auto appraiser Jason Phillips was pleasantly surprised when he was hired by the insured to represent his total loss case on a burned 1969 Camaro, opposite State Farm. “Our numbers didn’t come in that far off the number that State Farm came up with on their own”. State Farm normally requires a third party “umpire” be chosen in advance of the two enlisted appraisers coming up with their respective values. In this case, they were willing to wait, to see what Auto Appraises’ car appraisal value was. They were originally offering about $15,000 to settle the case. We came in at just over $18,500. Our figure was well supported, with multiple comparable cars listed for sale.

Any legitimate insurance company appreciates thorough research, something they don’t always have the time or resources to effectively process in house. They opted in this case to settle with their insured, at our figure, and save him the expense of having to hire (and pay 1/2 the fee) of a third party umpire to come in and rule on the case. I felt this was an extraordinary example of where an insurance company is attempting to do the right thing. People often become tainted in this process, because of stories told about unfair settlements and the like. Well in the 20 years since I’ve been in the auto appraisal business, this was a rare but pleasant first! I was very glad to see it happen. The insured is ecstatic as well. I felt it was appropriate to share this story, considering my involvement. Hats off to State Farm, setting a new precedent in customer satisfaction.

Technorati Tags: auto accident, auto appraisal, diminished value, total loss

Helpful rules to follow from expert auto appraiser Jason Phillips:

#1. Educate yourself on pressure selling tactics, so you are less likely to become a victim of them. Google (car sales pressure tactics by Jason Phillips)
#2. Don’t act like an expert. You practice buying a car once every few years….they practice selling a car 5 times a day! Your skill set is way outweighed!
#3. Don’t rely on your “expert” just because he’s a guy. Lots of guys pretend to know about cars that really don’t.
#4. Utilize seller provided photos to introduce yourself to a car, but never rely on these photos to be telling the whole story. It’s like marrying the woman based on the photo she posted on match.com!
#5. Look at book values, but use only as a guideline. Even weekly publications like NADA can be off by thousands of dollars, and often NOT in your favor.
#6. Due diligence! Get to know asking prices on the car(s) you are following. Use mileage and option packages to adjust accordingly.
#7. Be open to more than one car, one color, etc…..the wider your sights, the less pressure on you, the better the deals you’ll usually get.
#8. Use a title branding service like carfax, to look at reported vehicle history. Don’t be naive enough to rely solely on this, as LOTS of stuff goes unreported. Buyback guarantees offered by services similar to this are usually impossible to collect on.
#9. Once you’ve narrowed your search, and negotiated your best deal, have a full blown professional inspection done. It will be the best piece of mind your money can buy. It’s a lot cheaper than a plane ticket, rental car and a missed day of work! Go to www.autoappraise.com to arrange for your inspection, or call them at 800-301-3886. The best in the business at protecting YOUR interests!

Technorati Tags: buying a used car for sale, used car tips

Auto Appraise Inc. has 266 auto appraisers nationally and can help you with a certified auto total loss appraisal in California. Don’t be enamored by claims of huge, unrealistic settlement numbers promised by auto loss appraisers within the industry. Further, don’t believe in “self boasting”, instead, believe in customer testimonials that you can actually contact. Be smart, and get a second opinion, no matter who you are doing business with. We can provide you with solid advice and a reasonable position that will be respected by other legitimate auto appraisal firms within the industry….not laughed at. Be sure to take time to read about complaints filed against various appraisal groups. Do this by typing in auto appraisal complaints and auto total loss problems into Google. Also, the Better Business Bureau BBB does a great job as well. You will fast learn that some insurance companies won’t even accept the internet appraisal you’ve just purchased, due to unscrupulous tactics. In short, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! If you need assistance, call 800-301-3886. http://www.autoappraise.com

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Technorati Tags: auto accident, diminished value, total loss

Auto Appraise Inc. has 265 auto appraisers nationally and can assist you with a certified auto total loss appraisal in Oregon. Don’t be tricked into huge, unrealistic settlement numbers promised by auto loss appraisers within the industry. Be smart, and get a second opinion, no matter who you are doing business with. We can provide you with solid advice and a reasonable position that will be respected by other legitimate auto appraisal firms within the industry….not laughed at. Be sure to take time to read about complaints filed against various appraisal groups. Do this by typing in auto appraisal complaints and auto total loss problems into Google. Also, the Better Business Bureau BBB does a nice job as well. If you need assistance, please call 800-301-3886. http://www.autoappraise.com

Technorati Tags: auto accident, diminished value, total loss

auto appraiser Jason Phillips points out that the buyback guarantee you receive is not as it seems. “We tested this out when a client came to me after totaling their car and was $5,000 short of payoff”. The insurance adjuster on the case noted that the car had multiple previous repairs that were physically obvious, but went unnoticed by the new owner. She had purchased her used 2002 Pontiac Bonneville only 11 months earlier, and paid “all the money” for it in my opinion. She ran a CARFAX report, and the car came up clear of any major problems. Trusting this, she purchased. However, when I subpoenaed the records on the case, I found dealer from Grand Rapids Mi. had purchased it two weeks earlier, from a Michigan based dealer auction, that reports weekly to carfax. Further, the records indicate that GMAC financial announced the car on the podium AS-IS, previous repairs, and turned on the “red light”. The whole thing was recorded. to add insult to injury, we re-ran a carfax, now 14 months later, and the car was STILL coming up clean, with no bad history! So, who’s at fault here? The seller reported, the auction recorded, and the system was in place. In short, carfax denied any wrong doing. they’re response was….”well how were we supposed to report it, if nobody reported it to us?” Ultimately, the customer suffered in the end. The expense of an attorney, appraiser, fight with their insurance company, and all the lost time. Who pays for that? Unsuspecting customers that trust the system, that’s who. Their ads are cute, but very misleading. My advice….have it professionally inspected.

Technorati Tags: accident damage claims, autochex, carfax, salvage title

Ordering an auto appraisal on line is almost as easy as ordering Chinese take out. So, how do you know who’s knowledgeable, versus somebody that’s just copied some good sales info to a website in an effort to take your money? How do you know if insurance underwriters respect their opinions? How do you know if banks will even accept their work? How do you know if they’re even real. Don’t be charmed by price alone. Although price is important, be enamored by knowledge. Read referral letters and testimonials. Contact by e-mail or phone any referrals that posted their contact information. If there is no path provided to contact the past customers, then you too should pass on choosing that company. Autoappraise.com has over 100 testimonials posted, each allowing personal contact through e-mail, and some have left telephone numbers. They have 265 inspectors and auto appraisers nationwide. They are staffed with knowledgeable and trustworthy people. Call them at 800-301-3886.

Technorati Tags: auto appraiser, technical

Auto appraiser Jason Phillips recently inspected this code 912A silver blue 1963 Split Window. The car was ordered sold by the court of local jurisdiction, who assigned the work to auto appraiser Jason Phillips and staff. It had the same owner since 1964, and has a very nice original interior. It features correct 63 gages, correct 63 only adjustable seat frames, but it does have a 64 hood. It has a solid, unrestored underbody, good solid frame, and runs well, with it’s correct 300hp number’s matching motor and original 4 speed. In the history of Corvettes, this was the 1st coupe ever available in the Corvette line. It also was the introduction of IRS, replacing the “straight axle” set up with nylon straps. This car has a driver quality, older repaint that was never really sanded and buffed out very well. A wet sand and wheel will bring it up a couple notches. If you are interested in purchasing this car, please contact me. 810-694-2008. The asking price is $39,500.

Technorati Tags: chevrolet, corvette, numbers matching

Jason Phillips points out in an auto appraisal that it’s easiest to identify true factory built SS Chevelle’s in 1966 and 1967. Even without a protect-o-plate, or a build sheet, the cowl tag and VIN tag will not lead you astray. If it begins with 138, then it was a factory built SS model. All SS chevelle’s from 1966 through 1970 were 396 equipped cars. All except for some 402’s, and of course LS5 and LS6 equipped 454 1970 models. If you need more info or a car inspected, check out our website, www.autoappraise.com.

Technorati Tags: chevelle, chevrolet, SS, technical

auto appraiser Jason Phillips was asked “when did the 396 engine get introduced? Most people believe that it was 1966 for the SS Chevelle’s, but that’s because you rarely see or hear about the 1965’s. In 1965, you could order an SS with a six cylinder! However, early in the year, Chevrolet introduced the mark IV 396 big block, but only put it into 201 heavily optioned “A” bodies. These were all well equipped cars, called the “Z16″ Malibu. If you find one, It’s a rarer than rare treat!

Technorati Tags: chevelle, chevrolet, muscle car, SS

I knew when I was walking up the driveway on this last auto appraisal that there was going to be drivability issues. The left rear tire had some major negative camber issues. This is spotted easiest by kneeling down behind the car from 20 feet away, and looking at the tilt of the rear tires. It can be adjusted some, by rotating the cam washer, or replacing the non-adjustable lower torsion arms with aftermarket adjustable ones. The car had all original bonding strips in place, and a very good original un-hit frame. The dog leg caps had some rust, but nothing structural to be concerned about. On the high side, it had a tank sticker, both tops, and was a numbers matching big block 427 car, with the original muncie and original rear end. The rest of the suspension had been rebuilt, which was nice. It ran surprisingly well, and had really nice paint, for a 20 year old respray. It’s still for sale, the guy want’s $25,000. Contact us if you are interested in this car. 800-301-3886

Technorati Tags: 427, big block, corvette, for sale, numbers matching