Frequently Asked Questions:

What is diminished value and how do I know when I am entitled to it?

Diminution of value happens when a vehicle is wrecked or damaged in an accident. The vehicle is then repaired or restored back to a roadworthy condition. The insurance company agrees to pay for the repairs. You have your car back, but it’s just not the same.

To help you see what has happened to your car’s value, let’s take a trip to the local car dealership. You’ve decided you may want to buy a car. You know what make and model you’re looking for and you find two of them sitting on the dealer's lot. You start to compare options, mileage and features and find they are practically identical. As the sales person explains the features available on each car, you learn that one of the two cars was involved in an accident requiring substantial repairs. You are told that you can be assured that it is now good as new. But can you? Would you be willing to pay the same amount for a car that has been repaired?

In a recent study, 43% of the people surveyed would not buy a car that was in an accident. 42% said they would buy a car that has been in an accident but only if it was being sold for a large discount.

So what does that say about your car? Is it worth as much now that its been repaired as it was prior to the accident damage? Insurance companies have been wrestling with this question by their claimants for many years. Does your insurance company pay for diminished value? Has your car diminished in value because of the repairs required by an accident? How do you know?

You don’t, but we do. Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia is your local diminished value professional. We make it our business to know. We attend auto auctions statewide, to gather information on cars sold that have sustained accident damage. We then compare the sale price of these damaged and repaired vehicles to the sale price of those that have not been in an accident. This use of comparables gives us a percentage of loss of value for each type of automobile. The results tell the story.

During a recent dealer survey, we found that dealers diminished a car’s value by 15% to 50% because it had been involved in an accident requiring significant repairs. Even though repairs have been made properly, there is a loss of value due to inherent diminished value. Should repairs be done poorly, and not up to industry standards, there may be additional repair related diminished value.

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What are some of the factors that cause diminished value?

Some of these factors, but not all are:

• Overall percentage of damage to the car versus its original value.
• Year, make or model.
• Any frame damage.
• Use of non-OEM parts. Parts that are not the original parts placed on the car by the manufacturer.

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What does this mean for you?

The diminution of value is the difference between what your car was worth before the accident and after the repair. Let Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia help you determine your car’s diminished value.

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When is an Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia appraisal a good idea?

• Before buying or selling
• After restoration
• When assessing the value of an estate
• When negotiating divorce agreements
• When preparing for insurance coverage
• When determining diminished value
• When securing collateral for a loan
• When donating your vehicle to a non-profit organization
• Whenever you need to know the current value of your automobile

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Why choose Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia?

• Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia is the only statewide appraisal company providing the unique resource of independent, trained and certified agents.
• Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia has provided an expert witness to testify in numerous court cases involving property settlements, restoration fraud and insurance claims.
• View our certifications by clicking here

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How does an Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia appraisal work?

An Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia certified agent provides an on-site comprehensive inspection of the auto, sometimes taking photographs and paying close attention to each auto's current condition.

This information is reviewed and researched at Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia's home office. This research includes verification of originality or correctness, market comparable availability and current market value analysis.
Auto Appraisal Services of Georgia maintains a central resource database that records detailed information on every car appraised by the company as well as current sales transactions involving foreign and domestic collectible vehicles.

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For more information, you can call us at:

Office:	706.736.7070
FAX:	706.736.7080
Pager:	706.560.8980

Or you may email us at:

General Information:	Info@AutoAppraisalServicesOfGA.Com
Services:	Services@AutoAppraisalServicesOfGA.Com