Update on the GTP accident situation

[RareGMFan]

Some of you may recall the accident I got into back in November (details here: http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=64165.0). Well, for various reasons (mostly taking forever to get an estimate on account of my schedule), it has been quite the ordeal getting the situation taken care of. Anyhow, I got an estimate from the Pontiac dealer for $3,600 late December. Yeah, way over what I was expecting, but whatever. That's what insurance is for. I guess they haggled the bill down to $3,051, minus my $100 deductible.

 

Since the beginning of the claim, everyone I spoke with at the insurance company had told me the check could be made out to either me and the body shop, or me and the bank I owe. I called the bank to see how it would work if it was made out to me and them. The customer service rep put me on hold to ask a supervisor, and when he came back, he said I'd have to send it to them, they'd sign over their portion, and send it back to me to cash. I'm like ummm.. ...well that definitely works for me. After I heard that, I changed my plans to cashing the check, putting $2k towards the car, and keeping the $951 to take care of some bills. I'll get the car fixed out of my pocket much cheaper than that with some mint black doors and front fender from the junkyards.

 

So since the insurance company sent out a check made out to me and the shop without asking me after agreeing on a price, I called them and asked them to resend a check made out to me and the bank. After I got the new check, I called the bank again to find out where I'm supposed to send it to. Again, the customer rep put me on hold to ask a supervisor, and when he came back, he said that I'd have to take it to the shop and have them call the bank. At this point, I was a bit confused. I said I had the check made out to me and the bank after learning that the check would be signed over to me. The rep said, "oh no, we can't do that." He checked the notes in my account, and found I was told exactly what I claimed by the last rep. He apologized, but said I was misinformed by the last guy. That's terrific. So after trying to restrain myself on the phone (was calling from work and was within earshot of customers), I told him I'd call him back to speak with the supervisor after work so I could tell him what I think of their "misinformation".

 

When I did, the supervisor basically repeated everything the customer rep said, and told me there was no way they could sign the check over. They had to be sure the car was going to get fixed. I said that would be fine if they told me that the first time, but between the endless phone calls to the insurance company and bank to figure out what my options were, then to get the check RESENT to me as well as restructure my finances based on the info the bank had given me, and to now be told they can't do that was beyond inexcusable. He did at least finally agree to let me apply the whole $2,951 towards what I owe on the car by signing the check over to them. At least that'll take care of almost half of what I owe, though it still threw a huge wrench into my financial plans. Oh well.

 

I was planning on going to the bank in person since it's not too terribly far away, and I don't want any other screw ups on their part, but between the distance, and the only hours you can walk in (M-F 8-5), I don't see it happening. I'll just have to send it in, and hope for the best. I'll start piecing together everything I need to replace on the car in a month or two.

[runt]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. At least your getting the car fixed. I agree with you that banker hours SUCK. I always have to take time off of work if I need to talk to someone at their location only because they close 30 minutes after I get done working! Very irritating.

 

Anyway, at least your insurance company didn't put up too much of a fuss. Most of the time they act like they run this country (oh wait...they do) and pretty much make you do what they want you to do.

 

Good luck!

[RareGMFan]

Well, it's not really a normal bank. It's Wachovia Dealer Services. When I called back to get their walk-in hours, the customer service guy said they don't really do walk-in service. Again, I told him I already talked to the supervisor about bringing in the check myself, so he went and asked him, then came back and told me the hours they could..."let me in", which does me no good, especially since they don't have any hours at all on Saturday.