[juspimpin]

Long story short...totaled car (not my fault), received fair cash settlement, signed papers to give car to ins company....purchased new sol...Living Happy.

That was last year. Received a registered letter from Copart stating they have my ABANDONED car and will sell it in 30 days if I do not pick it up and pay the storage fees. If I do not want the car, I should do nothing and they will continue with the sale of the car.

The storage fees started 4 months ago and are now just under $3000. Car was a pristine 07 GXP with 14k miles. No idea the condition now or what has been taken from it. Assuming the motor and trans are still in tact; it is worth more than 3k. If things have been removed, who knows.

My gut tells me that this is a bad business practice by Copart. I am guessing they have the title and are trying to coerce me to buy it from them for $3000 in this questionable situation.

The other side of me thinks.....maybe I want it back. Maybe piece it out for $4k. I am closer to letting it go, but wondering if anyone else has heard of this before.

Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone a fan of Copart?

 

[citabria7]

Don't trust them. Run...fast....away

 

[twowheeladdict]

What is CoPart? What was the damage to call the car totaled?

 

[sirwm]

you don't own the car any more - the insurance company owns it.

Once you received the money from the insurance company,
you had to pass them the title , right ?

Call the insurance company and complain...

 

[twowheeladdict]

OK, I looked up carport. A salvage corporation. Mmm. I see that they have a Sol in Tanner. Bidding starts at $68. My wife would kill me. LOL!

I'm wondering if they are required by law to send that letter to cover their butts. Did you sign the title over to the insurance company?

 

[citabria7]

my daughter had her Mercedes, (stupid purchase on her part), vandalized so badly that it was totalled. Copart was the company she had to turn the title over to in order to get her insurance settlement.

 

[chickenwire]

Not familiar but my gut tells me that this is a method of trying to recover some value on the totaled vehicle. I would suspect they've gotten rid of anything of value on the vehicle already and are just looking to see if they can score 3k more by getting you to take the corpse back.

I'm skeptical, but not absolutely convinced. I'd take a hard look at the car before I did anything.

 

[juspimpin]

My Sol t-boned another car. Air bags and windshield. Without motor and trans, definitely not worth $3k. There are some parts I would want from the car, but I am guessing good parts are gone.

I would not buy car without looking it over first. It may be a legal thing since letter was sent registered mail. I still have title but did accept money from insurance company. I do not have much experience with totaling cars nor copart.

 

[DaveOC]

My Sol t-boned another car. Air bags and windshield. Without motor and trans, definitely not worth $3k. There are some parts I would want from the car, but I am guessing good parts are gone.

I would not buy car without looking it over first. It may be a legal thing since letter was sent registered mail. I still have title but did accept money from insurance company. I do not have much experience with totaling cars nor copart.

Since you still have title, the car is still in your name, which is why you got the letter. Usually when the insurance totals a car, you have to turn over the title to the insurance company.

It would appear that the insurance company forgot one little detail . . . :dunno:

 

[KappaKadet]

Seems like if the junkyard didn't have the title they couldn't go selling off parts willy-nilly.

Good chance the car is in the exact same shape it was when it was towed away after the wreck.

Definitely worth checking it out and good luck.

 

[LatinVenom]

Copart does not sell parts from the car.
It should be in the same condition other than 3 months out in the open etc....
I would go by an take a look at it and see what the actual car now looks like.

 

[citabria7]

Since you still have title, the car is still in your name, which is why you got the letter. Usually when the insurance totals a car, you have to turn over the title to the insurance company.

It would appear that the insurance company forgot one little detail . . . :dunno:

Yeah. My daughter had to turn over her title to Copart before she got the insurance money.

 

[timlange3]

Sounds like your insurance company did not send the title to Copart. Car is totaled, insurance company sends you (and loan owner) money to cover loss. Title goes to insurance company, who in turn sells car to salvage (Copart).

 

[Hoosier GXP]

Copart does not sell parts from the car.
It should be in the same condition other than 3 months out in the open etc....
I would go by an take a look at it and see what the actual car now looks like.

Going to a Copart yard and looking at the car may not be that easy. You must be a member to enter a Copart facility or go with a member( there is a $25 fee to enter with a member). Since they did send the OP a letter he may be able to use that to gain access. Being allowed to remove anything other than personal effects is highly unlikely.

Sounds like your insurance company did not send the title to Copart. Car is totaled, insurance company sends you (and loan owner) money to cover loss. Title goes to insurance company, who in turn sells car to salvage (Copart).

Copart auctions cars mostly for insurance company's, but individuals can also sell thru Copart. Usually when the insurance company settles with the owner the vehicle is taken to a facility like Copart to be sold at auction. The insurance company has the option to set a reserve price on any vehicle (in which case the vehicle is sold on approval) or let it go to the highest bidder regardless of bid. The insurance company gets the auction value for the car and Copart exacts fees from the buyer and the insurance company. All totaled vehicles sold at Copart will have a salvage title when purchased by the highest bidder. If that bidder wants to rebuild the vehicle he or she must apply for a rebuilt title, to there respected states, before said vehicle can be licensed and put back on the road.

 

[juspimpin]

so here is the rest of the story....

MY OPINION is that Copart is a shady company with poor business practices. I attempted to pick up my car and showed the letter. They looked through their files and said they didn't have it. I said "I can see it from here". They looked in "another" file and found it. I asked for the current debt to retain my car, and was told to look on my letter. I said the letter was dated the 8th, what has accrued since then or what is the daily cost. Another guy came out to speak with me.
He then said I have no claim to the vehicle unless approved by the Insurance Company. I asked about the letter and the guy said "that letter means nothing, I didn't send it out". I asked for his last name, and he was in fact the name on my letter but still said he doesn't send them out. That is a poor business practice and very poor customer relation. I would have been happier with "no, just because".

In then end, I wasted energy and time that I will never get back. I know now to disregard anything with COPART on it even if is sounds like a good deal.

I apologize to those that inquired about the car willing to purchase the car. I will tell you the car definitely does not look as good as it did in April. But 8 months of weather will do that I suppose....that and a crow bar.

 

[njtex]

When my 100% mint condition, high mileage H3 was totalled this past spring, I considered buying it back and fixing it until I learned that vehicles with a salvage title do not qualify for comprehensive insurance in my state. At that point, I realized that investing $14k into an uninsurable project, no matter how nice, didn't make financial sense.

It's not just Copart, the entire car insurance industry and it's government links are shady!

 

[DaveOC]

When my 100% mint condition, high mileage H3 was totalled this past spring, I considered buying it back and fixing it until I learned that vehicles with a salvage title do not qualify for comprehensive insurance in my state. At that point, I realized that investing $14k into an uninsurable project, no matter how nice, didn't make financial sense.

It's not just Copart, the entire car insurance industry and it's government links are shady!

I once took a reduced insurance settlement in lieu of the insurance totaling one of my cars. I continued to drive it with the damage. There was no comprehensive and no collision coverage on it, though there was liability. I got another 5 years out of the car, and then I sold it to one of the gals that worked in my building, and her kid drove it to high school and then around town for another 4-5 years.

 

[njtex]

I once took a reduced insurance settlement in lieu of the insurance totaling one of my cars. I continued to drive it with the damage. There was no comprehensive and no collision coverage on it, though there was liability. I got another 5 years out of the car, and then I sold it to one of the gals that worked in my building, and her kid drove it to high school and then around town for another 4-5 years.

We needed our truck perfect again because we use it for business. If it was simply a matter of roadworthyness, an alignment and a new driver side headlamp assembly would have done the trick.

My beef is that despite paying $3k a year, for six years, for insurance for just the truck, car ownership in my state is still a gamble.

 

[juspimpin]

The saga continues....received another certified letter today from Copart. They changed the dates on the letter and the cost for storage. First letter was dated Jan 8 stating I had 30 days to claim and a sale date of 8 Jan. Obviously a poor practice or mistake. This letter was dated 22 Jan stating I have 30 days to claim with a sale date of 24 Feb which at least agrees with the 30 day rule. Storage fees went up by over $300 in 14 days.
Costs almost as much to store a vehicle as it costs to rent one.
Into the trash it went.