Archive for November, 2011

How DRP (Direct Repair) Works



Direct repair shops (or DRP) are shops that your insurance company recommends you to take your vehicle. The body shop gets referrals while the insurance company gets:

-Free storage for written off vehicles
-Less money spent sending out an appraiser
-Leverage to keep the shop on the direct repair program

So in a nutshell the body shop gets work while doing it for less and saving money for the insurer. So, the question is how does this benefit the consumer? Well, it doesn’t really. Customers can typically expect a quicker repair time as the shop does not require approval from the insurance company, allowing them to start the repair sooner.

Since you are typically in a paid rental the concern is more quality then speed anyhow, so it’s important to know how it breaks down. A DRP shop is no more likely to provide better quality then a non-DRP shop. The insurance company that has appointed them DRP does not make any visits to ensure the quality is to there standards, as the insurance companies typically don’t have any. So, as it is up to the shop it can vary from facility to facility.

Always remember it is your right to choose the shop of your choice and to do some research on where your bringing your car. While some DRP facilities are in existence because of higher customer satisfaction ratings, many others are simply there because they offer to fix cars cheaper. Avoid getting burnt, Do your own homework people!

How to Write an Loan Modification Hardship Letter



For homeowners who cannot meet their mortgage commitments or those who are heading towards a foreclosure home loan modification can be a life saver. If all avenues of refinancing have failed you, mortgage modification may be your only and best option. In order to avail the advantages of home loan modification you will need to start by submitting a hardship letter to your loan provider. This letter should include clearly outline your financial situation and the reason for mortgage modification.

The letter should clearly explain the factors that led to your current financial condition and the steps that you intend to take to get out of it and stay out of it. Given the current economic crisis, loan providers receive thousands of hardship letters for mortgage modification every month so you need to ensure that your letter stands out in some way.

In order to do so make sure that your letter and concise and pertinent; a good hardship letter for home loan modification should not be longer than two pages. Instead of writing lengthy explanations which your lender will not have the time to read go for simple explanations on why you need mortgage modification. With the sheer number of letters that they receive chances are that they have already heard every explanation in the world.

Go for something simple like, “I have just had a decrease in hours at my workplace and this with the recent readjustments on my mortgage makes it difficult for me to keep up with the new higher payments”. Here are some additional tips that will help you to draft your hardship letter for a home loan modification.

1. Make sure that you include all the necessary details, just because your trying to make your hardship letter for mortgage modification concise does not mean you should exclude necessary information and documents like death certificates, medical receipts and unemployment notices etc
2. Clearly explain the reasons for your requirement for a home loan modification.
3. Be clear about what you want in terms of mortgage modification, you need to tell the lender what you are looking for; a longer loan term, a lower interest rate etc. You may even want to tell your lender about the monthly payment amount that you would be able handle.
4. Write with feelings and emotions.
5. Don’t be confrontational and don’t complain; instead show your willingness to reach an equitable solution. Be polite
6. Include your contact information and enclosed bank statement for the past two months, last years tax returns, notices on the car and any other documents that can be used to veracity of your statement.
7. Under no circumstances should you try to threaten the bank, particularly with any talks of declaring bankruptcy.

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Motor Vehicle Personal Injury Insurance Claims



In January of 2005 it was written (and found within the confines of The Insurance Journal), “In 2003 more than 25% of automobile accidents resulted in bodily injury claim”.

PLUS: In a 2004 study (executed via Trends In Auto Injury Claims) it was stated, “Personal injury claims remain high”.

Records indicate that many people involved in automobile accidents, are embarrassed to seek medical attention because of what they’ve determine to be bumps and bruises, and they didn’t seem serious enough or because the onset of the symptoms did not immediately occur.

HOWEVER: Just as soon as possible, after an accident, an initial evaluation at a local Emergency Room is positively recommended!

THE REASON FOR THAT IS: X-rays can be performed which will generally rule out broken bones or factures. PLUS: Muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory medications can immediately be prescribed so as to address muscle strains and/or pulls.

If the onset of a serious injury is delayed, the failure to have a medical complaint recorded will affect your physical recovery. Back and neck injuries (like a herniated disc) are not always immediately determinable. They are often initially diagnosed as “Soft Tissue” injuries before an MRI or a CT Scan reveals a disc injury. Normal x-ray film – - cannot diagnose a disc injury!

HERE’S SOME FACT’S OF INSURANCE CLAIM LIFE BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE – - WHO WAS INVOLVED IN SUCH MATTERS FOR OVER THREE DECADES! If the adjuster can prove it (and then attempt to hang his hat on the reason “Why” he’s refusing to pay a personal injury claim) he’ll often take the position of, “It’s because there’s been a long and serious delay in receiving treatment”. Or, “Too many time-gaps in the treatment have occurred”. Ending either one of those conclusions with, “So therefore it’s clear that the impact had absolutely nothing to do what the claimant was later complaining of and being treated for”.

“WHIPLASH”: Whiplash hurls your head backward (causing Hyper-Extension) and forward (causing Hyper-Flexion) the both of which will absolutely injure your neck. Whiplash has been determined to be the most common injury resulting from a car accident. It can cause injury to joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles and nerves.

A Whiplash can be short term or long life, because it can leave your neck forever vulnerable to injury. It leads to a long-term disability in 10% of those 1,000,000 people who have been “Whip-Lashed” (because of a motor vehicle accident in the United States) every year ! Records indicate that nearly 25% of those cases result in chronic pain and disability for an individual’s lifetime.

After a Whiplash injury your neck’s natural curve may be reversed, which can unevenly distribute the weight of your head and may furthermore misalign the vertebra. This can lead to arthritic degeneration and recurring pain. It’s a proven fact that 1 in 7 whiplash victims will still have significant pain more than 3 years after the accident!

According to research published in late 2004 “MOST CAR SEATS FAIL THE WHIPLASH TEST”, it was determined that almost two thirds (of what are advertised as “Normal” car seats) left motorists vulnerable to painful whiplash injuries. Of all the models tested 18 were rated as “Good”, 27 were rated as “Acceptable” however all of the others were rated either “Marginal” or “Poor”.

In a 2004 edition the National Association Of Mutual Insurance Companies stated that, “From 1980 to 2003, the Bodily Injury Claim rate increased by 19%”. They went on to say, “There were 1.05 Personal Injury claims per 100 insured cars”.

YOU MUST “WATCH OUT” FOR THE OTHER DRIVERS ADJUSTER

You’ve got to be wary of the insurance adjuster contacting you, requesting a statement so he can, “Settle your claim”.

In most instances the only reason the adjuster from the other insurance company wants your statement is so to determine if he can build a defense against your claim or make his payment to you, as low as possible. More often than not adjusters contact you (under the pretext of helping you to settle your claim) and then attempt to use the information they’ve obtained – - to minimize or deny your claim.

Unless the Police Report clearly places the fault on the other driver you must be very careful how you “Handle” and/or “Deal” with the adjuster assigned to your case because the adjuster is paid, and moved up the claims ladder, partly because of what he knows, and learned on-the-job, about insurance claims, but mostly because of how profoundly he’s capable of taking advantage of those who have a legitimate one.

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article “AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT CLAIMS” is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Dan Baldyga does not make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR does he purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL’S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.

Dan Baldyga’s third insurance claim book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) can be found on the internet at http://www.caraccidentclaims.com or http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com. This book reveals “How To” successfully handle your motor vehicle accident claim so you won’t be taken advantage of. It also goes into detail regarding the revolutionary BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA explains how to determine the value of the “Pain and Suffering” you endured – - because of your personal injury!

Copyright (c) 2005 By Daniel G. Baldyga. All Rights Reserved.

Automotive Repair Marketing – The Key to a Successful Shop



If you are a business owner and you would like to increase your revenue, it is important for you to understand automotive repair marketing and how this is a key to a successful shop. The automotive industry is said to be one of the most lucrative and stable industries in the business world. Because people from all over the world use autos in their daily life, auto repair businesses are steady and secure.

Automotive repair marketing is as easy as changing the oil in your car. Every few months, you are to check your progress, do some maintenance, and give some added boost and fresh ideas to your automotive repair marketing campaign. The public loves fresh ideas.

Automotive repair marketing is all about taking action. Therefore, you as the business owner should make sure you use the right automotive repair marketing tools. Here are some of the most effective marketing tools for your auto repair business.

1. Direct mail marketing method
One of the most preferred automotive repair marketing tools remains to be the direct mail method. Most auto repair businesses make use of this method by mailing postcards to homeowners in zip codes surrounding their shops. This is an easy way to promote your services to potential clients. However, you will need to mail sufficient quantities to generate a worthwhile response.

2. Start a blog or a website
The internet is probably one of the greatest automotive repair marketing tools you can use. Create a blog and spend 10 minutes each day writing interesting anecdotes, maintenance information, tips, advice, or even car reviews. The more you write, the sooner you will be crawled by search engines, and the sooner you will reach a bigger audience which will essentially result in more business.

3. Social media marketing
One of the best automotive repair marketing tools revolves around social media. Websites with Facebook and Twitter integration are becoming increasingly popular and more repair shop owners are making use of this tool in order to promote their shops and acquire new clients. If you use social media for your automotive repair marketing, you should know that you are instantly exposed to millions of people. So, guess what happens when Jason needs a new transmission and he sees your business profile on Facebook? Voila! You have a new customer. Even though this may sound a little impossible, but social media could be well worth thousands of dollars to your repair shop.

4. The good old word of mouth
This method of automotive marketing is known to be one of the oldest methods of marketing in the business world. However, this is also proven to be one of the most reliable forms of marketing. For example, you started your automotive repair marketing campaign with the direct mail marketing method. Now, because of this, you have just acquired two new clients. If you do a good job, guess what happens? These clients will tell their friends about it, and their friends will tell their friends, eventually forming the perfect marketing campaign you can ask for.

5. Press releases
Most business owners tend to give press releases a complete miss, thinking that there is no possible way that a press release could be of any advantage to their automotive repair marketing campaign. Wrong! In fact, press releases are very effective and can be done either online or off-line. With the off-line method, simply write, or have someone put together a press release on a timely topic and send it to your local newspaper. With the online method, do the same and publish it to a press release service. Press releases are usually ranked higher than normal web pages and blog posts. This can never be a bad thing.

There are several other automotive repair marketing tools available to you. If you are serious about taking your auto repair shop to the next level and getting more vehicles into your shop, then make sure you give these aforementioned methods of automotive repair marketing a try today.

Auto – Car Maintenance



Maintenance means looking after the all parts of your automobile, even those which are inside the bonnet. It tells the durability, reliability and performance of vehicle that you drive. We generally ignore it until and unless our vehicle is stopped functioning. Oils checking, battery checking and checking the electrical system, are few but very important things to remember in maintenance that can help your vehicle to work smoothly and safely.

Oil checking and changing:

This is the simple but very important auto maintenance job you can do for your vehicle. Oil protects the moving parts of the engine, oil and oil filters might be changed every 3,000 to 5000 miles.

Air Filter:

The dirty air filter may be caused to decrease your engine power, increased fuel expenditures, airflow sensor failure etc. Air filter replacement can give your vehicle with over 30% of fuel efficiency and improve gas mileage by up to 10 percent and protect your engine as well.

Engine:

Regular engine tune ups and vehicle maintenance remove the problems of fuel economy damaged spark plugs, exhausted brakes, low fluid transmission, or transmission problems.

Battery:

Check car battery and cables connection and make sure hey are securely attached and not corroded, battery’s primary function is to starting the engine, bulges and cracks point out that the battery need to be replaced. If you found the corrosion, try to clean it with water and baking soda, used non metal bristle brush. It will not take too much time and can be good source to save your
expenses.

Windshield Wipers:

Replace windshield wipers twice a year, its very important part of save driving. They should be proper cleaned, use mild detergent and paper towel to clean the
blades. If the blades seem like damaged, they are quit easy to change. Its depend on you to replace the rubber blade or whole arm.

Brakes:

The brakes are very important safety part on your vehicle, if brakes making noise, or you feel vibration in them when you hit the brakes, check the brakes as soon as possible and replace them with new one. The breaks checking can decrees the risk of accidents which caused by brake failure.

Timing Belt:

The timing belt failure may be caused serious damage to your car engine, check timing belt after every 10,000 miles, change it when you see deep cracks in belts, which shows sing for belt to be replaced.

Tires:

Keep vehicle tires properly inflated, closely watch tires if found bald spots, its time to change your tires. Inflate or deflate your vehicle tires as needed, as the common mistake the driving under inflated tires which may caused for low gas mileage.

A Glance at The Changing Trends in the RV Market Segment



Technological progress is rapidly invading every industrial segment today. The RV market segment is no exception, where the industry is experiencing a transition phase. This is the phase of experimentation and modification thereby leading to the emergence of changing trends in the entire RV industry. Gone are the days when RVs were considered luxurious commodities. Today, perspectives have changed making them commodities of comfort and even necessity for some!

Surveys conducted in some parts of the US and Canada show how RV sales have been on the rise since 1999. Around 7% of Canadian households own an RV. This percentage has risen for most of them prefer to tour the country in an RV. Besides, RV travel is the best option to travel with your family and friends as it betters communication with our dear ones. Majority of the US and Canadian citizens possessing an RV, are married with an annual household income of $68.000. The average age of RV buyers varies from 34 to 55 years and is the one of the fast growing segments today. Another survey conducted in North American found that around 57% of the campers were Rvers and most of them had opted for RV travel on the pretext of having a family reunion or a get together. There is also a growing demand among RVers for entertainment and recreational facilities, including hi-tech equipments like flat screen TVs, surround-sound CD and DVD players with individual headphones, satellite dishes etc. As such manufacturers are now concentrating to style the RVs with the latest gadgets and transform them into utility vehicles.

Analyzing the trends closely, it has been observed that sports utility RVs are becoming very popular with the new generation of RV buyers. These RVs provide easy storage facilities as well as a range of adventure equipments to facilitate cross-market opportunities between RVers for on-road and off-road motorbikes, canoes, ATVs, snowmobiles and jet skis. Besides, highly upgraded RVs are now being manufactured, along with added facilities of continuous Internet access and electronic mapping or Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Relaxation and entertainment form a major part of the agenda of any RV travel. Hence, the new RVers do not like to compromise on any means of entertainment. From flat screen TVs to satellite radio, the new generation of RVers has a gala time for enjoyment throughout the day.

Of late, a niche segment in the RV industry has cropped up. Such segments comprise “women-only” groups, shared interest groups and a number of invalid and senior travelers. For travelers in wheelchairs, some manufacturing companies design the rig that allows wheelchair entry through a rear power lift gate. RV travel has thus effectively tried to include travelers from all walks of life. Noticing the changing trends in this industry, even the US government has made few arrangements in support of RV travel. Seven US States (Michigan, Oregon, Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington, Florida and Texas) have adopted the ‘RV Friendly’ Yellow Circle symbol on the highway signage on the directions of the US Federal Highway Administration. This symbol is indicative of the camping and lodging facilities that would be made available to RVers at different spots. Such facilities make RV travel hassle free enjoyable.

These changing trends in the RV market segment are indicative of the growth of the industry. This is indeed good news for both the manufacturers and the customers. The ‘feel’ of home is hardly negated with equipments suited to the travelers need. No wonder then, the RV motorhome is largely responsible for the expansion of tourism industry.