MGC Wrecked MGC-GT

[Steve_S]

Don't give up, if you let them win then they will pull the same thing on someone else, perhaps one of us! Get what is owed to you - what you have paid premiums for, and stick to your principles!

 

[jlaird]

Go up a level at USAA, and raise heck with them. There's is not to reason why. Their insured caused the problem and are required by law to make you whole.

 

[twigworker]

That is exactly what they want you to do Jack, give up and walk away. For the cost of a low level flunky being on the phone for fifteen minutes they saved fifteen or twenty thousand dollars.

It is your life but for me, after nearly being killed and having my wife killed, by the idiot, I would pursue this until the folks on the other end of the phone retire. The name of the game is who can wear down the other fellow faster.

I fought with one of those rip off scum sucking, low life, fraudulent, burn in heck, did I say scum sucking?, outfits for over a year one time and ended up with everything I deserved. In the end they said, "Mr. Austin, we are sorry but we don't know how this situation came about. You certainly should have been given this settlement right away, immediately after you put in your claim". In the mean time my daughter had suffered for over twelve months with a condition that could have been corrected in one afternoon but was just far beyond my financial capabilities.

Please don't give up!

Jack

 

[twigworker]

My advice is to skip EVERYBODY and go to the highest level that you possibly can immediately and to CC every correspondence to your state's insurance commissioner. If they don't capitulate immediately you can expect to do a lot of letter writing over the next few months, but when you get down and out about it, just think of your wife, and your family and all the money and effort that went into the C. That ought to perk you up again. Just put everything in writing and keep extemporaneous chronological notes on every single telephone conversation.

If they balk again let us know. I will be the first in line to write to them, saying that they are being watched by the largest and most active automobile web site on the planet, and that if they don't do the right thing they are going to squander a lot of hard earned good will and cost themselves a ton of business, both now and in the future.

BTW: Since we are on the subject of insurance, did you know that the CEO of Progressive is a billionaire and one of the very largest contributors to far left political and social causes. If you are lefty that might be a good thing, but as a righty I wouldn't spend a single cent with that company.

End of rant! Jack

 

[jgbowman1]

Jack, you just gave me another reason not to buy insurance. Being in the legal business, you tend to see which insurers are bad about jerking their customers around. Progressive is right up there in my experience.

 

[Guest]

Forget the letter writing. Unless you have plenty of spare cash or he's a friend, forget using a lawyer and going it alone. Go through your own insurance company, get the $ and let them worry about getting it back. You have witnesses and it wasnt your fault, so it wont affect your premiums. You've paid them enough over the years - time to get something back. It's stressful enough without having to deal with people who get paid to try to frustrate and short change you.

 

[jlaird]

This does not sound like the USAA I have used for the past 45 years.
If you would pm me your full name and phone number I will call and raise some heck myself. You spoke to the wrong person and I hope you have their name.
There is no excuse for that kind of off the wall remark or anything but courtious treatment.

 

[tony barnhill]

I was thinknig the same thing, Jack....even called my local adjuster who couldn't believe it....he did say he could understand the adjuster not getting there as he schedules appointments like a doctor but has to drive to most of them and anything can happen...but, I also would like to call USAA & find out what's happening

 

[tony barnhill]

Jack in Clovis, NM with the MGC GT - I called USAA & spoke with them about your issue (I've been a USAA customer since 1970)...they want you to call 1-800-531-8222 &, whenever a claims adjuster answers, ask to speak with a claims manager - that's in san Antonio at the corporate headquarters....they couldn't tell me anything about your situation because of privacy issues & me not having all the pertinent information, but they said that's the way for you to escalate it & for them to be able to solve your problems....& the manager we spoke with said they DO want to solve it.

....I also explained to them the rarity of the car....USAA isn't into collector insurance, they have a separate branch that handles the cars we insure like that.

Give USAA a call.

 

[lawguy]

If I were licensed in NM (and there) I'd love to take a crack at this for you. I've done work for and against insurance companies and know how their people think...I wish I didn't.

Anyhoo, as Tony mentioned, a "stated value" policy should be no problem, but I sense you have an ACV (actual cash value) policy. That's where the fight will be if you have one. They will find 2 or 3 cars they think are similar to yours in condition and tell you what the value is. You will have to prove that your car is worth more. Your receipts are only of value to prove the condition of your car. Don't expect to get back what you invested in money and time. That is almost irrelevant.

Think of it this way. If a guy was to go to a dealership and buy all the parts to build, say a '97 Grand Am (much like my new, used work car), by the time he had all the parts and time in building it, he'd probably have $50,000 into it. However, you can buy a very nice one for $6,000. ACV is not what was spent, it is the value of the completed vehicle on the open market. Likely, the ACV of the "new" Grand Am would be $6,000 plus a credit of some sort for no miles and all new parts (because you would not find a true "comp"), but probably not even $8,000 in total.

In your situation, the age and relative rarity of the car only changes the process of determining comparables. The concept is the same. Likely, you will have to find very nice comps with verifiable prices paid (classic car auctions?), then get as much information about those cars as you can so you can show that your car is worth more than those based upon some objectively verifiable criteria. That is where your receipts come in handy.

I would start the research now, but see what the insurance people say. Although a great portion seem to be spreadsheet reading, corporate minded, non-enthusiast, drones, you will find nice, reasonable people out there. You can't judge the company at this point based on one drone's attitude.

 

[jlaird]

Well said, agree completely. You got to get what you can at the very least. Your photos will be a wonderful place to start.

 

[jackq]

I just walked in the door from a mad dash round trip from Clovis to Albuquerque and back...almost 500 miles. Stopped at the house to get my killer weiner dog...guards me from ins. people:> and read all these messages..thx. alana, jlaird....tony...all of you. I'm about to call USAA and go bonkers...OH...by the way..the trip tp abq. was to the lotto headquarters to redeem a scratch-off ticket...was too big to cash locally. At least if I get screwed...I got the extra cash for a part or two. Also am talking with a man in Colo. about his available C couple..just got the pics in e-mail. Jack

 

[jlaird]

Oh, can we see the pics. We now feel like we are part of this mess.

Jack

 

[tony barnhill]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm about to call USAA and go bonkers

[/ QUOTE ]

No need to do that - go 'bonkers - just call and ask for a claims manager...

 

[jackq]

UPDATE...its saturday and feel a bit calmed down. I went to my shop and after staring at the C for a minute...checked my messages. An adjustor had left a message, said he was local and did everything from motorcycles to combines and tractors...oh my God!! anyhow, he had gotten a frantic call from claims headquarters and said this was a priority. Caled him..eplained everything and he said Monday at nine. Asked if I could have all parts lists, labor estimates(my labor) how long everything would take like getting a rack(guy from the C place in Eng. wrote and said none were avail but I should look in USA and send him one to rebuild) That dosen't sound good. In the meantime, I called an old pal and he invited me into his huge facility to droll over his cars...As...Bs...TDs. A 72 Jag V-12, a 90 and 92 XJS 12 cyls. The 90 has 63k and is like new, chrome wires etc. The 92 has 86k(same as my CGT) and is near perfect.He offered that on to me for 12,500, the super nice one for 15,500. He also has a nice 912 I may snatch. He has some beautiful stuff.

 

[jlaird]

Glad it is working out, keep us posted pls.

 

[tony barnhill]

Happy USAA & yu are cooperating...hope it all works out...if you decide not to rebuild the C, let me know!

 

[jackq]

Just gat an e-mail from the man with the C roadster for sale in Colo.....sold. **** the luck. Do you think I'd be smart getting one of the Jags here in town...or just hope a C will drop out of the sky?? The 72 EType with the V-12 is beautiful...but worry about driving something like that.

 

[DrEntropy]

Just my 2P worth, but I'd be waiting/hunting for an MGC as replacement. The Jags are nice when they're "right" but a real PITA when they go "off." Besides: there are so many MORE of them than MGC's.

I hope you can somehow manage to sue the pants off the perp. Should be jailed, WITH his parents... That way every morning when they wake up they could beat the jerk for their circumstance. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[jackq]

Yeah...been getting an earfull from the wife(after 38 yrs. you'd think I'd learn) I think after all these years of her acting like a "car is a car" attitude, deep down she like the MGs. I catch her looking for dirt or dings whenever we walked up to it. I'm finishing the estimate for repairs today...the big hang-up is a rack. I also have concerns about the bottom of the car...front to back got banged and scraped form my off road excursion. Looks like I used it to harvest sod...and concrete. Bums me out every time I walk in the shop, first thing I see.