Hatch and Sons would be your best bet on locating that special 500E/E500....I was up there last month checking out their Renntech 500...sweeeeeeeet ride, they also come across real low mileage stock 500s too, so the salesman said to my friend who is also looking for one. Also, F-40 Motorsports here in CT just had or still has a 1992 500E Smoke Silver/ Parchment with 52K for $27K...all stock...

I hate to ask in your time of greiving but if your insurance company IS totalling it out...how about selling me your 500's steering wheel before they flatbed it away? We're actually coming back up to the Boston area to check out the Renntech car again this weekend, amongst other things. Let me know

__________________
Jim

1992 500E
2007 CLK63
2003 Audi RS6
2001 Audi allroad

at Hatch is obviously one of the most desirable out there. But $60 +k?! Sorry, guys, these are still 10 year old cars. If I'm going to invest that kind of money... well, no need in starting that thread. I think these are fabulous cars in the $20 and 30k range, but once they start to hit $40k, you've got to stop and think. If it's your desire to own it the rest of your life, then I'm sure it's fine. If not, I don't see how you could ever climb out. Just a thought. Good hunting.

Yes, I agree with Allen wholeheartedly however, that is only the asking price...the asking price on my 500E was $26K and I got it for $18.5...funny how coming in with cash money talks...but if you have the big dollars and don't mind dropping it then why not?...if it makes oneself happy. I actually may be going up this Sat. for another beat...(I mean drive). Anyway...I'm sure he'll get satisfaction soon...there seems to be many more of these cars for sale around lately.

__________________
Jim

1992 500E
2007 CLK63
2003 Audi RS6
2001 Audi allroad

I've had more trouble finding 94's only 374 of them. The 92's seem to be a lot less expensive, and you can still find some excellent low mileage examples. There is one for sale now with only 20K miles. Grey in and out. $31K! A 1994 in all black with 22K miles would probably go for about 48K. The all black combo seems to be more expensive than Green. I bought the 1994 for the 600sl brakes, E500 name, rear tail lights, Stereo upgrade, New grill, last model year, and since I was going to move to California- the better emissions- I also bought it last year so it was the last year you could Starmark these cars. I really couldn't risk buying ANY Mercedes without covering any unknown unexpected expense. The 92's and 93's had a couple more horsepower- but I was very comfortable with my 94.

Now that the New Year has come and gone.....btw Happy New Year to everyone on this forum- I feel nervous that I will no longer be able to Starmark a 94' should I find one at a dealer.

Don't be so pessimistic...you'll find the right one; right guys? You probably have half of us looking right now for you. It'll work out somehow...whence you least expect it; it'll be there...waiting...or find a car headhunter if you can't wait...there's gotta be a couple around the states for sale.

__________________
Jim

1992 500E
2007 CLK63
2003 Audi RS6
2001 Audi allroad

ERASE...we now know there's no more than 373 -E500's T-Rex's left roaming N America...

-fad

about the 20k 92? I'm still looking for another one, but I want a 20-30K car, not a $40k one. Thanks for any help, Allen.

Commerce insurance is offering me $37,000 and change for my pristine triple black 1994 E500 with 25k miles which was totaled in July 2001. I said no way- they want to turn a $500 deductible into a $13,500 deductible.

They claim this is what a 98 point showcar is worth according to the NADA book.

So now I have to find an apprasier.

Where do you find an appraiser who really knows what these cars are worth.....instead of treating them as 400Es with bigger engines?

I called the Mercedes Club at 800-637-2360 and they were of no help.

I've been making payments on a car for 7 months that is totaled. AND insurance payments. I submitted info on other cars to establish the value.

Commerce refused to replace it with a E500 in kind.

Now they want me to hire an apprasier out of my own pocket, then Commerce will hire an apprasier- those two apprasiers will hire another appraiser to appraise the car and that will be the settlement.

How can I ensure that a knowledgeable apprasier will appraise the car?

What are other people's experiences with Commerce Insurance in regards to totaled cars? In regards to repairs- they were good about my other Mercedes- though I was not at fault.

BTW I just saw the Renntech at Hatch and Son's really nice for a 93. It came down in price to $67k. I am happy to just own a stock one. But if anyone is interested it is a nice car.

Can Hatch & Sons appraise it?

If it were me, and Commerce were yanking me, I'd start by getting all the facts:

Claim Rep's name-call your claim rep and ask them to spell their name for you. Be VERY professional and dispassionate; act like you feel bad for what they are about to be put through. Also ask for their adjuster's license number and expiration date.

Next, ask for their Supervisor's name and phone extension. Speak no further with the claim rep; at this point you're beyond their authority level so why waste air.

Call the supervisor (if you get v/m then leave a message; give 'em no more than a few hours to get back to you) give them your claim #, and apprise them that you will be filing a formal complaint with the Massachussets Ins. Dept., and why. Also ask the supervisor for the spelling of their name, and their adjuster's license number. Next ask for their Manager's name, invariably the Claim Manager. Get their extension number too, and make that same phone call. If it sounds like at this point they don't mind that you'll be filing a complaint, ask for the District/Regional Vice President's name and phone number.

I've been around claims for years here in CT; what I've suggested that you do will drop their blood temperature several degrees, I assure you. I'm inclined to think you won't actually get to the filing of a formal complaint, but keep us posted and we'll help you get your due.

Keep the Faith

__________________
"If God had meant for us to walk, why did he give us feet that fit car pedals?" Sir Sterling Moss

Michael
2014 E63S Estate
2006 SLK55
1995 E500
1986 Porsche 944 turbo

Hi Erase- sorry to hear that this matter is still open.

To answer one of your Q's ...'how can I ensure///?', ans.: you can understand the detailed methodology of the appraisal process and perform them for youself to see if you arrive at a approx. figure you'll be happy with...

On a larger scale: I'd suggest obtaining a competent attorney to counsel you with your rights and remedies on this matter asap. This would help you with a sound legal strategy based upon the insurance contract and applicable law and provide you a framework for realistic expectations on this matter. Hopefully this will lower frustration level.

A few things to keep in mind:
> insurance companies, attorneys, courts, & arbitrators are well versed in this particualr scenario and realistically no new ground will be forged here
>attorney fees and appraisal fees will commence with out of pocket $$$ that may not necessarily be reimbursed by insurance company(s)
>your legal strategy may additionally and appropriately include seeking over-and-above uncovered losses from the at-fault individual(s) via legal action, judgement, wage attachment, bank account levy, etc.
>the insurance company(ies) involved may not be legally and/or contractually liable to provide you a value of your E500 that you agree with ...aka- thay may only be liable for the $37k and change, nothing more

It does sound like Commerce Insurance is attempting to resolve the matter 'in good faith' based upon their flexibility to consider a vehicle appraisal to modify 'totaled' value- however, an insurance company will strictly provide coverage/ remedies according to their policy (aka contract) and applicable law - no more. Naturally if they provide more without charging for it, they would not be able to stay in business.

The true issue here is concretely determining what compensation is due you (from insurance companies/ other involved parties) and what you would like to do going forward ie purchasing another '94 E500. Insurance companies will be flexible aka negotiate only in the 'gray areas'- if there is any. Since insurance companies have been around so long, they define their financial outlay obligations (risk in the event of loss) and are headstrong at sticking to it. Commerce refusing to replace your car 'in kind' is a good indication of what is contained in the contract....if you feel the insurance policy you purchased indicates so- you should proceed with a demand letter and legal action- if not responded accordingly. Your attorney will be able to put this together for you and get this matter resolved.

My feeling is that even a specific type of vehicle appraisal (ie 'show car' or 'collector car' or 'rare car' appraisal) of a '94 E500 at this time will not net you more than $39K - which appears to be basically what you paid for the vehicle (starmark, insurance, interest, etc. would not typically be of accounted for in a vehicle appraisal)...so, an appraisal may not get you where you would like to go and may end up costing you a few hundred $$$.

As a side note, why in the world would you pay auto insurance (liability, comprehensive, collision) on or for a car that is already 'totaled', ...after all, it doesn't roam the roads any longer so how would it be involved in another collision or require comprehensive coverage? ...what risk is there of more damage or loss?

We understand your frustration, and we all hate to lose in these types of things, however- if the insurance company is offering to fully & timely perform according to the provisions of the policy - you'll have to accept it & the losses, and move on. After all, you decided to purchase the policy and accepted the provisions beforehand- ...and one can not arbitrarily/unilaterally change a contract after the fact for one's own welfare.

Sorry if this message seems a bit straightforward, however- it won't get any better unless some law and order and a firm base of realism is injected....

best of luck
-fad

PS- '$500 deductible into a $13,500 deductible' does not appear to be an accurate/reasonable representation

Contact Tom Bungay he does speciality car appraisals, and he did my Mercedes with the C36 engine, tranny, etc.

His email is:
autoappraisals@earthlink.net OR
autoappraisal@earthlink.net

Try both.

Good luck,
:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E

BTW: there is 1994 E500 in Santa Barbara for sale at $38K from Baltech Leasing.

Erase,

I believe that 'fad' has stated it best.

If someone else was at fault, you may be able to make up the difference in any settlement.

Hope it all works out for you.

Erase,

Have you checked your MB finance agreement closely to see whether there is gap insurance included?

In my past life of a Mercedes Sales Manager, we sold a lot of gap insurance. That is an addition to make up the difference between ACV of a vehicle and its true market value. This was often included as part of a lease agreement.

Please check your financing agreement.

Jeff

Some incidental info.

I paid 48,800 for my car and after all was said and done- starmark for 3 years and all the incidentals it ran 51K.

I put 10K down. I owe about 40k on the car which I drove for 6 months. I have gap insurance. Gap insurance will not cover my down payment. The car was bought with a lease with a 15k buyout after 60months.

The Gap insurance will cover anthing that is due on the car. If the Insurance company gave me $25k the Gap insurance would cover the rest.

My 10k down payment would be gone- and If I did not have gap I'd be out 13.5K. instead of my 10k down payment.

If I found another E500 tomorrow. I'd have to do about the same deal ie put 10K down and finance the rest. But......I won't have 10K or anywhere near that to do this if I settle.

Low Mileage on 500 series Mercedes Cars that are in excellent condition really affects the resale value considerably. A Mercedes with 60Kmiles vs 80Kmiles won't see nearly as much a percentage difference in cost as a Mercedes with 20kmiles vs 40K miles. If a Mercedes 500 series has under 15kmiles and is in showroom condition it is worth even more. Alas, I'm preaching to the choir.

Unfortunately in Mass your insurance company pays you for the loss regardless of who is at fault. So it isn't as if my insurance company is going to go after his insurance company.

As it stands I need the Apprasier to fairly appraise the car at near what I paid for it so that I can purchase another car. Seeing as I put a scant 1500 miles on the used car that should not be such a big issue. Anything over 40K is money that I can use towards another E500. If they were to give me 47K I would have 7k to go out and buy another car. If I were to give me 42K I'd have 2k to go out and buy another car.

As for continuing to pay for the insurance- I never expected this to take as long as it did. I am canceling my policy as I no longer feel it is in my interest to continue to be a customer of Commerce Insurance. Fad- I know it all sounds hopeless and that I should just roll over and give up- but remember this could be you next...in a blink of an eye of a 21 year old. I would prefer to try and set a precedent that fairness is a possible outcome if you work at it. The Insurance company profits from giving lower values and has virtually no incentive to give higher values. As a safeguard to the customer they have the apprasier process as mentioned before. However this only works if you have a knowledgeable appraiser who really knows what these cars sell for. Fad BTW you have a really nice E500- I envy you.

ke6dcj thank you for the apprasier info- this is exactly what I needed/requested.

Michael- This is also the sort of protocol strategy I need to get through this - thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience.

I wouldn't go through all this except for the fact that there are no other cars that are a possible substitute for the E500. Nothing like it in terms of its stealth appearance, solid build, low depreciation, prestige, performance, luxury ride, perfect size for 4, climate control and the list goes on and on. The BMW M5 IMHO is not a substitute for the E500.

Let's see how this turns out. Hopefully should anyone need similar help in the future they can look to thye outcome of this thread for useful info. Thanks, Fad, Michael, ke6dcj.

Erase- thanks for the follow-up detail and compliment; we're all hoping that the best possible solution will surface for you, and I'm sure we all feel priviledged to have these types of machines to enjoy.

Good luck with the appraisal, and hopefully it'll be up to the ~$49k. There's a couple of higher mileage (~40k+ on the odod) e500's on autotrader.com with asking prices in that range. There's a few '92's and '93's there with ultra low mileage asking mid to high $30k's as well.

Keep us posted on your progress.

-fad