Diminished value claims are a sham. $20,000 in damage and 56 days in the shop/of having to use a rental car after a collision with my Alfa Romeo Guilia last year. I fought StateFarm for diminished value and all you ever heard was, “The vehicle was restored to the same condition(s) it was before the accident, why would it be worth less? There is no case to move forward on.”
I have a good working relationship with my StateFarm agent, but typically, you work with a Team to revolve insurance claims. She said in her 10 years of business at 2 separate offices, she had never seen diminished value paid out in the state of Ohio. I insure 4 vehicles, 5 houses, and possess 2 umbrella policies with StateFarm, so it is fair to say I thought I would be treated with a certain level of professional courtesy.
SIDE NOTE: StateFarm wrote me a check to have my paint correction, ceramic coating and PPF redone to the tune of $2,700 in the impacted areas. They said no at first, I called my installer and he said to call back referring to the work as “permanent fixtures” and that the new panels will not match the rest of the vehicle’s paint. It worked. Having nothing on file for the work that was done prior to the accident, StateFarm accepted my old receipt as proof and accepted the quote for new work. I was even able to use my preferred shop (which was not a StateFarm preferred shop).
On the truck, however, I was proactive and have the quote and receipt on file. Felt I got lucky the first time.
