Question 1

Where do the uplift percentages come from?

Accepted Answer

They are industry-typical ranges, not VVA case-file averages. For diminished value: trade press and class-action settlement records frequently cite 20-60% uplift when verified market-comp evidence is brought against an insurer-side 17c formula. For total-loss ACV disputes: 10-25% is the typical range resolved via independent valuation. For documented settlement negotiations: 15-35% shift. We will swap to VVA case-file averages once that dataset is large enough to publish defensibly.

Question 2

Is this a recovery guarantee?

Accepted Answer

No. The actual recovery depends on your carrier, your state, your vehicle, your policy language, and the strength of the documentation you bring. The estimator gives you an industry-typical range so you have a starting reference point — not a promise. The $600 Money-Back Guarantee on the Diminished Value Report is structured as 'measured DV of $600+ or full refund of report price' — it covers the report, not the recovery.

Question 3

What evidence makes the biggest difference in the dispute?

Accepted Answer

Verified comparable-sales evidence from your ZIP, on your specific year/make/model/trim, in the relevant pre-loss window. That is exactly what the VVA reports produce. A defensible independent valuation is the strongest single piece of evidence you can bring — it converts an open question ("what is this car worth?") into a documented claim the carrier has to respond to in writing.

Question 4

My first offer feels low — what should I actually do?

Accepted Answer

1. Do not sign the release or cash the check yet (cashing the check is sometimes interpreted as accepting the offer). 2. Ask the adjuster in writing for the specific comparables and methodology behind the offer. 3. Order the VVA report appropriate to your situation: Diminished Value Report for post-repair value loss, Platinum Report for total-loss ACV disputes. 4. Send the report plus a counter-letter to the adjuster. If they ignore it, invoke the appraisal clause in your policy.

Question 5

Does this estimator work for diminished value AND total loss?

Accepted Answer

Yes — pick the claim type from the dropdown. Diminished value uses the larger uplift band because insurer-side 17c numbers are formula-driven and consistently understated. Total-loss ACV disputes use a narrower band because the dispute is over a single ACV number, not a methodology.

Question 6

Why is the dollar amount of additional recovery shown as a range?

Accepted Answer

Because actual outcomes vary. Publishing a single number would be dishonest — the carrier has discretion, the appraisal clause has variability, and individual case strength differs. The range gives you the typical floor and ceiling so you can decide whether the dispute is worth pursuing relative to the report price.

Recovery Estimator

Why first offers are almost always low

Frequently asked questions

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