Get the Actual Cash Value of Your Totaled Vehicle

Navigating the selling of a totaled car can be a hassle. Thankfully, we’re here to provide you a little insight and make the task much less daunting!

How Is A Car’s Actual Cash Value Calculated?

Typically, the Actual Cash Value (ACV) is used when it’s time for you to make an insurance claim. Should your car end up in a wreck or suffer damage equating to a total loss, the money you receive from your insurance company is based on its actual cash value.

But how does the insurance company actually calculate your ACV?

The ACV can be reached by subtracting the depreciation (“wear and tear” costs) of the car from the replacement value after the car’s purchase. So the equation would look something like this:

In the instance of a totaled vehicle, if the cost to return the car to its pre-damage or pre-loss state exceeds the car’s value, then it’s a total loss. Additionally, the insurance company will weigh other factors to calculate the ACV of your totaled car.. These factors may include:

• The vehicle’s age

• The vehicle’s mileage

• The vehicle’s features

• The vehicle’s pre-loss condition

Also taken into account by your insurance company is your car’s “salvage value.” This is the value of your car’s parts as scrap metal, with the heavy hitters typically being its engine, transmission, and catalytic converter.

Negotiating your Car’s ACV

Understand the ACV

Actual Cash Value is a fancy way of saying “how much a car is worth in a sale.” When you think of it like that, instead of a term that most people don’t use in their day-to-day life, it becomes something you can grasp with greater ease and confidence.

Take the time to negotiate a fair deal on your totaled vehicle when it’s time to collect from your auto insurance company.

Understand how your Insurance company defines ACV

“Know thy enemy” is a fundamental rule of warfare. While negotiating your ACV isn’t a battlefield and your insurance company isn’t your enemy (usually), it is still a rule of engagement that applies.

Understanding exactly how your insurance company is defining their ACV will prepare you to deliver a counter-estimate.

Online Car Evaluation Tools

The internet is brimming with online tools that can help you get an ACV (and even instant offers on your totaled car). Browse these tools and see what similarities you can find between your totaled vehicle and the ACV of others. When it’s time to finally sell it, you’ll have greater leverage when negotiating your ACV based on precedent.

Keeping a Totaled Car

You are more than entitled to keep your car after your insurance company deems it a total loss. At that point, the insurance company will pay you the cash value of the car. However, they will subtract any deductible and whatever amount your car could have been scrapped for. Now that you have your car, you can make the necessary plans to repair it.

But is it worth it?

Repairing a total loss vehicle is an endeavor that varies in the amount of effort needed to complete it. Is your vehicle deemed a loss by percentage? Is it completely wrecked? Ultimately, the decision is up to you whether or not keeping and repairing your totaled car is worth it.

WeBuyTotaledCars: The Easy Solution

Once you’ve decided on keeping your totaled vehicle, you have a couple of options: repair it yourself or find a buyer. Unfortunately, both of these options can be a massive hassle.

That’s where we come in.

WeBuyTotaledCars is committed to making the process of offloading totaled vehicles as convenient as possible for you. As a completely online platform, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your bed in order to get the process started.

Once you visit our website, one of our associates will connect with you. After providing a few photographs and the VIN number of your vehicle, we’ll give you a quote for it within 90 seconds. Should you accept the quote, we’ll connect you with one of our service providers within your area — anywhere in the contiguous United States.

Our service providers will schedule a pick up within 24-48 hours. The towing and transferring of titles for your vehicle is handled by us free of charge! At the time of pick up, the driver does a quick inspection before handing you a check in the total amount agreed upon at the time you were quoted.

Let us help you get the most buck for your banged up car today!