Date:         Mon, 11 Jan 1999 12:32:24 -0600
Reply-To:     Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Organization: Vexation Computer
Subject:      How buying "totaled" vehicles at true wholesale is possible.
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Jason mentioned,
"From what I have read is that when dealing with the
insurance company you can bargain to buy back the vehicle
after it has been totaled and your claim is settled.  Most
wrecks are sent to auctions and sold to parts yards anyway."

Years ago I learned about a car I desired that had just been
"totaled" and was still in the impound area of the towing
service.  I asked to look at it and was told that I couldn't
and that it would be sold to the salvage yard.  The salvage
yard operation was as much of a disinterested third party to
this operation as your left hand is to your right hand.  So
I used my binoculars and wrote down the license plate of the
vehicle.  I went to a friend who was a policeman and asked
him to find out the owner's name, which he did for me.  I
contacted them and learned what they had been offered for
the "totaled" car, and offered them an additional $50.00 for
it, which they promptly accepted.

Well, when I showed up to get my new purchase, you wouldn't
believe how the "sxxx hit the fan."   These guys were used
to scamming all their customers that way with phony low
prices and they didn't like it one little bit that this one
slipped through their hands.  I saved maybe $2000 on the
deal compared to buying it in the same condition 48 hours
later from the salvage yard as a "builder."  I was told to
never step on their property again by guys who weighed more
than twice what I did, and I wasn't very happy about it.  So
the next time I did it, which I did about a year later, I
brought a bunch of guys from one of my businesses who were
primed and ready for the situation.  These customers
happened to be on the University football team and thought
going along would be fun, especially after I told them it
was worth a keg of beer to me.  There was no incident and no
intimidation that time.

It gets my blood boiling now just thinking about it.
Anyway, if you see any of you learn about a totaled TDI
diesel, I'd pay a finders fee if it enables me to buy the
vehicle before the low ball salvage yard price is accepted
by a 'totaled" vehicle's owner.

You have as much right to buy a totaled vehicle from an
insured owner as does any salvage yard operation.  They will
try like hell to block you from learning how to get the same
deal they get daily.  Don't expect any cooperation,
especially where there are kickbacks to keep the system
lubricated.   I've been told that in some large towns, you
don't want to do it too often if you don't want to go to
church in a box.
John