My first accident

[AlanSubie4Life]

Here is the letter.

I don’t even know what to make of this. As @pipp said, it is so unprofessional, it might just be legit. Maybe in these pandemic remote work times, official stationary is not available at home??? Apparently Rob also lacks a printer.

Makes it seem even more odd, in any case.

 

[jabloomf1230]

I don’t even know what to make of this. As @pipp said, it is so unprofessional, it might just be legit. Maybe in these pandemic remote work times, official stationary is not available at home??? Apparently Rob also lacks a printer.

Makes it seem even more odd, in any case.

It's the Nigerian Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

 

[stopcrazypp]

The letter did include a NHTSA business card.

Business cards can be printed anywhere though. I would probably look up any numbers and email on the business card and make sure it is an official NHTSA contact and then actually try to contact the official NHTSA contact first to verify this is legit (not the cell phone).

How did they even find out about your accident in the first place and mail you a letter (presuming it was mailed)? The envelope probably may tell some info too (if it looks like a legit NHTSA envelope, or something else, although envelopes can be faked too).

A quick google seems to suggest your accident would not qualify for a NHTSA crash technician investigation, given your car didn't need a tow (although perhaps the car you crashed into needed a tow and filed a police report?):
"CISS randomly selects thousands of police crash reports at law enforcement agencies in selected areas across the country. The areas reflect the geography, population, miles driven, and crashes in the United States. To be eligible for the CISS sample, a crash must involve at least one towed passenger vehicle."
Crash Investigation Sampling System | NHTSA

However looking up the name, there is a facebook page that says:
"Crash Technician for NHTSA at KLD Associates"
but second line says "Retired" also, so don't know what to make of that.
Log into Facebook

Twitter account also says "Crash Technician" and has retweets of NHTSA Recalls:
https://twitter.com/rkanavy

Of course anyone can put anything on their own Facebook/Twitter page so it doesn't necessarily mean anything in terms of hard proof.

KLD Associates' website does have it claim to be a contractor for NHTSA to do CISS:
CISS for NHTSA - KLD Associates

USA Spending does say they are legit government contractor:
USAspending.gov
I found this document that does say: "CISS PSU Operations Contractor is KLD Associates Inc."
https://govtribe.com/file/governmen...onse-ciss-injury-tech-cost-dot-pdf#web-viewer

However, I wasn't able to find a personnel list for either NHTSA or KLD Associates.

 

[diplomat33]

I should add that the letter and the business card were attached to my front door. It was not in a mailed envelope. So it seems the NHTSA guy stopped by my house to talk to me in person and since I was not home, he wrote the letter and left it there with his business card so I could get in touch with him.

 

[diplomat33]

Remember, it's just an object and it can be repaired or replaced. Nobody was hurt, and that's the important thing here. Hopefully the car is repaired sooner than expected. Good luck!

Thanks.

 

[CDennis100]

bad news: the first body shop told me it would cost $10k-$15k and take "several weeks" to repair.

My estimate is 5 weeks to repair. My parts have already arrived so there isn’t much “idle time” baked in. Ugh.
I have an ICE rental car already reserved for a month…

 

[CDennis100]

Here was my damage. The good news for me? They fixed the problem/cause with 2022.8.2…just a few weeks too late! My backup camera delayed when shifting into reverse and I backed into a pole. I had alternate options I suppose; turn my head, use my mirrors. I trusted technology 100% (backup camera) and I now get to enjoy the wait to get it fixed. Aye carumba….!
I did contact Tesla to see if they’d cover and crickets thus far.

 

[CDennis100]

Maybe time to trade it in and start anew, with another 3, Y or Plaid?!

Naaa…mine is only 7 months old and new cost has gone up 6K already. I did THINK about it though. In fact, I already thought about upgrading to a “regular” S (not plaid) but the boosted 3 is still so much fun to drive especially at that price point. Blows away my just sold Infiniti Q50 awd sport in every area.

I’m both a believer, and a holder, for now.

 

[diplomat33]

Trade it and move on, if you’re able.

There is a part of me that is tempted to do that. It would be so easy to trade in my Model 3 for a $20k ICE car. But I refuse to go back to an ICE car. Tesla has a gorgeous used 2017 Model S 90D with AP for $63k. Honestly, it would feel like an upgrade to me because I've always loved the Model S. But I don't think it would make financial sense. With the trade-in value of my Model 3, I'd still be looking at a $10k down payment and a $20-30k car loan. If I just repair my Model 3, I'm looking at ~$10k out of pocket if the estimate I got is correct (my insurance is sending me a check for $4k).

 

[oreobbq]

I used the back side of the letter as scratch paper for a math tutoring session (I tutor high school math on the side).

That's too funny. Let me use the back of this suspicious letter for my math tutoring haha. We don't need to discuss the crusty keyboard in the back.

There is a part of me that is tempted to do that. It would be so easy to trade in my Model 3 for a $20k ICE car. But I refuse to go back to an ICE car. Tesla has a gorgeous used 2017 Model S 90D with AP for $63k. Honestly, it would feel like an upgrade to me because I've always loved the Model S. But I don't think it would make financial sense. With the trade-in value of my Model 3, I'd still be looking at a $10k down payment and a $20-30k car loan. If I just repair my Model 3, I'm looking at ~$10k out of pocket if the estimate I got is correct (my insurance is sending me a check for $4k).

Hold on, either you're misunderstanding the insurance process or your coverage is strangely bad or I'm not understanding what you said. Your insurance should be covering the repair. Whichever body shop you choose will communicate with the insurance directly for payment. Since they already sent you a 4k check, you'll need to pay that to the body shop. You're only responsible for the payment of your deductible.

 

[CDennis100]

That's too funny. Let me use the back of this suspicious letter for my math tutoring haha. We don't need to discuss the crusty keyboard in the back.



Hold on, either you're misunderstanding the insurance process or your coverage is strangely bad or I'm not understanding what you said. Your insurance should be covering the repair. Whichever body shop you choose will communicate with the insurance directly for payment. Since they already sent you a 4k check, you'll need to pay that to the body shop. You're only responsible for the payment of your deductible.

Agree with all points above. My insurance cut me a check for 13k after I received the estimate from the body shop. It’s made out to both of us (me and body shop) else I’d have cashed it and blown it on a trip to Vegas or Amsterdam….

The blow it part is a joke of course but diplomat….something seems amiss here…unless you are covered by “joe blow insurance while you wait” Or some variant therein.

 

[diplomat33]

Hold on, either you're misunderstanding the insurance process or your coverage is strangely bad or I'm not understanding what you said. Your insurance should be covering the repair. Whichever body shop you choose will communicate with the insurance directly for payment. Since they already sent you a 4k check, you'll need to pay that to the body shop. You're only responsible for the payment of your deductible.

My insurance sent me an estimate of record that breaks down their estimate of the repair costs. The estimate states the repair costs at $5,235.87. My deductible is $1,000. When I spoke to my insurance rep and explained that I was planning to take my car to the Tesla body shop, he said that I needed to pay Tesla the $1,000 deductible and they would pay Tesla the repair costs. So yes, I figured that is how it works. I pay the deductible and my insurance pays the body shop for the repairs. I was not expecting the check at all. I have not received the check yet. I just got an email and text from my insurance stating that a claim payment has been made to me & the bank that had my loan for $4,235.87.

 

[oreobbq]

My insurance sent me an estimate of record that breaks down their estimate of the repair costs. The estimate states the repair costs at $5,235.87. My deductible is $1,000. When I spoke to my insurance rep and explained that I was planning to take my car to the Tesla body shop, he said that I needed to pay Tesla the $1,000 deductible and they would pay Tesla the repair costs. So yes, I figured that is how it works. I pay the deductible and my insurance pays the body shop for the repairs. I was not expecting the check at all. I have not received the check yet. I just got an email and text from my insurance stating that a claim payment has been made to me & the bank that had my loan for $4,235.87.

Sounds about right.

If I just repair my Model 3, I'm looking at ~$10k out of pocket if the estimate I got is correct (my insurance is sending me a check for $4k).

This is what threw me off. Out of the insurance's pocket not yours lol.

 

[diplomat33]

Sounds about right.

This is what threw me off. Out of the insurance's pocket not yours lol.

This is my first insurance claim in my life so I admit I am not sure about the process. Like I said, I assumed my insurance would pay the repairs and I would pay the deductible. That is what the rep told me. But my insurance estimates the repair costs at $5,235.87 but the body shop estimates the repair costs at $12k-$15k. Since they are mailing me a check for $4,235.87, I was confused and I thought maybe I am expected to pay the difference since the total costs will be more than that. But what you are saying is that my insurance is sending me a check for the amount they think the repairs will costs. Of course, I need to use that check to pay the body shop. And if the costs are higher, the body shop will work with my insurance to get the rest? Seems a bit convoluted to me. Why send me the check then? Why not just pay the body shop directly?

 

[diplomat33]

The blow it part is a joke of course but diplomat….something seems amiss here…unless you are covered by “joe blow insurance while you wait” Or some variant therein.

I am covered by esurance which is a member of All State so not "joe blow insurance". LOL.

 

[oreobbq]

This is my first insurance claim in my life so I admit I am not sure about the process. Like I said, I assumed my insurance would pay the repairs and I would pay the deductible. That is what the rep told me. But my insurance estimates the repair costs at $5,235.87 but the body shop estimates the repair costs at $12k-$15k. Since they are mailing me a check for $4,235.87, I was confused and I thought maybe I am expected to pay the difference since the total costs will be more than that. But what you are saying is that my insurance is sending me a check for the amount they think the repairs will costs. Of course, I need to use that check to pay the body shop. And if the costs are higher, the body shop will work with my insurance to get the rest? Seems a bit convoluted to me. Why send me the check then? Why not just pay the body shop directly?

Yep you're not paying anything besides the deductible. Since you have the freedom to choose any repair shop, logistically it may be easier for the insurance to cut the check to you directly first. When the body shop starts taking things apart, the repair cost and labor is guaranteed to go up. From there they work with the insurance directly for payments needed. It's great you haven't had to use your insurance and find out about this process til now!

 

[diplomat33]

Yep you're not paying anything besides the deductible. Since you have the freedom to choose any repair shop, logistically it may be easier for the insurance to cut the check to you directly first. When the body shop starts taking things apart, the repair cost and labor is guaranteed to go up. From there they work with the insurance directly for payments needed. It's great you haven't had to use your insurance and find out about this process til now!

Thanks.

Yeah, I thought I was paying the deductible. The rep mentioned that I would pay the deductible to the body shop. But they took out the deductible from the check they cut me, so I am not really paying the deductible then. I am just getting less in my claim payment. But I guess from an accounting point of view, they count getting a smaller claim payment as "paying" the deductible since they took out my deductible from the payment they gave me. Bottom line is if I don't have to pay the $10k or whatever it costs, I am ok with that obviously.

 

[euro.r]

Here is the letter.

I've gotta say it...what on earth is on that keyboard??

 

[diplomat33]

I've gotta say it...what on earth is on that keyboard??

Just some food stains.

 

[diplomat33]

Also the NHTSA guy wants to do the safety inspection tomorrow. He said it would take several hours and I don't need to be there for the inspection. He said I could just leave a key card for him so he can get in the car. But I am thinking I should be there. Thoughts?