My 2006 Mazda3i was hit in a Palo Alto supermarket parking lot by a driver who thoughtfully left no note. The damage includes large scratches and a dent in the door, as well as a ding in the horizontal bar (whatever it’s called) below the door. I’m very happy with the car, and the damage does not appear to hurt the functionality of the vehicle.
However, the blue book value of the car is around $8000, and I’m afraid that this damage could total the car in the eyes of my insurance company (esurance). I don’t want to total it - from my previous car-shopping experience, after an 88-year-old lady ran a red light into my Protege5, I know I cannot find an equivalently nice car for $8000.
Question: should I NOT call my insurance company (esurance), in case they decide my car is totaled? I know in those situations you can “buy back” the car from them, but the process sounds like a headache, and then I’d be driving around with a salvage title. I don’t think esurance insurance salvage-title cars.
Thoughts and advice welcome.
Note: this happened one day after I bought new tires. The old lady hit my Protege5 a month after I’d bought new tires. Conclusion: don’t buy new tires!
I’ll second the notion to not buy new tires. I bought new tires for my Jeep. Then the engine blew up!
I had a parking lot scratch on the rear passenger door. I started a claim with my insurance but then decided to live with the scratch because I didn’t want to pay the deductible. When the passenger front window was smashed by a thief later the front door was scratched. My insurance was very careful to not let repairs get extended to the rear door because of the known existing claim. YMMV.
First thing is to get an estimate from the body shop. I doubt a parking lot hit would amount to $6000 damage. Probably more like $1000. Then look at your deductible and see what the difference would be. Then you can decide whether to file a claim or fix it yourself. You should have filed a police report anyway though.
Depends on whom you expect to pay.
You may choose to not call the insurance. ( will the prmium rise due to this claim or will the hit & run fall under uninsured motorist ? )
You may choose to pay for repairs yourself.
You may also opt to not repair.
your choice.
– on an 06 car do you even have that kind of coverage or are you now on liability only ?
Who can authorize viewing the security cam tapes ? Can you ask the store yourself or is it only for police or insurance people to see with the right paperwork ?
You may be able to find the culprit if you tell/ask the right people.
Telling your insurer might just get all the way to the perpetrator and get them to pay.
So, there are still some questions…Was there a security camera monitoring the parking lot? Did you file a police report after you discovered the damage? Do you have “collision” or “uninsured motorist” insurance? Next, I would get a repair estimate so you know how much money is on the table…