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Tips on Negotiating an Oregon Total Loss Claim Yourself.

Negotiating a total loss value with your Oregon based automotive insurance company can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right knowledge and preparation, you can make sure that you get fair compensation for your vehicle. Here’s how to negotiate a total loss value with your Oregon based automotive insurance company.

1. Gather necessary documentation: Before contacting your insurance company, gather all documents related to the vehicle such as purchase documents, service records, receipts of improvements or modifications made to the car and any other items that may affect its value before the accident. This will help you provide evidence of how much money you put into the vehicle in case there is a disagreement about how much it is worth.

2. Contact your insurance company: Once you have all the necessary documentation, contact your insurance company and explain that you are looking to negotiate a total loss value for your vehicle. Your insurance company will then provide you with an estimate of how much they are willing to pay out for the vehicle.

3. Research market values: Take some time to research how much similar vehicles in good condition are selling for in the area. This can help give you a better idea of how much the car is worth, and it may even be more than what the insurance company initially offered.

4. Negotiate: If there is a large difference between what the insurance company is offering and how much similar cars are going for in the area, then you can use that evidence to negotiate for a higher total loss value. Explain your research and how the car’s value should be more than what they are offering. Be sure to remain polite and professional throughout the negotiation process so that you can come away with a fair amount.

By following these steps, you may be able to successfully negotiate a total loss value with your Oregon based automotive insurance company, so that you can get the most out of your vehicle’s worth. Good luck!

If you’re not successful in negotiating the claim for more yourself. Here are a few more tips

1. Understand the appraisal clause included in your insurance policy – Most auto collision policies have an appraisal clause that permits you to request an independent auto appraisal in cases of disagreement over the value of a vehicle deemed as a total loss. Knowing what is stated in the appraisal clause can help you understand your rights and if you have grounds to dispute an insurance company’s total loss offer.

2. Requesting a second opinion on the value – A professional Oregon certified vehicle appraiser may provide insight into how much your vehicle is actually worth.  We provide a free claim review to help you determine this. See below…

3. Want your vehicle totaled and they insist on repairing it? Check for hidden damage not previously disclosed – Many times there are damages not discovered during an initial inspection that can add to repair costs. Checking for hidden damage could provide leverage to dispute an insurance company’s reason for not totaling your vehicle. The vehicle should be safe, not just fixed.

4. Consider the value of restoring your vehicle if it has sentimental or historical value – If you own a classic, limited-edition, or antique vehicle, it may be more valuable restored than what the insurance company is offering as their total loss appraisal. You will normally need to have an independent auto appraiser help you determine this.

5. Comparing used car prices and values – Searching for similar vehicles in good condition and comparing used car prices and values can help determine if an insurance company is providing fair compensation on a total loss appraisal amount. Be aware that prices have been coming down lately and if your date of loss is more than a couple of weeks from today, you should have a professional appraiser review your claim as time is of the essence.

6. Negotiate with the adjuster – After gathering evidence that suggests you should receive more money, you can start to negotiate with the adjuster in an effort to increase the total loss appraisal amount. If you invoke your appraisal clause, you wont have to negotiate with him and they will have to hire an independent auto appraiser themselves, not just force you to take their value.

7. Contacting your state insurance department – If conversations with your adjuster are not successful, it may be worthwhile to contact your state’s insurance department for assistance. The Oregon insurance commissioner’s department can review your claim and provide advice on how best to proceed in order to receive a fair total loss appraisal offer from your insurance company. If you need to file a complaint or reach out to them you can reach them here: https://dfr.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx

Leverage Auto Appraisals serves all of Oregon, specializing in Oregon total loss claim disputes. We provide consumers representation on auto appraisal clause disputes for total loss vehicles. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (503)420-3001 an operator is standing by and we’re ready to help.

 

Why Choose Leverage Auto Appraisals to Fight For You?

By Oregon Law, you are entitled to dispute the value your insurance company has offered you if you feel it is lower than it should be. Your insurance company must work in good faith to settle your total loss claim. The appraisal clause in your insurance policy is your best defense against lowball offers. Most insurance companies use a 3rd party valuation service such as CCC ONE, Mitchell, JD Powers, or Audatex, and will normally not go over what that valuation states your vehicle is worth.

But, the truth is the valuation may be riddled with mistakes since it is a calculated value based on a machine alone. It’s not uncommon to see comparables with 50,000 more miles than your vehicle being adjusted thousands of dollars compared to your lower mileage vehicle to devalue your vehicle. If you see the same condition adjustment on all of their comparables, you’re probably being taken advantage of and should contact us immediately.

Oregon Certified Appraiser

When Hiring an Auto Appraiser, make sure they are certified by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Otherwise, the appraisal may not be considered credible. Ken Nix an Oregon certified and licensed auto appraiser. #V34-075

Credible Automotive Experience

Ken Nix has 12+  years experience negotiating total loss claims against insurance companies, with over 40 years of  automotive and expert negotiating experience. He knows the vehicles, which is one of the biggest problems with the industry. So many auto appraisers are ex-body shop estimators or ex-insurance adjusters with no previous experience evaluating or selling vehicles.

Credible Valuations

We follow the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (U.S.P.A.P.) standards for credible appraisals and our appraisals are powered by with CARFAX Total Loss Valuation Tools to produce strong, credible appraisals. Beware companies that inflate their estimated value in an effort to entice you because they have the largest value. Largest doesn’t mean you’ll settle for more, normally it has the opposite effect. Solid credible documented work shows how we arrived at the value is the key.

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We Don't Work For Insurance Companies

Unlike most auto appraisers, Ken only works for consumers and has never worked for an insurance company. No one’s shoving an envelope full of money across the table. But, there could be appraisers that develop methodologies to produce lower values in hopes of acquiring future business from the insurance companies. Some of these guys work both sides. (FYI, my attorney made me add the “could be” above to keep me from being sued). I’m sure no one would really do that, would they?

Located in Oregon

LEVERAGE Auto Appraisals is located right here in Oregon. Our main office is in Portland, Oregon. Although, we service all of Oregon including Medford, Eugene, Springfield, Coos Bay, Pendleton, Bend, Grants Pass, Gresham, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Salem, and Tigard, Oregon. Be aware many auto appraisers who appear they’re local but are from Florida, Texas, North Carolina, etc., are not licensed by ODOT to appraise vehicles in Oregon.

100% Reimbursement

As long as we increase the last offer from your insurance company one cent under your Oregon Insurance Policy’s appraisal clause, by Oregon law, your insurance company is required to provide you with 100% reimbursement of the appraisal cost. OAR 836-080-0240

READY TO GET STARTED?

It’s Simple. Just follow our proven process below and recover your fair market value and appraisal costs from your insurance company in just 6 easy steps.

1. Gather Documentation

Request a PDF of the Evaluaton from your insurance company. Have it ready when you fill out our questionnaire in the next step. Or, email it to with your name in the subject line.

2. Free Claim Review

Request a Free Total Loss Claim Review in our form below, or call us at 503.420.3001 to find out how much your vehicle is really worth. We won’t waste your time by selling you an appraisal you don’t need.

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3. Order Appraisal

Place Your Order, and our Oregon Licensed and Certified Appraiser, Ken Nix will prepare the report and negotiation strategy.

4. Letter of Representation

We will send a letter of representation to your insurance company to inform them we are representing you as your appraiser under your appraisal clause.

5. Claim Negotiation

The insurance company will hire an independent appraiser and Ken will negotiate with them on your behalf to arrive at a fair settlement.

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6. Settlement

Once we have an signed agreement as to the actual Fair Market Value of your vehicle, your insurance company will award your the settlement and under Oregon Law, will reimburse your appraisal cost under OAR 836-080-0240.

Oregon Auto Appraiser Ken NixEach appraisal is overseen and signed by our Appraisal Director, Ken Nix. Ken has worked in the automotive industry for over 30 years and is a highly respected automotive authority. Founder of the Volkswagen Owners Club, with over 60,000 members worldwide, he is an internationally known automotive expert and certified Oregon auto appraiser. He has testified as an expert witness in many automotive value arbitrations, jury trials, and criminal restitution court cases. Ken has over 7 years of experience working for Honda, 3 years with Toyota, 3 years with Volkswagen and Volvo, and over 3 years with Ford and Chevrolet. He’s worked directly with hundreds of national dealership personnel such as Dealer Principals, General Managers, GSMs, and  Fixed-Ops Directors while employed with Reynolds and Reynolds developing and consulting on automotive marketing and customer retention.

READY FOR A FREE CLAIM REVIEW? Email the PDF of the CCC One, Mitchell / J.D. Powers or other evaluation of your vehicle to: . With the SUBJECT: FREE CLAIM REVIEW with your NAME. Then call us at 503.567.8900 for a free claim review. (Example: FREE CLAIM REVIEW – KEN NIX) If I’m unable to immediately take your call, please leave your information with our live answering service (which will take your call 24/7).  I’ll call you as soon as I’m available. Please allow a little time as I may be negotiating a claim or inspecting a vehicle when you call during the day. If it is later at night, I may call you the next morning. I’ll call you back from my Cell Phone sometimes, ending in 0539. Thank you for considering me as your auto appraiser.

Location

Portland, Oregon 97225

Phone

Phones answered 24 hours a day

(503) 420-3001

Email

Open Hours

Mon: 8AM – 5PM
Tue: 8AM – 5PM
Wed: 8AM – 5PM
Thur: 8AM – 5PM
Fri: 8AM – 5PM
Sat: 8AM – 5PM
Sun: 8AM – 5PM

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