. Sometimes I get the sense they’re just looking for an excuse to slow things down.
One thing that’s helped me is using my phone’s flash even during the day if there’s any glare or weird lighting. It doesn’t always look pretty, but at least you can see the damage. Also, I started including a close-up and a wide shot of every angle—probably overkill, but better than having to do it all again.
Not sure if South Dakota has any special rules about this stuff, but from what I’ve seen, most of it comes down to whatever the company wants in that moment. If anyone’s found an actual guideline or list that works across companies, I’d love to see it... until then, I’ll just keep snapping way too many photos and hoping for the best.
Man, your story about the mailbox shadow made me laugh because I’ve been there too—except in my case, it was a reflection from my neighbor’s chrome bumper that got me. Adjuster said he “couldn’t verify the depth of the scratch” because of the glare. I swear, next time I’m bringing out a white sheet and setting up a photo studio in my driveway just to get these shots right.
I totally get what you mean about every company having their own secret rules. One time with State Farm they wanted the car in “natural daylight,” but then with Progressive, they said direct sunlight was too harsh and made the dent look worse than it was. You can’t win. I started taking a ridiculous number of photos from every angle—sometimes even with a ruler or sticky note for scale, just in case. My phone’s camera roll after an accident looks like I’m prepping for a used car ad.
I haven’t found any universal checklist either, and I’ve asked around at local body shops here in SD. Most of the folks I talked to said they just try to make sure the car is clean, damage is visible from a few feet away, and you can see the license plate. Beyond that, it’s a bit of a crapshoot depending on who’s looking at your claim.
Funny thing is, I always figured with all the tech and apps these companies have now, they’d have some kind of AI that could just scan your pics and be done with it. But no, we’re still playing photo detective for them. Maybe they’re just stalling or maybe it’s legit—hard to say.
Anyway, I’m with you—better to go overboard than have to deal with another round of “can you retake this?” Just wish they’d make it easier on everyone.
