How many times does it take an IDIOT to backup into your car till they realize it? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

CJ_Boxster · 12-24-2006, 10:54 PM

Apparently it takes 4 times for your front bumper have a upside down V shape gouged into my front bumper while parking before they realize what they did to the car behind them... I learned this today

Im am so pissed! There are 4 V shaped gouges into my front bumper, the a-hole actually got there knee high, tow hitch-(Im assuming) to not only gouge off the paint but also small amounts of urethane from the bumper. Of course the ass didnt leave a note, they probably just took my paint off there tow hitch and parked somewhere else. I went looking around the streets for trucks with tow hitches in my walking distance area, only 2 cars that could have done this, My building Managers truck and a tenants truck which still has the ball and hitch attachment still on the car. I checked for my paint on there cars but nothing, i also checked other taller trucks and suvs parked around here but nothing.

I filed a claim with my insurance. I have a $1000 deductible, does anyone have any ideas on how to offset the cost of the deductible by using the insurance repair check to cover that and also the cost of repair at the same time?... this is assuming i get the check in hand rather than the repair shop.

Bavarian Motorist · 12-25-2006, 05:44 AM

Are you sure it was a tow hitch?

I'm sorry man

RandallNeighbour · 12-25-2006, 07:59 AM

So sorry to hear about this, especially so near Christmas! What a way to bring a guy down on a nice holiday. Where did this happen?

Can you park elsewhere in the future to protect the car more?

I use to drive my boxster to church and parallel park it on the street in front of the church, thinking it would protect my doors. Then some kind soul from church nicked my rear bumper getting out.

Now I either don't drive it to church or park it in a far corner of a school parking lot we've been given to use on Sundays that's patrolled by a security guard and where few people park.

The boxster NEVER goes to the grocery store. Period. That lot if chock-full of bad drivers and stressed people trying to navigate carts of groceries to their cars. I'm too smart for that one.

Unless you do something illegal, you are probably out the full grand for your deductible. However, you can get a body shop to quote you for a new factory bumper, take a check for it, and then buy one off eBay (polyurethene) or get one from a dismanteler and have it put on your car and save some money.

clb0099 · 12-25-2006, 08:01 AM

a good body shop can do the job with liquid fiberglass and cost you alot less then 1k. I had my mercedes ml custom bodykit rear bumper crashed into about a yr ago. I brought it to a bodyshop who told me the process he used to fixed it. Looks like it was never hit. I would rather the cost go out of my pocket then go through insurance. The more claims the more the insurance may go up or sometimes too many claims and they drop you. Anyway just my two cents ... Good Luck. Also likesomeone mentioned start looking for upgrade bumper for like 400-800 on ebay turn this mishap into a mod LOL...

CJ_Boxster · 12-25-2006, 10:21 AM

Thats what im thinking of doing. Since the bumper has strips of urethane gouged out of it, Im hoping insurance will opt for a new bumper rather than body shop bodywork... If thats the case, how does the insurance decide how much money to give me for the bumper?...Is it by dealer prices?

clb0099 · 12-25-2006, 11:45 AM

Well, it goes on what the cost is for oem bumper . Like for example they will do a research on the yr of the car and how much it would cost to replace the bumper and paint it. Here is the thing they either ask you to go to three different body shops and get an est or recommend you to a body shop near you . I would say 8 out of 10 body shops may say it's repairable then it you might be stuck fixing it. They may send an adjuster to come look at the damage while it's at the bodyshop getting repaired so that they can go over how much it's going to cost. It really depends on the adjuster and the insurance company. Other adjusters will ok repairs over the phone others want to see it for themselves. Like i stated in my previous experience unless it is really bad your bumper most times is repairable unless it's cracked straight through or destroyed to the point where it it's not worth it to be fixed or a safety hazard. I hope I have helped you with this info. I would call my local bodyshops and kinda let them know you want to replace the bumper and not fix the one you have. As long as they go along with it and the adjuster your fine. Be nice to the adjuster too . You always catch more bees with honey. LOL Good luck let me know how it works out. When you do call the bodyshops they are going to want to see it so they know what your talking about and also let them say to that they are going to repair the existing one and that's when you tell to them you kinda wanted to replace since your afraid it might not come out like factory . That sometimes works too. Oh , I almost forgot the most obivous bring it to a Porsche Dealership if you going to replace it for a straight swap and not a upgrade some dealerships make work with you on an upgrade bumper and put the money for the oem bumper to a different one. The down side to this is that you might have money coming out of your pocket since dealer prices are marked up . I think your best bet if you want to have done to porsche standards go to a dealership plus insurance have little to say on prices cause it's straight from the maker. Sometimes bodyshops try to get non oem parts cause they are are cheaper and insurance company dictate that cause of what money they give them to fix it. In closing i would opt for dealership work if if your going through insurance they will tell straight if it's fixable or not.

djomlas · 12-25-2006, 01:16 PM

all you have to tell them is that you want your car to go back to its original state, you can even tell them that you had a bumper replaced not long ago and you demand a new bumper, not a fixed one. it was not your fault.
when i had my volvo some guy sideswiped me going 50 while i was stopped at a light, i chased him down and whatnot, but i stopped couse my GF was screaming and crying, we called the cops. wheni took it to insurance place for estimate they said 3,000, couse the door had to be replaced, bumper, door strip and mirror. i asked for a check. i went home mad and check came a few days later. my deductable is 500. i then went to garage to rally take a look at the car couse it was dirty and raining, i washed it...then i took some googone and all the marks whiped off of mirror,door strip,and front bumper. so then i wen to the shop to see how much for fixig the bumper, they said 250.
so 3000-500 deductable-250 to fix=2250 in my pocket.
then the nice lady from insurance came and asked me ow many days of work/school i missed and how i got around...i told her few days and had to take a cab, so a few days later for another check for 900 from insurance company, as well as did my GF
so moral of the story is you can turn misshap into something either more profitable or upgrade ( i got new wheels and tires and cash

)

CJ_Boxster · 12-25-2006, 01:24 PM

well i will mention all that stuff you mentions djlomas, i would definatly like to have similar results as you did. thanks for the advice guys... now i just have to wait for a call from the insurance co.

01slowbox · 12-25-2006, 11:43 PM

(No offence to DJLOMAS intended)

[QUOTE=djomlas]3000-500 deductable-250 to fix=2250 in my pocket.
then the nice lady from insurance came and asked me ow many days of work/school i missed and how i got around...i told her few days and had to take a cab, so a few days later for another check for 900 from insurance company, as well as did my GF
QUOTE]

I'm not trying point fingers or accuse or even to be "that guy" but if you all remember the whole "justified stealing" debate with that guy who ended up getting kicked off the forum... Everyone was like yea, how could you steal... stealing's wrong... I would never steal... (I know people like ohioboxster know what I'm talking about)

What's the difference in this and how is keeping the extra money from the insurance company not stealing because it's defiantly stealing in my book.

All I'm doing is trying to point out the fact that a lot of people are quick to point the finger at others without looking in the mirror first.

As far as I'm concerned its pretty well laid out... and if you don't know what I mean by that, Private Message "RandallNeighbour" and ask him what #8 is... I'm sure he knows what I mean and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to tell you all about it.

Brucelee · 12-26-2006, 05:41 AM

Many people feel it is "OK" to steal from a corporate entity.

I never understood this kind of "logic."

IMHO!

CJ_Boxster · 12-26-2006, 05:43 AM

well regaurdless, i feel that if my car was damaged and the damage is worth X amount of dollars, and i take the insurance check and have it fixed for a much cheaper Y amount of dollars, I feel that im entitled to the remain amount of money left over assuming I sacrificed quality for value.

Reason insurance companies give you the check is because they are giving you the choice of what todo with the money, you can send your car to the junkyard for all they care... You pay your monthly payments for coverage and they give you money to repair damage that may happen during the insured period of your ownership of the vehicle.

Keywords... "INSURANCE COVERAGE"

It would be a waste of typing to convince me otherwise.

Brucelee · 12-26-2006, 06:32 AM

"It would be a waste of typing to convince me otherwise."

Well, we won't do that, will we?"

Travis · 12-26-2006, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 01slowbox

(No offence to DJLOMAS intended)

As far as I'm concerned its pretty well laid out... and if you don't know what I mean by that, Private Message "RandallNeighbour" and ask him what #8 is... I'm sure he knows what I mean and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to tell you all about it.

8 of 10 Thou shall not steal . . . .

But how do you say DJ stole from the insurance company?

He took his car in good faith to the adjuster and they calculated the cost and sent him a check, he then took it on himself to repair certain damage himself.....

Now I am also against stealing either way, but in this case the only one to blame would be the adjuster for giving out a higher than needed quote to fix his car.

z12358 · 12-26-2006, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ_Boxster

well regaurdless, i feel that if my car was damaged and the damage is worth X amount of dollars, and i take the insurance check and have it fixed for a much cheaper Y amount of dollars, I feel that im entitled to the remain amount of money left over assuming I sacrificed quality for value.

Reason insurance companies give you the check is because they are giving you the choice of what todo with the money, you can send your car to the junkyard for all they care... You pay your monthly payments for coverage and they give you money to repair damage that may happen during the insured period of your ownership of the vehicle.

Keywords... "INSURANCE COVERAGE"

It would be a waste of typing to convince me otherwise.

I can see how this type of argument can have some traction. But whenever I find myself in a similar quandry I place myself into the other side's shoes. If I was the entity offering the insurance I would have plenty of trouble if everybody just took the cash and didn't properly fix their cars after an accident -- or didn't fix them at all. One problem I could think right off the top of my head is this: What happens when someone doesn't fix the car up to snuff and that causes an even bigger accident and damage later? Who's responsible for that damage now? Also, if someone got the cash for a brand new door and they decided to keep the cash and only bang the old door with a hammer to straighten it out, when that door gets hit again, what's the damage and who pays for it (Cash for another new door, perhaps?). It's easy to see where this would lead.

And, yes, whether the entity I'm dealing with is a person or a corporation, rich or poor, profitable or not, shouldn't matter one bit. We are lucky to live in a society of laws and rules where those things don't and shouldn't enter the decision process.

Z.

unklekraker · 12-26-2006, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ_Boxster

well regaurdless, i feel that if my car was damaged and the damage is worth X amount of dollars, and i take the insurance check and have it fixed for a much cheaper Y amount of dollars, I feel that im entitled to the remain amount of money left over assuming I sacrificed quality for value.

Reason insurance companies give you the check is because they are giving you the choice of what todo with the money, you can send your car to the junkyard for all they care... You pay your monthly payments for coverage and they give you money to repair damage that may happen during the insured period of your ownership of the vehicle.

Keywords... "INSURANCE COVERAGE"

It would be a waste of typing to convince me otherwise.

CJ has a point...you have a choice of what to do with the check. Let's say, you pay $200 a month for you car insurance coverage for the past 72 months, that's a total of $14,400. You only use $400 of it, where does the insurance company stand when they pocketed the rest of the money, $14,000? Is it a profit or stealing?
So if my door got ding, insurance gave me check for $1k and only use $500. I pocketed the rest of the cash, is it profit or stealing?

I'm just asking, not sure if my question could relay to the topic.

Franco · 12-26-2006, 07:28 AM

Sorry 2 hear about what happened good luck getting it fixed.

Did u guys ever wait in the car while the wife went and buy something, it's incredible
how people drive in parking lots. I had to beep people before they hit my car or move my car before they got out because they had to park 6 inches from mine.
The first thing i tell my kids when parking is to be careful when opening the door.
People have actually hit my car or truck and denied they did when confronted,that's when i blow all my delayed fuses and say WTF and leave or else

,i have kids to feed nowatimean and my Master Instructor has taught me to try and avoid any confrontation that might lead to crippling any SOAB who has no RESPECT FOR HARD EARNED PROPERTY.

My New Year resolution is not 2 use profanity how did i do

GmanMD · 12-26-2006, 07:32 AM

Another interesting tidbit that I found out well after an accident I had a few years ago, is that after significant repairs on your car, you are entitled to a check in the amount of the "loss of value" on the car for the repairs made. The insurance company will never give this to you, UNLESS you ask for it.

I also wouldn't worry about the insurance companies too much. Yes there is indeed insurance fraud and that should never be tolerated, but if they pay you for you losses and you choose to spend that money elsewhere that's your prerogative.

unklekraker · 12-26-2006, 07:34 AM

Franco, I think you did pretty good on your last post by not using too many profanities

CJ_Boxster · 12-26-2006, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z12358

I can see how this type of argument can have some traction. But whenever I find myself in a similar quandry I place myself into the other side's shoes. If I was the entity offering the insurance I would have plenty of trouble if everybody just took the cash and didn't properly fix their cars after an accident -- or didn't fix them at all. One problem I could think right off the top of my head is this: What happens when someone doesn't fix the car up to snuff and that causes an even bigger accident and damage later? Who's responsible for that damage now? Also, if someone got the cash for a brand new door and they decided to keep the cash and only bang the old door with a hammer to straighten it out, when that door gets hit again, what's the damage and who pays for it (Cash for another new door, perhaps?). It's easy to see where this would lead.

And, yes, whether the entity I'm dealing with is a person or a corporation, rich or poor, profitable or not, shouldn't matter one bit. We are lucky to live in a society of laws and rules where those things don't and shouldn't enter the decision process.

Z.

Yes i agree with you on that. But in my case we are talking about a bumper replacment, not major structural damage or something that nearly totaled the car.

CJ_Boxster · 12-26-2006, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unklekraker

CJ has a point...you have a choice of what to do with the check. Let's say, you pay $200 a month for you car insurance coverage for the past 72 months, that's a total of $14,400. You only use $400 of it, where does the insurance company stand when they pocketed the rest of the money, $14,000? Is it a profit or stealing?
So if my door got ding, insurance gave me check for $1k and only use $500. I pocketed the rest of the cash, is it profit or stealing?

I'm just asking, not sure if my question could relay to the topic.

THANK YOU!