Beware, as Insurance reps will tell you all sorts of stuff to throw you off track. Here’s just a few.
•  We don’t pay diminished value.
•  What’s diminished value? (it’s normally on their insurance test)
•  Your car’s too new, old, has too many miles, not enough miles, etc.
•  That’s a myth, nobody actually pays diminished value.
•  You have to sell your car first.
•  You have to repair your car.
•  There’s no law that says we have to pay Diminished Value. In every state but Georgia that’s true, but there is prior case law in many states to substantiate a claim.
•  Your car has been returned to pre-loss condition. So it has no diminished value. Inherent diminished value assumes the vehicle has been returned to 100% pre-loss condition. So that’s an irrelevant argument.

They may also attack your appraisal or appraiser.
•  This report is stupid.
•  You expect us to pay this? That’s laughable.
•  That’s completely out of line.
• This is a strategy to save the insurance company money. Think of it as trying to shake you out of a tree. If you fall for the “This report means nothing”, or “We don’t pay diminished value”, They Win. Insurance companies save millions, actually probably tens of millions each year by persuading claimants to take much less than they deserve. In 2017 it is estimated that insuance companies paid less than 20% of the total amount claimed against them by their own policy holders.

Remember, it is the Insurance Rep’s job to pay you the very least they can. They are not your friend, and they are not there to help you. Their job is to pay you less than you deserve.

Now that’s said. Here’s some Strategies to overcome their objections to paying you your diminished value.

So let’s start with some of the objections we’ve already covered.
•  We don’t pay diminished value.
o  So Your company has never paid a diminished value claim? Could you please send me an email stating that?
•  What’s diminished value?
o  (it’s normally on their insurance test “Isn’t that on your insurance license exam?” Let them know you’re well informed.)
•  Your car’s too new, old, has too many miles, not enough miles, etc.
o  Can you please send that to me in writing by email. I’d like to confirm it with the insurance commission. Normally if your vehicle doesn’t have extremely high mileage, you’re probabaly still owed something.
•  That’s a myth, nobody actually pays diminished value.
o  So everybody that has been paid diminished value doesn’t exist? Please send that statement to me in writing. As I don’t feel you are acting in good faith. You can also use the first rebuttlal, So Your company has never paid a diminished value claim?
•  You have to sell your car first.
o  So do you sell cars that have been totaled before you determine their value? NOTE: this is a trick to try to get you to sell your vehicle. If you don’t have access to the vehicle, then they can say they can’t inspect it. Also, the value is based on the date of loss, not after your vehicle has been repaired. If you sold your $30,000 car to your sister for $5,000, does that mean your vehicle is worth $5,000? For one, the IRS is going to be asking what happened to the other $25,000.
•  You have to repair your car.
o  Not if I’m only claiming inherent diminished value. The value would be determined on perception only, with the assumption that the vehicle had been returned to 100% pre-loss condition. Beware, the new apps may be estimating your claim thousand less than it really is. I recently looked at a vehicle where the owner was going to pocket the $1,200 that was offered for the repairs and not repair her car. The actual cost of repairs to her car was over $9,000. Dollards.
•  There’s no law that says we have to pay Diminished Value.
o  That may be true in many states. But, in most states there is case law that supports diminished value. In such, I have the right to pursue a claim, even if I have to resort to legal means.
•  Your car has been returned to pre-loss condition. So it has no diminished value.
o  Although it has been repaired to the best of human ability by the body shop, that does not mean that I have been made whole as to the value of my vehicle. The vehicle now has certain stigmas attached to it that will reduce the perceived value when compared to a vehicle with no prior damage.

So there are a few rebuttals. If you have a specific problem, email us at [email protected] and tell us what the problem is. We’ll do our best to help.