Joe,
RE:" What are the standards
for evaluating the cost of repairs? To put the matter another
way, is the cost of covered repairs related in any way to the
agreed value of the car?"
If the company and I can't agree on the "amount of loss", either of
us may demand an appraisal. In this case, both the company and I select an
appraiser, and they select an "umpire" to mediate. Each of us pays our own
appraiser and we split the cost of the "umpire". IMO, no legal contract is
ever a substitute for good faith, and American Collectors insures a lot of
classic cars. I'm sure they realize that I don't want a very nice TR fixed
some mouth-breather from the corner gas station. The other side of the coin
is that I don't expect them to wave a magic wand over my car and make it
better than new.
RE:"I'm also a little concerned about "no coverage when left
unattended in public other than at car shows [&etc]. What if I
stay overnight on my way the VTR convention this summer and
leave my car parked outside the hotel? Or drive to a friend's
house and leave the car overnight in his driveway?"
You'd be hosed. Those are ordinary risks, and an insurance company
would have to charge ordinary rates to assume them. The policy requires a
locked garage. I still go grab a beer in town in the summer, but I choose
my parking spot very carefully (like most of us do I suppose) since any
loss that occurs while my car is parked comes out of my pocket. Like I
said, make sure you can live with the fine print.
Best Regards,
Tom Marincic
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