How to deal with insurance offers?

Get more money for C240 4matic then the insurance company offers? How to prove.?

• Does anyone know how to get more for 2005 Mercedes C240 4Matic then the insurance company will offer. They are currently offering $17,500. The fact is we bought it new for $45,000 and the prices seems very low. I can barely buy another at a authorized Mercedes dealer at the same prices. The car has 65,000 miles. The highest value I found was by Nada. Can I use the CPO price at Edmunds. Any other ideas? Thanks

• Answer:

  1. You did not buy it new for $45,000. A good friend's 2004 C320 4Matic was $43,000 before taxes with the second optional package. At the time, MSRP on the base C240 with 4Matic was $33,000. No combination of packages would bring that price up $10,000. It just isn't possible on the low-end models. So I call BS on your claim to have purchased the base model for $45,000. How embarrassing. 2. If your insurance company is offering you a certain amount, you won't get more from anyone else. In fact, that's by far the most you'll get. Go do some research before whining about how life is so unfair. In this economy, the best you could realistically expect for the base model with a well-documented history of unreliability (the C240 is awful, should have upgraded to the V6) will be thousands below what your insurance company is offering. 3. I'm not sure what you think you're going to do with one company's quoted price with respect to your insurance company or otherwise. Edmund's doesn't sell your car or give you money for it. They are merely a guide. And if the insurance companies were swayed by folks who insisted on more money for their car, there would be mutiny. However, the insurance companies do NOT bend on their offers. Take the money and gracefully move on to something you can afford.