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I'd keep the batteries. $1300 even for weak batteries is cheaper than anything else you'll be able to find.
Insurance is funny. I've had two writeoffs. One company said their policy is a flat 10%. The next company said their policy is a flat 40%.
For a writeoff of an old vehicle, with a salvage brand on it, expecting 40% of the market price is absolutely absurd. 10% is fair. 20% is pushing it.
There may be some room for negotiation.
The way it works here, there are laws restricting how the insurance companies can operate. They are not allowed to just make an exception for someone. They can create a rule that applies to everyone, or change a rule, but they can't just do something differently for them.
That means that insurance companies have a billion adjustment rules, and they just choose not to apply those rules most of the time. You have to point things out or ask specifically for them, and make them agree that they apply, and then they can apply their rule.
For example, if you have rental coverage as part of your policy, to get you a vehicle to drive while yours is being repaired, and you don't opt to actually use that, that has value to them (insurance not having to rent you a car). It won't affect your settlement offer though. But if you point it out and ask for it to be considered, and they agree, they will apply their "didn't use rental coverage" rule and increase your settlement amount.
Anyway, point being, that 20% might not be perfectly rigid. But who knows what the precise reasoning to get it to change might be, or what words you'd have to use, or whether they'll just stonewall you regardless.
Insurance is funny. I've had two writeoffs. One company said their policy is a flat 10%. The next company said their policy is a flat 40%.
For a writeoff of an old vehicle, with a salvage brand on it, expecting 40% of the market price is absolutely absurd. 10% is fair. 20% is pushing it.
There may be some room for negotiation.
The way it works here, there are laws restricting how the insurance companies can operate. They are not allowed to just make an exception for someone. They can create a rule that applies to everyone, or change a rule, but they can't just do something differently for them.
That means that insurance companies have a billion adjustment rules, and they just choose not to apply those rules most of the time. You have to point things out or ask specifically for them, and make them agree that they apply, and then they can apply their rule.
For example, if you have rental coverage as part of your policy, to get you a vehicle to drive while yours is being repaired, and you don't opt to actually use that, that has value to them (insurance not having to rent you a car). It won't affect your settlement offer though. But if you point it out and ask for it to be considered, and they agree, they will apply their "didn't use rental coverage" rule and increase your settlement amount.
Anyway, point being, that 20% might not be perfectly rigid. But who knows what the precise reasoning to get it to change might be, or what words you'd have to use, or whether they'll just stonewall you regardless.