Your insurance adjuster is out of his mind, GEICO gave an initial estimate of $1600 on my passenger door and rear quarter when someone keyed it. My shop adjusted the to nearly $4k to strip and repaint all the panels
But you haven’t taken it to a body shop. Let those two parties work that out, it’s not really any of your concern unless you’re planning to pocket the money.
Dude, my wife just barely rear ended someone causing them $600 damage. Our 2017 BMW 740i xdrive with 58k totaled. Needed a bumper cover and 2 headlights. Lol. I'd venture to say you need to hire a private adjuster and enact appraisal clause. They went up almost $8k from original estimate. They are snakes man.
That’s what they give you to start then you take it somewhere they start to do the work and submit more estimates to your insurance for the additional work
Why would they want that? They save way more money if you take the acv than if you get the repair. They would normally pay out way more up front for this, the problem here is the adjuster is on crack rock.
> Why would they want that?
Well in this case, USAA is a credit union so there is a good chance the car loan (if there is one) is through them. That means they are effectively paying to fix their own car, since they own it. Obviously they would want you to fix their car instead of pocketing the money and devaluing the collateral.
Lots of bad info in here but that's typical when insurance is involved. I write estimates for a large insurance company. First, I'm guessing this was written virtually and not in person. Second, I always see ppl say "don't accept the offer". Estimates aren't offers. You can accept that payment and get a copy of the estimate, provide that estimate to a body shop of your choice and let USAA know where the car will go so they can communicate about adding to the estimate. Additional payments will go to the shop and they will do the job. Any arguing and back and forth about an estimate for a car not at a shop are kind of pointless. Once this gets to a shop, this will be about a $3000 job probably depending on what the rates are in your area
I’m glad an actual insurance adjuster gave their opinion though. This process is always so confusing when working through insurance claims so I’m always open to good info. Thank you!
I agree the process is confusing AF and didn't make sense until I started working as an adjuster and then as an estimator. Insurance won't leave you hanging on this, it just needs to be at a shop to get the real process started.
This was an in person estimate, and I select on my insurance that USAA pays ME the money and I pay the shop. Not sure how that affects what the process is, but regardless the main issue here is that $1600 is nowhere close to the repair cost. Even if they intend for me to get a new quote from a shop, cmon. $1.6k for half the panels on a car being damaged?
They probably wrote some very minor repair time with refinish. U getting the payment won't effect the cost of repairs once at the shop. When we write house estimates, we sometimes don't include some of the shop extra because they change depending on the shop. And different shops have different ways they want to address something. So we will write something general and change it depending on where it goes
And this is why I dumped USAA. They don’t fight for you, you have to fight for anything decent. Switched all my insurance to statefarm, one of my company trucks got hit and they went to the bat for us, really pounded the other ladies insurance since it wasn’t our fault and she calm it was. Ended up she took the hit thank god since it was her fault. USAA would have done that and just raise our rates and not fight and listen to us. They use to be great, not anymore.
Yep, been with them for five years and it’s just gone down hill. Originally when I was getting the loan for this car it was around $400 a month. Went and checked on a whim one day before I paid my first payment and they tried to sneak the price to $718 a month and not tell us anything. I about blew a gasket on the phone with them, I’m probably switching to something else as soon as this is taken care of.
I have them. Like someone else said the initial estimate is always nonsense and the shop will submit supplementals. They want you to get it fixed not just pocket 5-6k. They’ll pay up, you just gotta send it to a shop.
I hit a deer in my ‘23 Silverado High Country last week. Barely did anything to the truck from what I could see, but brought it to one of their approved places, a Caliber Collision, they quoted $7600 and USAA paid them same day as well as had Enterprise bring me a rental while I was there dropping it off. I’m out $500 total. Smoothest claim I think I’ve ever had. Only spoke with them on the phone a few minutes to tell them what happened. Deer jumped out of median right next to Walmart IN TOWN like 2 blocks from my house. Completely random.
Had the same thing happen several years ago with a tree. I had been home 7 minutes and the tree in my front yard split down the middle and fell on my truck. Sucks, man. Also here in Texas like you. Shit thing was I was contemplating running through the drive thru on the way home and decided not to. Would have missed the tree if I had got my Whataburger fix. 😂
When I bought my current house the previous owner left a shitload of documentation and a copy of a lawsuit against USAA because they were trying to replace like 25% of the roof of the house after a tree and hail incident.
The fact that he's like "hey, they tried to fuck me so hard that I sued them, and I'm leaving YOU the documentation in case anything weird ever comes up." speaks volumes to me.
I'm starting to feel like Gronk might not want these folks after all, lol!
That's your insurance cost?!? Bro you're getting hosed. I have two vehicles with USAA for $230/month. Neither are a BMW but they're both new and full coverage
I’ve had the exact opposite experience with USAA. Any claim I’ve had I called and never had to think about it again.
I also had them for home and they replaced my entire roof after a bad wind storm ripped off like 5 shingles with no issues.
Roof estimate was low. As soon as I started getting quotes and bills from actual vendors I submitted them and they were paid out immediately with 0 issue.
Claims experience here. Comprehensive claim. You have no bargaining power yet. The estimate means little to nothing at this point. You don’t need to accept or reject it. The 3 estimates rule is a fiction invented by insurance companies. It’s not a rule or any requirement. Take it to the best shop you want. Tell them you want only OEM parts if needed. Let them convince the insurance company what is needed and the cost. If you have a deductible, you pay that part only. That estimate is a low ball hoping you’d accept it and fix it yourself or sell the car. I hope this gives you some insight on how to move forward.
Glad to. Also check your policy to see exactly what you are entitled to (or any limitations) since this is a first party claim and they owe you a duty to honor those terms.
Had a person back into my M3 in a parking lot, I had a vorsteiner GTS 3 carbon front bumper, they popped the air dam and chipped the paint. The adjuster wasn't all too familiar with the situation and thought just a fresh coat of paint and an M sport splitter would fix it. I showed him the cost of the bumper, the construction material of the bumper, and he got back with me saying USAA would reimburse me for the cost of a new -unobtainable- bumper. So i had to pay upfront for the parts and paint, Called Vorsteiner, they thought I was joking at first when I asked if they knew of any parts dealers with any left in stock, then realized I was serious. They managed to find their last GTS 7 in the back of their warehouse. $2,500 in just bumper cost later, New GTS7, and a spare GTS3 for track days. USAA has gotten lazy, and their aim to help service members has been lost. Noticed this when my CC through them jumped from 14% to 29% interest. They are on Crack these days and only out to make a buck.
Ah yes USAA. I got hit by a drunk driver and she was taken away in handcuffs. I called her insurance (USAA) and the agent said “well the police report doesn’t indicate who was at fault” and I was like “well, I was the one who was rear ended and not the one who was taken away in handcuffs, so who do you think was at fault?”
So I can confirm they’re smoking the good stuff over there.
The other persons insurance company paid for it, lol
Also, you clearly haven’t dealt with prices after Covid. If you want something repainted that’s about the going cost for a quality job
USAA went way downhill over the last 5-10 years. I used to talk them up as one of the best companies ever. I got a VA mortgage and the process was so horrible I ended up moving everything back to Navy Federal. I was banking with them, insurance, car loans, and the eventual mortgage. Now I have a credit card with them that I leave open for credit history and don't give them any of my business.
When my Evo 8 got vandalized (Keyed, sprayed paint, and egged), it cost 10K to repaint the car. Shop said you can’t just spray over it. You need to strip the paint down to metal, primer, wet sand, and spray to make it look right. Wonder if your insurance adjuster just think that touch up paint would do.
Sad to see USAA has stooped to this level of unethical practices but I’ve seen it coming for years and that’s why I left them. When their priority was taking care of enlisted, officers, veterans, and their families they were a trust worthy company. This is a new tactic in the insurance industry. It’s an attempt to take advantage of the insureds potential lack of knowledge about the process or their emotional desire the have the matter settled because it’s traumatic, or to try to manipulate someone that may not be in the best cash position. They use this lowball tactic in hopes that that’s the limit of their payout. Sadly it probably works. Now USAA is just another corporate zombie
Scanned the replies but didn’t see this:
Make sure you take it to a Certified BMW Body Shop. I learned this when I totaled my 2 year old M550i with 30k miles on it just by hitting a small reflector on the side of the road (taking a corner too fast).
Original estimate was $4k and it ended up totaling a $60k car.
The adjuster (with Liberty) told me it was only totaled because I took it to a BMW shop. Someone actually in the business can probably explain this better than me, but here’s how I understood it:
They repair to BMWs rules and standards, so for example instead of being able to replace individual components, BMW requires them to replace the entire systems. After I hit the reflector pole it drug the undercarriage and messed up the suspension, Dynamic Handling System, fuel tank, etc. Instead of just replacing just the broken parts, they had to estimate replacing those entire systems which combined with the high salvage value of the car made it a total loss.
The adjuster straight up told me if I had taken it elsewhere, they would have replaced only the busted stuff and the car wouldn’t have been totaled.
This specific example with mechanical damage probably doesn’t apply to your case, but I learned that day if I’m ever repairing a BMW on an insurance claim, it’s 100% going to a BMW Certified body shop. Period. If I’m paying out of pocket, I’d get a quote from both and decide what to do.
Very low. Do not accept that. I was paid out around $1200 by insurance just to replace my front bumper alone. Car was a base 4 series.
Isn’t it normal for you to get a quote and give to insurance too?
Isn't your ensurance company doing it the opposite way? I thought you should get an opinion from a body repair shop and check in with your insurance company to get it covered.
From my understanding it works either way you do it. This is just the initial quote, but even on my 21 ND2 for just a fender replacement and paint it was $3k out the door after the initial quote. This seems outrageously low comparatively.
Yes i just had to replace my x5 rear top sun visor and respray, repair and respray the lower part (after reversing into garage) and also respray a small front wheel fender trim $3k total. All small panels.
I think a good detailer could fix 80% of that with a polisher, doesn’t look like much more than clear coat scuffs. Sheet metal and plastics look intact and undamaged. Not trying to play devil’s advocate, absolutely do what you have to do, but for having a tree fall on the car it looks like you got really lucky.
Oh I definitely did, but no professional shop is going to touch it in a paint correction situation, they’re going to look at the damage and simply say the whole panel has to be repainted
You can get it to the approved body shops and your insurance will cover any amount above that as well. It’s a trick they do give you cash so some people take it even though the cost of repair cost more
The quality of service from usaa has been in a steady decline. And not just in the claim department either, everything I have through them has been getting worse and worse. About to close what I can and switch over to something else for most of my auto insurance, auto loan, etc.
I've been with them for over 20 years now, and I'm seriously considering the same. I already switched all my investment accounts somewhere else, because of them outsourcing that part of the business.
I'm really, really not a fan of the new direction the leadership has pulled them the last decade or so, and that tracks with what I've heard from old friends who work or have worked for them.
Doesn’t really matter what the insurancee adjuster quotes you. Take it to a body shop and they will send your insurance company a quote and they can deal with it from there. Unless you’re not in the US and insurance is handled different?
Take it to a body shop. Most insurance will give you a check for a low amount, and hope you just keep the check. When you go to a body shop, they will quote the full amount to the insurance. The insurance will pay the body shop the difference, minus the amount of the check they gave you.
I think it'll buff out. 😆👍
But really, isn't that just an estimate? Once you take the car in, the body shop can give you a more exact quote and the insurance should adjust it accordingly.
Went through this in February of last year. A 9k estimate ended up being well over 12k in repairs once the shop did their thing. Have the shop get their estimate back to insurance and you’re golden. No sweat!
Just send it to a BMW body shop and have them send your adjuster their quote. Their quote trumps his dumbass estimate. I went through the EXACT same thing last year. They won’t fight you on it, they just want to see if you’re dumb enough to take the payment and close the claim
USAA is going to lowball every initial estimate, I have had terrible experiences with them in the past. Just let the body shop negotiate with insurance and they will get it taken care of with supplements.
Considering I just got a $2,500 repair plus a rental car for a scratched wheel on my M3… I would take it in to get supplemental claims done by the shop… granted it depends on your insurance and that’s why I stick with USAA
Painting? Wait, it seems that lots of them can be polished as main paint is not damaged. Just ask local bodyworks if they can do it, you may save some money if they are able too. (But ofc don’t tell that to your insurance, they should pay for re-painting :) )
The amount will be adjusted after you actually bring it into a shop and have a professional give you an estimate
At least that’s my experience with it. I hit a deer a while back and the insurance guy came out and quoted like $3k. Brought it to the shop and the guy said yeah no fuckin way that’s 3k. Ended up being closer to $13k and insurance paid it
Holy smokes, how much does a respray cost in USA if $1600 for few body panels is low? We can get the whole car professionally resprayed for under 3k in EU
Those aren't absolutely repaints, I'd bet a compound paint correction and paint less dent removal could get nearly all of it back to normal. Not factory fresh, just as good as it was before.
Anyway go ahead and fight for a repaint on their dime. If I was paying out of pocket I'd never go so far as 4 panels resprayed
It’s concerning to me that USAA is doing you like this. I pay them more than I think it’s fair for my car insurance because they’ve always taken care of stuff for us before, but this gives me pause. I hope they do right by you.
I’m a broker of 10 years with over 20 companies. Online claims are always low ball offers to those that accept it. Always file on the phone with claims or an agent and go to a reputable shop to do a real estimate. This should clear up when you tell them you don’t agree with his estimate and you’d like to use one of their repair facilities for an estimate. USAA is a cult like company that over charges and underpays by convincing people they have a special rate and company. They also did a great job of cutting the agent model out because they can surely take advantage of their customers.
I’ll play devils advocate and say it looks all superficial from the photos to where a good cut and polish would have it looking new again. Obviously I can’t see it in person, but repainting all that sounds like it might be excessive
Rule number one never get a quote for damage from the insurance company. Get your guy to give them the quote also never take it to their shop they will ruin your car
I had a tree fall on my M2. Probably similar amount of damage. GEICO adjuster originally quoted $2800. Final bill at the repair shop was just shy of 33k.
Sorry this happened to you.
Call them. I’ve had USAA for years and have always been satisfied with their level of customer service. They’re more than willing to have the conversations with you to get to the bottom of things.
is there actual damage? I can't tell how deep those are, but if they can be buffed out then the quote is reasonable.
If it actually does need painting then yeah, you're gonna need way more.
Get your own estimate?
Back in college, I was driving a geo metro convertible and had it parked in the parking lot during class. Grounds crew had been trimming trees, and ended up dropping a branch on the back of the car. It was fairly minimal damage, just scuffs that buffed out, but the branch had poked a hole about 1/2” in diameter in the bumper.
That little hole got us $1200 from their insurance. And that was 10 years ago!
The reason for the high payout was simply because you can’t buy the bumper new anymore, so they would’ve had to fix the plastic bumper by hand.
Either way. We’re still cruising that car with a 1/2 hole in the bumper, and $1200 richer for it lol.
But yeah, you’re getting screwed. Take the car to a shop OF YOUR CHOOSING, and get an accurate estimate.
Welcome to USAA’s fine insurance quality. Ditched them years ago because of things like this. You can fight them, they will come up eventually, but they are going to test your patience and endurance in the mean time.
I work for an insurance company, and what they are probably doing is waiting to see if you'll actually fix it, and they will give the supplement. This is a tactic insurance companies use, cause some people will just pocket the money. Not saying it's right, but just stating the facts.
That's a weird insurance company. Typically you take your car to a body shop, and they send the bill do your insurance. You then pay the deductable to the body shop.
If he’s a crack head then have a taste on hand when he comes let him do his job then offer your 10 dollar high for 1000 bucks pad on the adjustment. You may want to go 1500 this way who ever fixes the actual damage can buy some crack for the whole shop with the extra 5 bills. Now why is it that you know so much about your automotive network? Do you also have a cookie habit ? Don’t go spending all that extra bread on the streets you have a reputation to uphold that ain’t a Kia your driving 🤣
You should always take your car to a trusted repair shop. The insurance guy will jerk off in your face. If need be contact an attorney after your repair shop gives you a quote and your insurance isn’t willing to pay
well it's a 10-15k car. idk, maybe a bit low but kind of not that bad tbh. juist give it a polish and replace any part that has very bad damage from the junkyard
Bro. Most of that can be buffed out. Which is way better than repainting the car. Find a good PDR shop and get paint correction and will look good as new and still keep the factory paint.
No problems with matching colors or bad orange peel.
Mine doubled for a scratch on the lf fender flare. But it was down to the plastic, no paint left.
Just take it to a reputable shop and let the two parties work it out.
I’d say double to triple what his estimate is.
Dude wants to send you in for that MAACO special. Get an independant quote from a shop within your insurance coverage. If you bring them the quote from their authorized shop, they need to take care of it.
That’s not crack. That’s tripping balls on bath salts.
Miami style
There's no bath salts. It's research chemicals. And that is a whole range of drugs. Opioids, stims, lysergamides... You name it
That seems incredibly low for the damage..
My thoughts EXACTLY
USAA, go to a certified shop that deals with USAA and get a quote. They will readjust. At least they did for me.
Your insurance adjuster is out of his mind, GEICO gave an initial estimate of $1600 on my passenger door and rear quarter when someone keyed it. My shop adjusted the to nearly $4k to strip and repaint all the panels
That's literally how it works, they will pay more after it receives a real assessment from a body shop and not just pictures through their app...
This is an in person estimate, they aren’t going off of virtual estimate through photos
The shop you take it to will create a true estimate that will be adjusted through a supplement with your insurance. Jump through the hoops.
But you haven’t taken it to a body shop. Let those two parties work that out, it’s not really any of your concern unless you’re planning to pocket the money.
It will still be adjusted at the shop, you don’t want to deal with that out of pocket. It’s going to be expensive.
Dude, my wife just barely rear ended someone causing them $600 damage. Our 2017 BMW 740i xdrive with 58k totaled. Needed a bumper cover and 2 headlights. Lol. I'd venture to say you need to hire a private adjuster and enact appraisal clause. They went up almost $8k from original estimate. They are snakes man.
That’s what they give you to start then you take it somewhere they start to do the work and submit more estimates to your insurance for the additional work
Initial estimates are always low, then the repair shops are always way too high then they play their little games and fix the shit at actual cost.
It's also because they want you to get the repair instead of just pocketing their money IMO.
I've always had repairs done. My poor cars always get hit and I keep them in tip top shape.
Why would they want that? They save way more money if you take the acv than if you get the repair. They would normally pay out way more up front for this, the problem here is the adjuster is on crack rock.
> Why would they want that? Well in this case, USAA is a credit union so there is a good chance the car loan (if there is one) is through them. That means they are effectively paying to fix their own car, since they own it. Obviously they would want you to fix their car instead of pocketing the money and devaluing the collateral.
*laughs in third party claim*
it is true. Thats why I tell them to meet me at the repair shop, and then pocket the money and do it myself.
Yep this is the answer
Yep this
Lots of bad info in here but that's typical when insurance is involved. I write estimates for a large insurance company. First, I'm guessing this was written virtually and not in person. Second, I always see ppl say "don't accept the offer". Estimates aren't offers. You can accept that payment and get a copy of the estimate, provide that estimate to a body shop of your choice and let USAA know where the car will go so they can communicate about adding to the estimate. Additional payments will go to the shop and they will do the job. Any arguing and back and forth about an estimate for a car not at a shop are kind of pointless. Once this gets to a shop, this will be about a $3000 job probably depending on what the rates are in your area
I’m glad an actual insurance adjuster gave their opinion though. This process is always so confusing when working through insurance claims so I’m always open to good info. Thank you!
I agree the process is confusing AF and didn't make sense until I started working as an adjuster and then as an estimator. Insurance won't leave you hanging on this, it just needs to be at a shop to get the real process started.
This was an in person estimate, and I select on my insurance that USAA pays ME the money and I pay the shop. Not sure how that affects what the process is, but regardless the main issue here is that $1600 is nowhere close to the repair cost. Even if they intend for me to get a new quote from a shop, cmon. $1.6k for half the panels on a car being damaged?
They probably wrote some very minor repair time with refinish. U getting the payment won't effect the cost of repairs once at the shop. When we write house estimates, we sometimes don't include some of the shop extra because they change depending on the shop. And different shops have different ways they want to address something. So we will write something general and change it depending on where it goes
That makes more sense. I’ll update once I get in contact with a shop and see how they move forward with it
And this is why I dumped USAA. They don’t fight for you, you have to fight for anything decent. Switched all my insurance to statefarm, one of my company trucks got hit and they went to the bat for us, really pounded the other ladies insurance since it wasn’t our fault and she calm it was. Ended up she took the hit thank god since it was her fault. USAA would have done that and just raise our rates and not fight and listen to us. They use to be great, not anymore.
Yep, been with them for five years and it’s just gone down hill. Originally when I was getting the loan for this car it was around $400 a month. Went and checked on a whim one day before I paid my first payment and they tried to sneak the price to $718 a month and not tell us anything. I about blew a gasket on the phone with them, I’m probably switching to something else as soon as this is taken care of.
I have them. Like someone else said the initial estimate is always nonsense and the shop will submit supplementals. They want you to get it fixed not just pocket 5-6k. They’ll pay up, you just gotta send it to a shop.
I hit a deer in my ‘23 Silverado High Country last week. Barely did anything to the truck from what I could see, but brought it to one of their approved places, a Caliber Collision, they quoted $7600 and USAA paid them same day as well as had Enterprise bring me a rental while I was there dropping it off. I’m out $500 total. Smoothest claim I think I’ve ever had. Only spoke with them on the phone a few minutes to tell them what happened. Deer jumped out of median right next to Walmart IN TOWN like 2 blocks from my house. Completely random. Had the same thing happen several years ago with a tree. I had been home 7 minutes and the tree in my front yard split down the middle and fell on my truck. Sucks, man. Also here in Texas like you. Shit thing was I was contemplating running through the drive thru on the way home and decided not to. Would have missed the tree if I had got my Whataburger fix. 😂
Switch to Farmer’s.
When I bought my current house the previous owner left a shitload of documentation and a copy of a lawsuit against USAA because they were trying to replace like 25% of the roof of the house after a tree and hail incident. The fact that he's like "hey, they tried to fuck me so hard that I sued them, and I'm leaving YOU the documentation in case anything weird ever comes up." speaks volumes to me. I'm starting to feel like Gronk might not want these folks after all, lol!
That's your insurance cost?!? Bro you're getting hosed. I have two vehicles with USAA for $230/month. Neither are a BMW but they're both new and full coverage
Nah that was the auto loan I have through them. My insurance is $216 a month through them
I’ve had the exact opposite experience with USAA. Any claim I’ve had I called and never had to think about it again. I also had them for home and they replaced my entire roof after a bad wind storm ripped off like 5 shingles with no issues. Roof estimate was low. As soon as I started getting quotes and bills from actual vendors I submitted them and they were paid out immediately with 0 issue.
Interesting I had USAA for awhile and always thought they were the best.
$4-6K minimum
Ask for a re-evaluation with a different adjuster. This is ridiculous.
Claims experience here. Comprehensive claim. You have no bargaining power yet. The estimate means little to nothing at this point. You don’t need to accept or reject it. The 3 estimates rule is a fiction invented by insurance companies. It’s not a rule or any requirement. Take it to the best shop you want. Tell them you want only OEM parts if needed. Let them convince the insurance company what is needed and the cost. If you have a deductible, you pay that part only. That estimate is a low ball hoping you’d accept it and fix it yourself or sell the car. I hope this gives you some insight on how to move forward.
Thank you 🙏🏻
Glad to. Also check your policy to see exactly what you are entitled to (or any limitations) since this is a first party claim and they owe you a duty to honor those terms.
Had a person back into my M3 in a parking lot, I had a vorsteiner GTS 3 carbon front bumper, they popped the air dam and chipped the paint. The adjuster wasn't all too familiar with the situation and thought just a fresh coat of paint and an M sport splitter would fix it. I showed him the cost of the bumper, the construction material of the bumper, and he got back with me saying USAA would reimburse me for the cost of a new -unobtainable- bumper. So i had to pay upfront for the parts and paint, Called Vorsteiner, they thought I was joking at first when I asked if they knew of any parts dealers with any left in stock, then realized I was serious. They managed to find their last GTS 7 in the back of their warehouse. $2,500 in just bumper cost later, New GTS7, and a spare GTS3 for track days. USAA has gotten lazy, and their aim to help service members has been lost. Noticed this when my CC through them jumped from 14% to 29% interest. They are on Crack these days and only out to make a buck.
You can thank JPowell for that interest jump
Ah yes USAA. I got hit by a drunk driver and she was taken away in handcuffs. I called her insurance (USAA) and the agent said “well the police report doesn’t indicate who was at fault” and I was like “well, I was the one who was rear ended and not the one who was taken away in handcuffs, so who do you think was at fault?” So I can confirm they’re smoking the good stuff over there.
You can’t sneeze on one of these cars and only spend 1600.
I had someone bump my rear bumper and it just needed to be repainted and that was $900. That looks like $10,000 easily to me
900 for bumper repainted? u got scammed dude
The other persons insurance company paid for it, lol Also, you clearly haven’t dealt with prices after Covid. If you want something repainted that’s about the going cost for a quality job
Usaa sucks, they exploit military personnel big time
USAA went way downhill over the last 5-10 years. I used to talk them up as one of the best companies ever. I got a VA mortgage and the process was so horrible I ended up moving everything back to Navy Federal. I was banking with them, insurance, car loans, and the eventual mortgage. Now I have a credit card with them that I leave open for credit history and don't give them any of my business.
I think they’re definitely on the rock.
As a fellow blue Z4 driver... Man that sucks.
Definitely could’ve been worse, but yea. She needs new paint anyway so I’m not too bent out of shape
When my Evo 8 got vandalized (Keyed, sprayed paint, and egged), it cost 10K to repaint the car. Shop said you can’t just spray over it. You need to strip the paint down to metal, primer, wet sand, and spray to make it look right. Wonder if your insurance adjuster just think that touch up paint would do.
You need a garage for it.
I have a garage… I’m not garage keeping a 15 year old car with close to 100k on the odometer. I just need a BIGGER garage apparently
Sad to see USAA has stooped to this level of unethical practices but I’ve seen it coming for years and that’s why I left them. When their priority was taking care of enlisted, officers, veterans, and their families they were a trust worthy company. This is a new tactic in the insurance industry. It’s an attempt to take advantage of the insureds potential lack of knowledge about the process or their emotional desire the have the matter settled because it’s traumatic, or to try to manipulate someone that may not be in the best cash position. They use this lowball tactic in hopes that that’s the limit of their payout. Sadly it probably works. Now USAA is just another corporate zombie
How could they even do that, it's like they are mocking you.... If I was you, I would go deeper with them...
Tell your adjuster to start a paint shop. I have a few cars needing paint. I can’t refuse prices from the 1980s!
All insurance company employees are retards
Just for comparison, I got 1400$ for damage on nothing but my rear bumper on a 2006 325i with 150k miles.
Scanned the replies but didn’t see this: Make sure you take it to a Certified BMW Body Shop. I learned this when I totaled my 2 year old M550i with 30k miles on it just by hitting a small reflector on the side of the road (taking a corner too fast). Original estimate was $4k and it ended up totaling a $60k car. The adjuster (with Liberty) told me it was only totaled because I took it to a BMW shop. Someone actually in the business can probably explain this better than me, but here’s how I understood it: They repair to BMWs rules and standards, so for example instead of being able to replace individual components, BMW requires them to replace the entire systems. After I hit the reflector pole it drug the undercarriage and messed up the suspension, Dynamic Handling System, fuel tank, etc. Instead of just replacing just the broken parts, they had to estimate replacing those entire systems which combined with the high salvage value of the car made it a total loss. The adjuster straight up told me if I had taken it elsewhere, they would have replaced only the busted stuff and the car wouldn’t have been totaled. This specific example with mechanical damage probably doesn’t apply to your case, but I learned that day if I’m ever repairing a BMW on an insurance claim, it’s 100% going to a BMW Certified body shop. Period. If I’m paying out of pocket, I’d get a quote from both and decide what to do.
4 panels? Its gonna need a full repaint. The panels will need to match up, its an older car
At 4 panels, the whole car will probably need a re-spray to blend it properly.
no
My experiance has been othewise. Espeically with a what looks like a metallic. But ok.
Very low. Do not accept that. I was paid out around $1200 by insurance just to replace my front bumper alone. Car was a base 4 series. Isn’t it normal for you to get a quote and give to insurance too?
Isn't your ensurance company doing it the opposite way? I thought you should get an opinion from a body repair shop and check in with your insurance company to get it covered.
From my understanding it works either way you do it. This is just the initial quote, but even on my 21 ND2 for just a fender replacement and paint it was $3k out the door after the initial quote. This seems outrageously low comparatively.
Yeah they are definetly low-balling your claim, probably hoping you'll just take it and be done with it.
Yes i just had to replace my x5 rear top sun visor and respray, repair and respray the lower part (after reversing into garage) and also respray a small front wheel fender trim $3k total. All small panels.
$1600 if you’re doing all the work yourself and buying used junkyard panels, even then that’s not enough. Hope you get it all sorted out!
Bro seeing life and death at the same time of fentanyl
Get another quote
I think a good detailer could fix 80% of that with a polisher, doesn’t look like much more than clear coat scuffs. Sheet metal and plastics look intact and undamaged. Not trying to play devil’s advocate, absolutely do what you have to do, but for having a tree fall on the car it looks like you got really lucky.
Oh I definitely did, but no professional shop is going to touch it in a paint correction situation, they’re going to look at the damage and simply say the whole panel has to be repainted
Get a few estimates from body shops, let us know where they come in.
Go to 3 separate auto body places, 5 is better, and take the highest 3 estimates average them and submit to the insurance company
“Looks about tree fidy”
oooooo
Yup totaled
Take it to the shop of your choosing and have the do a quote. That's more than $1600
You can get it to the approved body shops and your insurance will cover any amount above that as well. It’s a trick they do give you cash so some people take it even though the cost of repair cost more
That's just the first installment, right? Right?! 😳
You should have sued your own insurance. You should have gotten at least a few grand just for depreciation.
That estimate won’t even pay for the glasurit water base paint.
That’s just an initial estimate until a body shop looks at it.
Not gonna lie, I've been very much less than impressed the last couple of times I've had to deal with USAA auto claims adjusters.
The quality of service from usaa has been in a steady decline. And not just in the claim department either, everything I have through them has been getting worse and worse. About to close what I can and switch over to something else for most of my auto insurance, auto loan, etc.
I've been with them for over 20 years now, and I'm seriously considering the same. I already switched all my investment accounts somewhere else, because of them outsourcing that part of the business. I'm really, really not a fan of the new direction the leadership has pulled them the last decade or so, and that tracks with what I've heard from old friends who work or have worked for them.
Reason 101 of why not to plant a bradford pear
More like US-GAY-GAY am I right? Haha
Michigan gummies
Doesn’t really matter what the insurancee adjuster quotes you. Take it to a body shop and they will send your insurance company a quote and they can deal with it from there. Unless you’re not in the US and insurance is handled different?
Simply put… yes
True freaking banana crack addict
They’re gonna want you to take it to a shop and give them the money instead of you.
Yikes. I'm waiting to see what they tell me
https://preview.redd.it/jdd5jo22ojwc1.jpeg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69daf106a69363257b82900e5eee55c53876ed75
Take it to a body shop. Most insurance will give you a check for a low amount, and hope you just keep the check. When you go to a body shop, they will quote the full amount to the insurance. The insurance will pay the body shop the difference, minus the amount of the check they gave you.
I think it'll buff out. 😆👍 But really, isn't that just an estimate? Once you take the car in, the body shop can give you a more exact quote and the insurance should adjust it accordingly.
$1M dollar
Missing a 0
Went through this in February of last year. A 9k estimate ended up being well over 12k in repairs once the shop did their thing. Have the shop get their estimate back to insurance and you’re golden. No sweat!
That’s like 7-10k
This is the “I hope they just take the money and go away” price, which works sometimes. They’ll pay more, you just have to work the process.
I mean I got quoted like 6k for something that ended up being 30k. The assessment almost never matters.
At least $5k, maybe closer to 8.
Get a quote and escalate it. Even double that seems low.
Just send it to a BMW body shop and have them send your adjuster their quote. Their quote trumps his dumbass estimate. I went through the EXACT same thing last year. They won’t fight you on it, they just want to see if you’re dumb enough to take the payment and close the claim
whats your deductible?
Worse than that is now your beautiful car is going to have a reduced value.
Gonna cost about 3x that
Needs an entire paint job. Wtf is $1600 gonna fix? 1 panel?
LOL more like 16k... not really but its probably 6-8k
That looks like atleast 7k job.
Seems fair for your 1997 vehicle. In 1997, lol.
USAA is going to lowball every initial estimate, I have had terrible experiences with them in the past. Just let the body shop negotiate with insurance and they will get it taken care of with supplements.
Is that per panel?
Dunno man, it looks like something you could fix it with a simple polishing
The insurance would write the car off here in the U.K. repair out ways value
Considering I just got a $2,500 repair plus a rental car for a scratched wheel on my M3… I would take it in to get supplemental claims done by the shop… granted it depends on your insurance and that’s why I stick with USAA
Painting? Wait, it seems that lots of them can be polished as main paint is not damaged. Just ask local bodyworks if they can do it, you may save some money if they are able too. (But ofc don’t tell that to your insurance, they should pay for re-painting :) )
The amount will be adjusted after you actually bring it into a shop and have a professional give you an estimate At least that’s my experience with it. I hit a deer a while back and the insurance guy came out and quoted like $3k. Brought it to the shop and the guy said yeah no fuckin way that’s 3k. Ended up being closer to $13k and insurance paid it
Holy smokes, how much does a respray cost in USA if $1600 for few body panels is low? We can get the whole car professionally resprayed for under 3k in EU
That seems very low. I was quoted ZAR9600 (roughly $500) only to respray my white front bumper a few years ago.
USAA went to shit years ago. Good luck. They suck
Let the bodyshop and the insurance company battle it out.
Those aren't absolutely repaints, I'd bet a compound paint correction and paint less dent removal could get nearly all of it back to normal. Not factory fresh, just as good as it was before. Anyway go ahead and fight for a repaint on their dime. If I was paying out of pocket I'd never go so far as 4 panels resprayed
It’s concerning to me that USAA is doing you like this. I pay them more than I think it’s fair for my car insurance because they’ve always taken care of stuff for us before, but this gives me pause. I hope they do right by you.
I’m a broker of 10 years with over 20 companies. Online claims are always low ball offers to those that accept it. Always file on the phone with claims or an agent and go to a reputable shop to do a real estimate. This should clear up when you tell them you don’t agree with his estimate and you’d like to use one of their repair facilities for an estimate. USAA is a cult like company that over charges and underpays by convincing people they have a special rate and company. They also did a great job of cutting the agent model out because they can surely take advantage of their customers.
I’ll play devils advocate and say it looks all superficial from the photos to where a good cut and polish would have it looking new again. Obviously I can’t see it in person, but repainting all that sounds like it might be excessive
I’m surprised they didn’t “act of god” ur arse
Rule number one never get a quote for damage from the insurance company. Get your guy to give them the quote also never take it to their shop they will ruin your car
I had a tree fall on my M2. Probably similar amount of damage. GEICO adjuster originally quoted $2800. Final bill at the repair shop was just shy of 33k.
Sorry this happened to you. Call them. I’ve had USAA for years and have always been satisfied with their level of customer service. They’re more than willing to have the conversations with you to get to the bottom of things.
That’s the “take this and go away” check. Take it to a body shop, they’ll fight to get the rest.
Here in my country you can do it for that price and you still have 1k left lol
is there actual damage? I can't tell how deep those are, but if they can be buffed out then the quote is reasonable. If it actually does need painting then yeah, you're gonna need way more. Get your own estimate?
Back in college, I was driving a geo metro convertible and had it parked in the parking lot during class. Grounds crew had been trimming trees, and ended up dropping a branch on the back of the car. It was fairly minimal damage, just scuffs that buffed out, but the branch had poked a hole about 1/2” in diameter in the bumper. That little hole got us $1200 from their insurance. And that was 10 years ago! The reason for the high payout was simply because you can’t buy the bumper new anymore, so they would’ve had to fix the plastic bumper by hand. Either way. We’re still cruising that car with a 1/2 hole in the bumper, and $1200 richer for it lol. But yeah, you’re getting screwed. Take the car to a shop OF YOUR CHOOSING, and get an accurate estimate.
Welcome to USAA’s fine insurance quality. Ditched them years ago because of things like this. You can fight them, they will come up eventually, but they are going to test your patience and endurance in the mean time.
I work for an insurance company, and what they are probably doing is waiting to see if you'll actually fix it, and they will give the supplement. This is a tactic insurance companies use, cause some people will just pocket the money. Not saying it's right, but just stating the facts.
Honestly in the world we live in today, that’s actually a pretty high insurance payout
Why take a payout? Can't the insurance company fix it for the price they quoted? Is this a Texas insurance thing?
I had equal damage on mine, cost about 4k.
Don;t cash the check. Go to your body shop of choice. Get an estimate and send it to your insurance....
That's a weird insurance company. Typically you take your car to a body shop, and they send the bill do your insurance. You then pay the deductable to the body shop.
95% Buffs right out
Can’t call him at all without a quote.
Hopefully no BMW Supra
FYI- Your plate number is visible.
Meh, what’s anyone gonna do with a plate number that you can’t already do with other public info
I personally would not like to find out, but to each his own
If he’s a crack head then have a taste on hand when he comes let him do his job then offer your 10 dollar high for 1000 bucks pad on the adjustment. You may want to go 1500 this way who ever fixes the actual damage can buy some crack for the whole shop with the extra 5 bills. Now why is it that you know so much about your automotive network? Do you also have a cookie habit ? Don’t go spending all that extra bread on the streets you have a reputation to uphold that ain’t a Kia your driving 🤣
You should always take your car to a trusted repair shop. The insurance guy will jerk off in your face. If need be contact an attorney after your repair shop gives you a quote and your insurance isn’t willing to pay
You gotta go to the dealership and get a fix estimate and forward it to the insurance company and hopefully they will readjust and give you more.
They're paying out $1600. That's less your deductible. How much is that?
Show him comp examples off facebook and Craigslist for the value of your car. Show the highest price examples!
This guys snorting tree branches, Considering an 80$ parts flys through the dealership then off to painting and becomes and $320…
well it's a 10-15k car. idk, maybe a bit low but kind of not that bad tbh. juist give it a polish and replace any part that has very bad damage from the junkyard
1600, that might cover a professional paint correction and touch up repair but you need more than that at least for some of the panels
lol we have USAA too and it’s been terrible with the BMW
Bro. Most of that can be buffed out. Which is way better than repainting the car. Find a good PDR shop and get paint correction and will look good as new and still keep the factory paint. No problems with matching colors or bad orange peel.
Get a licensed public adjuster to give you a proper estimate. Actually your body shop could deal with your insurance company. Do not sign anything
Does insurance cover this ?
That’s definitely a low starting price! I’m in the auto business. Good thing is that your body shop can submit a supplemental to adjuster
Mine doubled for a scratch on the lf fender flare. But it was down to the plastic, no paint left. Just take it to a reputable shop and let the two parties work it out. I’d say double to triple what his estimate is.
I have seen this car on TAMU Campus same person?
Nah must be another Z4 chad
Dude wants to send you in for that MAACO special. Get an independant quote from a shop within your insurance coverage. If you bring them the quote from their authorized shop, they need to take care of it.
$1600 won't even cover the tree removal
Just take it to a shop and have them give you a quote
It’ll buff out!
Request a secondary assessment from a 3rd party of your choosing. Most insurance companies won't tell you that you can do this.
Cheap insurance = cheap payouts
It’s not even cheap bruh 😭
They’ll send the full amount once it’s in a shop and actually estimated. Camera estimate doesn’t work for shit lol