A rising consumer advocate and car dealer in North Carolina often shares interactions he has with customers to better inform viewers about car buying and selling. This year, he helped one Audi A6 driver understand her insurance company’s total loss value offer, which came up thousands short. Let’s get into it.

“The numbers can’t be right.”

In this situation, an Audi A6 owner messaged Yusef Benallal after she hit a deer. Benallal runs Charlotte Auto Center and was working with their household. The insurance company totaled the vehicle, provided a value, and asked which of two options the driver wanted to go with: take the money or keep the car…for an even lower amount.

Once Benallal saw the total loss value offered by the driver’s insurance company, though, he quickly took action. He encouraged the driver to ask the company for a copy of the valuation.

Always ask the car insurance company for proof of the total loss value.

When documentation arrived, a quick review showed a number far under local market comparisons.

The insurance company claimed the A6 was only worth $8,163. After her $500 deductible, she could take $7,663 and give up the car. If she wanted to keep the Audi, though, the company would only pay her $5,369. “The numbers can’t be right,” she wrote to Benallal.

Benallel says that while she had some sense that the total loss value was short, if the Audi owner hadn’t reached out, she wouldn’t have easily found out exactly how far off it was. Benallel estimates it’s off by thousands of dollars.

The car dealer asserts that insurance companies want to pay out the least amount of coverage possible. In theory, then, they also don’t want customers to do their due diligence. In fact, they try to make it easier to just accept whatever they offer, even if it’s much lower than a more accurate total loss value.

Always audit the total loss value provided by an insurance company.

Confirm that any options your vehicle has are included in the valuation. Next, check out comps. These are local listings of the exact same car with similar mileage.

Don’t be afraid to stand your ground.

In this case, once the Audi driver presented the adjuster with comps, the company rep didn’t immediately give in. Instead, the adjuster suggested the insured hire an attorney or third-party adjuster.

Benallel says the insurance company is likely bluffing, and that the car is really worth between $14,000 and $15,000. He encouraged the driver not to rush on accepting the initial total loss value and to keep pressing the issue by asking to speak to the higher-ups.

These concepts don’t only apply to a vehicle’s total loss value, either. Collision repair claims are frequently underestimated, too. Be sure to get a second or even third opinion on an insurance-provided repair estimate before approving the payout.