Hello all,
I am a customer of TD MM and I am personally at a total loss (wits end of understanding).
Sadly, I recently rear-ended someone. Bad day (bad year) and the first time I've done something like this in 27 years of driving. I feel very bad about it.
I'm a customer of TD MM and I have been PAYING PREMIUMS for years for their '5 yr replacement guarantee'. I genuinely hope I'd never use it. Well, 2 weeks ago life happened.
Very little damage to the person ahead, and I thought mine was, well, not good, but didn't seem too bad. (2 airbags did go off), but otherwise, all front end, dash looks totally unaffected other than the airbags, motor etc. appears not touched. seemed all forward - i.e. - radiator etc. I was blown away when I hear it would be north of 18k in repairs!?? Like - how? I thought for sure - a write off. Well, not to TDMM!
It's a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (that's right, a Hyundai, not a Lamborghini). 18k+ of damage (and this doesn't include towing, rental, storage, etc.). This would just be parts and labor. I thought for sure - write off.
Well, apparently not. They tell me that it's repairable, and that it would have to be damage more than 80% of the vehicle value before they would write it off. 80% ??
?
By trade, I'm an engineer. I simply cannot see how you can do 18k of damage to a normal car (i.e. - not a 100k car!), fix it, and have it meeting manufacturers spec - i.e. - performance, function, SAFETY systems. Makes no sense. Just because you throw parts at something, doesn't mean it restores the system to full function.
I asked the rep where I would read about this 80% rule thing. Is it in my policy? annual paper mailout? She said - no, you can't read it anywhere - it's 'internal'.
She also said that salvage value is 19.3% of the actual value. I asked where that %age comes from - she said it's from a company they work with.
Finally, I asked both the collision shop and TDMM if they would write a letter of attestation that the vehicle upon repair would meet or exceed the performance, function and safety spec of the manufacturer. They BOTH declined to do so. As an engineer, what am I to take from that?
Any advice? help? I feel totally at a loss, like there's no hope. I just want a car that I can feel safe having family in. Even if they offered to buy me another used one (2013) from auto trader, I'd be totally ok with that. I'm not looking for a new car, but I am looking for 'replacement'.
And after taking 10 days to make their decision, they now want an answer ASAP and are threatening to take away the rental car otherwise.
I am in disbelief.
Never been through anything like this.
HELP!