Insurance money

Should I replace the bumper which only has a small dent in it or use the money(700) for something else? The dent bothered the crap out of me at first, but not so much now.

 

Use it for what it was intended for. If anything, see if you can get a better deal for it elsewhere.

Not addressing these things as they happen (especially with a new vehicle) lead you down the road to heap-dom.

 

pics?

 

You could get an All Pro bumper for that amount. That's what I did when I hurt my truck...now she loves me again.

 

Just out of curiosity, who's your insurance co?

 

Where is the best place to get an All Pro? How much do they run?

 

is it the front or rear bumper? pics?

 

The OP or mine?

 

OP's, sorry should have quoted him or been more specific.

 

Oh well fine then, just for that I'm giving you a neg rep

LOL jk

 

sorry for the lack of pics, it looks like a dent about the size of a coke can right by the hitch. I thinking about putting it towards a payment (responsible thing to do in this economy) or going with an aftermarket. Christmas was so expensive this year so I might have to use it to get back on track after going broke this holiday. The dent bugged the shit out of me, but I guess it is a truck after all and the bumper is a good place to have a dent, right. If the dent was in the door, that's another story, right???

 

You should do whatever make you sleep at night. If that means using the money for bills and payment, then do it. But if you do get a new bumper don't replace the old one with a stock bumper, it doesn't make sense to replace weak with weak...

 

Did you damage it yourself or did someone hit you? Basically is the money from your insurance or someone else?

The reason I ask is if you took money from your own insurance to do repairs (which may increase your premiums) you might as well fix the truck. If the money is from another persons policy with no danger of your own premiums increasing, do what you wish.

You may be able to find a Tacoma in a junk yard that has been cracked up on the front. Get the rear bumper for $100, and pay off the bills with the remainder.

WIN WIN

 

Did you already receive the check and is it written in your name?

With my insurance company (Erie Insurance), they will only write the check in my name IF the truck is entirely paid off. Otherwise, they get the damage appraised by an approved Erie appraiser. They then ask where I am getting the damage fixed and write the check out to that repair shop.

This is done so you HAVE to get it fixed - unless you know the shop owner and can work out a deal - which might be fringing on insurance fraud.



I hit a deer last year in my 2004 and they appraised it at $500. I had the truck paid off but never notified my insurance company and they asked where I was getting it fixed. I sent them proof that it was paid off and they cut the check to me. I pocketed the money and never fixed it.
When I traded it in, the dealership never even noticed the dent.

 

I have USAA and since I demanded that Toyota fix it, they sent the check to me. The accident was someone else's fault, so I got paid for a small dent. Decisions, decisions. I got to do something quick or my wife will do something with the money.

 

So if you have USAA, then the other company should have sent you the check not USAA right?

If that's the case pocket the money and be done with it, your insurance premiums aren't going to go up.