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From: kvc@scgvaxd.UUCP (Kevin Carosso)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Looking for a little advice
Message-ID: <402@scgvaxd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Sep-85 03:15:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: scgvaxd.402
Posted: Thu Sep  5 03:15:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Sep-85 16:30:09 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Hughes Aircraft Co., El Segundo, CA
Lines: 50

Well, I should've known it'd happen to me...  Barely one month after I
got it, my '84 RX-7 GSL-SE got ripped off and stripped.  Right out of the
goddamn Hughes parking lot!!  So, a couple of requests for advice...

First of all, the insurance company...  (arggggg!!!)  First the bastards
total the car, then offer me blue-book wholesale for it!  That's ridiculous!
If they fixed the damn thing (the dealer said it was fixable, just needed
a new interior and a roof) I'd be out my deductible but have my car back.
Instead, they total it and try to give me less money than I could replace
it with (ever try to buy a car in perfect condition for blue-book low?).
Not that I could replace it.  It was pretty much one-of-a-kind.

So, can anyone out there that's had to deal with an insurance claim tell
me what I am entitled to?  How do I convince them that the car was worth
more than wholesale?  Has anyone successfully gone through the bureau of
consumer affairs on something like this?  How about an appraisal?  Mercury
Casualty (my *#$&^#$ insurer) says if I contest the settlement I have to
hire an appraiser and they hire one and someone else (the "umpire") settles
from those two figures.  Is that really the way it's done?  Anyone else
gone through that?  How much do you lose to the appraiser?  Can I get them
to un-total the car (I don't want to at this point, but if I can't replace
it...).

Some facts:  I paid 12,900 for the car, they are offering 11,500 + tax.
             Blue book low is 11,450, high is 14,200.  I want 12,900 + tax.


Second issue: car alarms.

Do they work?  Anyone ever seen any statistics?  Do I go all the way? or
is an ignition cut-off as good as anything else?

I can design a simple cut-off myself.  Is that a good idea?  Since it's
not off the shelf, thieves wouldn't know exactly how to get around it.
Should I do that in addition to getting a good alarm system?

What I'd really like is something that electrocutes would-be theives
before they do any damage so I can back over the smoking remains a few
time as I drive the car away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     aarrgg!!
(and yes, I realize this is illegal, lets not have THAT discussion again!
 I was only kidding.... sheeeesh!)

	/Kevin Carosso     {ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!scgvaxd!engvax!kvc
	 Hughes Aircraft Co.

ps.
Anyway, I hope no one minds this posting.  I know there are a lot
of people out there and I'm hoping someone with some experience in
these areas could tell me what's going on here...  It's really nasty
having your beautiful new toy raped like this... (sob sob)