wat should I do

[powdersrider11]

Here's the story
I was riding along in the wonderful minnesota ditches a couple of weeks ago and I clipped a culvert. I broke my bottom right a-arm in two pieces, I bent the **** out of my top right a-arm and my right shock is broke in two pieces. That is all that is damaged. I got an estimate from a local shop so i could give it to my insurance company. They said it would cost 1400 dollars to fix it. it's bull **** i know. They said I need to replace my right side panel, my right ski, my right spindle and my right spring along with the shock and a-arms. I gave the estimate to the insurance company and after waiting for 10 long damn days they said it was repairable and they are sending a check in the mail for 1400 dollars. I told them I would repair it myself.

So.... I started working on my sled and I came to a conclusion that the mechanic shop "padded" the estimate because my right side panel, right spring,right ski,and right spindle does not need to be replaced at all. so If I don't need to replace those parts wat the **** am i suppose to do with the other 900 dollars.

my dad said they won't let me keep the extra.

I have three options
replace everything
replace just the parts that need replacing and keep the rest
buy the replacement parts and sell them on Ebay.

Has anyone else run into a problem like this with the insurance company? does anybody work for an insurance company that could help me with this?

i appreciate any help

 

[mod03rmk800]

Not sure but I think the insurance wants everything that could possibly be damaged replaced so they are not insuring any possible failures costing more $$ down the road. You could do the unimaginable thing and be honest with them and call to discuss it with them.

 

[powdersrider11]

Not sure but I think the insurance wants everything that could possibly be damaged replaced so they are not insuring any possible failures costing more $$ down the road. You could do the unimaginable thing and be honest with them and call to discuss it with them.

I was thinking about doing that. but I don't know

 

[skibreeze]

If the ins. co. sends you a check in your name, it is your $$. Now if you wreck it again, it is possible that they will want receipts showing where you bought the parts before they replace them again.

 

[powdersrider11]

If the ins. co. sends you a check in your name, it is your $$. Now if you wreck it again, it is possible that they will want receipts showing where you bought the parts before they replace them again.

They already want reciepts of the parts I buy and pictures of the sled to show them that I fixed it.

 

[snopropanther]

just buy all new stuff with there money.

 

[Weekday Warrior]

what kind of sled is this? with that much dmg to the a arms its hard to imagine you didn't damage/tweak a bulkhead or nun or something else

 

[powdersrider11]

I have a 2002 Mountain Cat 800 EFI LE 144" track.

 

[Jmx571]

Buy spare parts for next time??? Thats what I would do.

 

[snopropanther]

haha with that sled you would need to litterally rip the whole front end off to break the bulkhead.

those sleds arent the lightest but they can take a major hit

 

[powdersrider11]

Basically what I want to do is just replace the a-arms and Shock and then use the extra money to pay for v force 3 reeds or something like that. But I don't know if I would be able to keep the rest of the money.

 

[m_beeson]

It sounds like you told your agent too much. Usually they want you to get 2 bids, then they cut you a check. Over and done...

If you told them that you are going to fix it yourself, then they popped up that red flag. Now you are tagged. I think your dad is right.

 

[mobsled]

I think your dad is trying to teach you to be honest. I wanna teach you how to screw your insurance company. You said they want recipts, so go buy it all and show them the recipts, put all the parts beside your sled while the sled is all taken apart and take a picture, then return what you dont need.
Insurance companys will jack a guy around any chance they get, you pay and you pay and you pay and when its time for them to pay they try to find a reason why they dont have to pay. RANT OFF
I had a bad experience so I have a bad taste in my mouth about insurance companys.

 

[Hardass]

If some parts are still good they would never know if it was replaced or not. The money is yours. You paid for the insurance. But regardless your rates may be going up though mine never did.

 

[PowderBrad]

KEEP EVERYTHING! You think you'll ever see anything good come from your insurance? That they wouldnt screw you if you didnt know?

Fix the parts you need to and keep the money! They wont know, they're gonna raise your rates for this, so keep the money to pay for that!!

 

[knee deep in it]

nobody ever went wrong by doing the right thing.

 

[tudizzle]

Seems like you already know what the right answer is.

Getting a claim paid is not suppposed to be the same as winning the lottery


just remember....Karma is a beotch!

 

[mad1818]

If they cut you a check and you don't replace everything in the estimate, then they won't cover the parts you didn't replace if you wreck it again. So if you get a check to replace the bellypan but you just patch it instead then wreck it next week and get another estimate. They won't include another bellypan. This is only if you let them know that you never replaced it the first time. If your ins. co. is asking for receipts already you might not have a choice. What company do you have? You can pocket the cost of the labor though if you fix it yourself.

 

[ouch]

buy the parts from a place you can return them. send the insurance the reciepts and return the parts or keep them for spares... if your not up to it... you can always send me the money and I'll repair it for you...

 

[MD800]

What is right?

I work for an insurance company and in the fraud unit.

If you buy parts just to show receipts and then take them back that is fraud. We do check receipts and verify if things are returned.

To be honest about it, go back to the shop that did the estimate and ask why they included all the parts. If they "padded" the estimate to make money that's wrong. Just think of another sledder who doesn't do his own work and how they are screwing him.

If they really thought the parts needed replacement I guess the repair estimate is legit.

If you do the work you get to keep the labor rate they paid you. That should help your deductible.

The prior post is correct, if something is broke, you're paid for it, and you break it again they will not pay for it.

I guess the bottom line is treat your insurance co fairly and it the end they treat you fairly. Some companies raise rates based upon loses. There is a thresshold of say $1000 or $1500. If a claim is under that no increase. If it's over.... it goes up.