I'm still waiting on final numbers from Geico, but their initial estimate came in just over $7k. A bit better than I expected to be honest. I've heard the buy back price can be anywhere from $500-$2000 so I will just have to wait and see. Should hear back Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
If the hail damage occurred at your home, you're regularly parking outside: get one of those portable canopies, for next time?
Well nature and circumstance may force your hand. But IMO, I think I'd want to keep that car, in that condition and any money the Insurance may give you. It now becomes a vehicle that you don't have to carry comprehensive on, going forward, AND just a vehicle you can use to get from point A to point B without worrying about how it looks. There is something liberating about owning a vehicle that you really don't feel you have to care too much about how it looks. I think I'd keep it, keep the money, and just plan to drive it as long as possible as a great ugly duckling. One of the best ownership experiences I ever had, was a ugly, ugly old $500 Toyota Corolla I bought as a young kid. Never really had to wash it, never really had to wax it. It only made sense to invest into the bare safe essentials of maintenance, and as a Corolla, it just kept going and going. And insturance was about as cheap as it could be. Not that your Prius is quite at that point. But just to say, sometimes it's liberating to own a vehicle that is below the bar of cosmetic beauty.
I totally agree with you on this point. I know many people are very proud of their possession and want to care for it, but sometimes it consumes you to the point you pay too much attention and spend way too much time and money for it.
This is the same type of hail that routinely punches holes through metal siding, shatters double pane windows, takes out brickwork, trees, etc. A garage is really the only cover.
Often my drafting work involved northern clime industrial buildings. One issue was giant icicles forming on the process-building roof edges, up quite high. It was a perfect storm: high roofs, buildings generating a lot of heat, but little or no insulation. Anyway, we would call for 1/4" plate awnings at all mandoors, generous enough so that you could get beyond the drop zone for these icicles.
Update on the hail saga. Geico is offering just shy of $9k for us to turn the car over to them. They are asking $2,500 for us to buy the car back, and then we get ~$6,500 in cash on top of that. I think a friend of mine wants to buy the prius from us, so as long as he wants it for $2,500 it's all his. I am going to buy a relative's 2010 Lexus ES 350 with 30k miles on it for next to nothing and drive that for a while. Probably until the 2019 rav4 hits dealerships. Thanks for everyone's input and help with this!
My '11 got hit yesterday and now I have over a 100 dings. I'm wondering if they will total out my 2011 w/ 92k miles. I still owe $9k. I'm guessing they'll fix it, but not sure how much PDR charges. I HATE HAIL!!!
Yep. One of our houses is right by the zoo. Busted out nearly every window and skylight. The roof, an asphalt coated metal, also destroyed. Lexus RX450h also destroyed because it was parked outside. Hail sucks.
I have news for you regarding the looks of your car. NOBODY cares what your car looks like except YOU.
Many many years ago I worked at a TV station located on top of a mountain and directly below a very tall tower. It was a common occurrence during winter for large chunks of ice to rain down on the parking lot below. Took my wife's car to work one icy day where it met instant death. Roof had been completely crushed into the passenger compartment by a large chunk. Glad no one was hurt but I was not sad about the car, a Chevy Manza. Good riddance. Years after that incident, this same tower was undergoing digital antenna upgrades when it suddenly collapsed, killing three people. Construction Incidents Investigation Engineering Reports | Investigation of the September 4, 2003, Collapse of the 1000-foot High TV Antenna Tower in Huntsville, Alabama | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Update. . Mine only had $4k of damage, so I got it fixed! I have a $1k deductible and got a traveling company to waive it! They got it inssame day, no waiting. Dropped it off to the house even. Took 2 days to fix and it looks like brand new! Didn't pay one cent! If in Colorado Springs and just need PDR (no paint), I'll give you his contact info. Definetly recommend.
The best outcome for any insurance policy. I don't think it will, but I hope they will not increase your premium.
