On 12/18/07, The Bus Depot <vanagon@busdepot.com> wrote:
>
> A 60 foot tree squashed my Westy like a bug early yesterday morning.  I've
> never seen a Vanagon so totally demolished.  Not a single body panel is
> intact and it literally split at the seams. The curious can see some pics

Wow! Sorry to see your Westy go. But hey, the fiberglass bumpers look
pristine.

Just had a fight with Allstate insurance when my 84 diesel got hit by their
insured. They kept giving me comps from two of their "used car dealer" desk
appraisers. They even use a service to cross check my tel# if the van was
recently for sale. I'm guessing their plan would be to offer only the asking
price. In the end I got the value that I wanted not by getting them to
change their comps. The adjuster has some discretionary monies she can add
to settlement amount. They sometimes call them "customer appreciation"
funds. In my case, the adjuster worked it out with a combination of that
plus reduction of my salvage value to practically nothing. BTW, they refused
to accept NADA figures. After 2 months of delays, I had to advise them that
I no longer wished to negotiate with them and will sue their insured
instead. They settled within 10 minutes.

Best of luck,

BenT