VALUERECLAIMED Questions? Email me
Total loss disputes

They totaled your car. The number they offered looks low.

The insurer's "actual cash value" comes from a software report built to pay as little as it can defend. I build the number from cars like yours actually for sale right now, put it in a signed valuation with a dispute letter, and write your reply to every response until it settles. Flat $249. Free look at their offer first.

Check their offer, free How it works

How total loss offers come in low

The report behind the offer usually comes from CCC, Mitchell or Audatex. It looks official. Read it closely and the same moves show up again and again:

Condition deductions"Average" or "fair" condition knocked off your car's value, with no inspection to back it.
Odd comparablesCars with more miles, lower trims or from other markets, each adjusted downward.
Phantom discountsA "typical negotiation" or "dealer take" deduction applied to every comparable.
Missing optionsPackages, tow equipment, upgrades and new tires left off entirely.
Tax and feesMany states require the payout to include sales tax, title and registration. Check whether yours did.
A deadline"Accept by Friday" pressure, when the claim stays open until you sign.

What I do instead

I pull the cars actually listed for sale that match yours, same year, trim, engine and mileage range, as close to you as the market allows, and work out what yours would have sold for the day before the accident. Every comparable is identified by VIN and listing, so the adjuster can check each one. Then I go through their report line by line and answer each deduction in writing.

  • Signed valuation report with every comparable disclosed
  • Line-by-line response to the insurer's valuation report
  • Dispute letter addressed to your adjuster, ready to send
  • Your reply to every insurer response until the claim settles
  • A check of the tax, fees and loan gap items that are often left out

You send the letter and talk to the insurer. I don't contact them and I don't testify. Everything is built to settle on paper.

Total Loss Value Dispute Report

$249flat, never a percentage

Delivered within 2 business days of a complete file. Rush delivery by the next business day available for $50.

The guarantee: if the value I document isn't at least $249 above the insurer's offer, you get a full refund. You never pay for a report that can't pay for itself.
Order the report, $249 →

Not sure yet? Use the free check below first. I'd rather tell you the offer is fair than take your money.

Free check of their offer

Send the insurer's valuation report or settlement letter. I'll compare it with the market and tell you within one business day whether it's worth disputing.

    Don't sign the release or the title paperwork until you hear back. Once you sign, the number is final. Privacy policy

    Common questions

    Does it matter whose insurer is paying?

    No. If the other driver was at fault, their insurer owes you the full value of the car. If it's your own policy, your insurer does, less your deductible. The valuation work is the same. If it's your own policy and they won't move, your policy usually has an appraisal clause; the report gives you the numbers to use it.

    Can I keep the car?

    Usually yes. The insurer pays the value minus what the salvage is worth, and the title becomes salvage. The report values the car before the accident either way, and the letter asks for their salvage figure in writing so it can be checked.

    I still owe more than they offered.

    That's a gap, and the valuation is the first place to close it. The report also flags tax, fees and options the offer may have skipped. If you have gap coverage, it picks up what's left after the insurer pays the right value.

    Will they actually move?

    Adjusters move when the counter is specific: real listings, VINs, their own report's errors named. A number with nothing behind it gets the same offer back. There are no guarantees on what an insurer does, which is why the fee is refunded if the documented value doesn't clear their offer by at least $249.

    Is this a legal service?

    No. I'm an independent appraiser. I document value and write the letters; you decide what to send and what to accept. For legal advice, talk to an attorney in your state.