[genghisfawn]

Last week I arranged for my car to be towed for its planned assessment with Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) on Thursday afternoon, then for it to be towed for a very carefully negotiated appointment at an auto body shop for further inspection. I asked for this as the assessment centre doesn't have hoists and they are unable to thoroughly inspect the vehicle. Remember this bit - totally important. This had been done with precision, as it's how I like it, and I expected to be hearing from the auto body shop by Friday morning.

I was not speaking to my claims adjuster, who was out of the office, but someone else in her group. I was advised to get a rental vehicle when I (gently) bellowed about how I needed transportation and that the cost would be completely covered by SGI. I did this, relieved that it would not be a cost I would incur.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon, where I'm making calls starting back with the body shop (who never received it), to the towing company (who was responsible for the transport all ways) and the insurance company, who performed the assessment and had the car in their possession. As it turns out, SGI skipped the crucial bit where I had instructed all three parties as to what would be happening after the assessment - the towing to the auto body shop. Instead, they performed a write-off and towed my vehicle and my possessions therein (along with a $1200 set of winter tires, ai yi yi,) to the salvage yard.

So my car and several personal possessions went from being in a secured lot to the government boneyard despite my careful planning. Bunch of Bolsheviks.

My claims adjustor finally called this morning and I explained to her, firmly and without rancor, that I had constructed the events in such a way that this would not happen. I was informed that because it had happened in such a way, I was now responsible for:

- The cost of my rental vehicle
- The towing to the auto body shop
and
- The mechanical and physical inspection of my vehicle
- Any cost of repair over and above the payout from SGI minus salvage fee of $1,200

I was also advised that if I wanted my tires removed (I do, trust me, I do, winter tires are worth their weight in gold and they are a year and a half old,) I would be required to provide other tires for the vehicle along with the vehicle's original rims and caps. What the heck does it matter to them, if they're just going to turn it into a piece of processed car cheese?

So, by my calculation, even if I returned the rental today, the approximately $6,000 payout from SGI would dwindle to approximately $5,500, and if I wanted to carry out independently the towing and inspections which I had been previously advised would cost me nada, that payout would then dwindle to about $4,000 with which to purchase a new vehicle should the auto body shop deem it unworthy of repair.

This is all not to mention that they performed the assessment and write-off without inspecting the worthiness of the vehicle's frame, which, really, was all I cared about seeing that I had arranged for the auto body shop to perform further.

It's my opinion that the person handling my claim while my adjustor was away had advised me wrongly and that my car was taken to salvage to avoid SGI paying for the steps I had put in place. This now is costing me my vehicle and a chunk of the savings I had put into it, all because some little buttwipe decided to speed through a yellow light on a busy intersection in wet snow while I was lawfully slowing.

I don't normally get angry, but today I am a steaming vat of rage.