One of the things that negotiation experts recommend is that you take control of the negotiation by being the first to state a price or value. The rational is that people tend to negotiate up or down from that first price. If the insurance adjuster gets in his (for example) $1000 offer first, the onus is on you to argue the value up from there.

Your job, then, is to get your claim in first and let the adjuster fight to lower it. The best way to get your licks in first is to have a written professional appraisal to place in front of the adjuster. The value in the appraisal is not as important as the fact that you have taken the time and trouble to get it done.

If the adjuster is in a mood to work with you, the appraisal gives him something to attach to his report supporting a settlement favorable to you. If the adjuster is a jerk, he has to consider the risk that your claim and the appraisal may yet wind up in front of a judge. This may limit his willingness to attempt to jerk you around like Farmers is doing to you. [By coincidence, my parents dropped Farmers years ago in a similar situation; consequently, I have steadfastly refused to do business with them.]

In my case, two copies of a 29-page appraisal of my '87 300D arrived in last night's mail. Appraised value: $8,500. Now, you and I and everyone else knows that my poor old Benz would never sell for anything like that. Further, this is a northern California price, where interest in diesel, biodiesel, and WVO is high. Nonetheless, this provides ammunition should I ever be in your situation. It might help and it certainly can't hurt.

For those who choose not to spend the money on a professional appraisal, much of the work can be done by you yourself. Take and keep a complete set of pictures of your car at least once a year. Search Craigslist, eBay, Autotrader, and the local papers and keep copies of sales of cars like yours. Put this package in a safe place and pray you never need it.

And finally, my '85 300D is for sale and available when you are ready.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970