What does an insurance company do with salvaged gear?

[just_some_dude]

To my understanding they destroy it. Is that true? Or do they resell it?

What would happen if someone was reselling motorcycle gear that was salvaged from an accident after the insurance company paid the person out and said they destroy the gear?

[Gixxus Christ!]

You show receipt and they write a check. I'm riding on some kevlar jeans and a pair of boots that have seen 2 insurance checks. They never asked for them.

[just_some_dude]

Hmmm... The insurance company that wrote me the check for my gear said they had to take the gear and it would have to be destroyed.

[just_some_dude]

The reason I ask is because my gear has popped up online and is being sold.

[DAC]

Insurance policies generally give the insurer the right of salvage. Once they pay you, the gear is theirs. The rep may have been incorrect about the company's practice. Read your policy and contact your company or agent if you think the policy reads otherwise. If you think the rep is selling the gear without the company's knowledge, that would be something else you would want to tell them.

Edited May 22, 2014 by DAC

[just_some_dude]

That is definitely my suspicion. That they are making a few bucks on the side selling gear illegally (possibly?).

And really I don't care, they own it at that point. Can they resell just the gear, like helmets, etc. My problem is when I ask, why are you selling the gear, they don't say, because it was salvaged gear, or, in a wreck, they say, my son sold his motorcycle.

[Gixxus Christ!]

That's shady as fuck. I've dealt with geico and state farm and neither asked for my gear, just wanted to see damage and what I paid for it and cut me a check. I'd be contacting the agency on this dude.

[just_some_dude]

I am going to meet them tomorrow, going to take a video camera and record the whole thing. As far as I can tell from names, this is not the adjuster, I believe someone else is either selling for them or somehow got ahold of the gear.

[turnone]

Maybe the person who collected the gear from you is reselling through a buddy. The company may not care. They may care a lot and want it discarded. Or maybe they don't even want it collected. I guess curious iut is getting the best of you. But you wanting to keep your gear and the money for it isn't right either. For anyone collecting money more than once in the same gear is commiting insurance fraud. Small scale but fraud none the less. I wouldn't recommend admitting to it on public forum.

[Tonik]

Is the gear listed as damaged in the sale?  If so I don't think anything shady is going on here. They sell cars, bikes whatever with a salvaged title. Certainly they would sell damaged goods (listed as damaged) also. It's theirs after they pay you to do with as they wish.

[just_some_dude]

In short, here is what I was able to get...

 

I gave the gear to the Geico claims adjuster at an auto dealership. The claims adjuster stated he gave it to the supervisor (Kim). The person reselling the gear stated that her husband works at the dealership and knows about a large bin of salvaged gear that is to be destroyed. She stated on his behalf that Kim gave (or sold) him the gear. Kim's last day is supposedly today, or something along those lines.

 

I was able to get this information through a police officer who came to the scene to investigate as well. This is the information he shared with me. I have video of everything.

 

I offered the lady $40 for my gear to make sure that nobody else gets hurt by it. She went in and called her husband and said no. I told her that is fine I am going to move forward with investigating this further, she told me to hold on for a second to speak with her husband again, she came out and said no. She didn't seem to care (at least visually).

 

I don't know, I wasn't exactly wanting to do this, but I did have massive curiosity. Also, I'm a little pissed off they are selling gear that was clearly involved in an accident that is said to be destroyed. I reported that the helmet had damage. The air bag jacket can be reused. It actually was in fine shape other than the co2 cartridge and lanyard needing to be replaced. If she would have been honest and said, 'this gear was involved in an accident', I wouldn't have been so out to get them and have this feeling of personal responsibility. I don't know, having a hard time with it.

 

I'll post a video soon when I have time to watch it and edit it, but it is not going to look good on Geico if their reselling damaged gear that is supposed to be destroyed.

 

The jacket and helmet (new) are worth about $1100. They were wanting to sell them both for $150. I said on the phone I'd give her $100. I just didn't want to feed their gain knowing they were lying to me. I did want them to feel like crap. Maybe didn't work, but they might not be happy when their faces pop up on YouTube telling lies to potential riders (who could be injured) for their own profit.

[madcat6183]

Wow that is shady as F.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Again, shady as fuck and hand caught in cookie jar. Hope there are real consequences.

[Steve Butters]

this seems like so much effort...i mean i get it, youre saving the day for poor motorcyclists who don't know better....but come on dude....your gear was damaged, you got paid for it, move on....why go through all of this hassle? its not your duty to save stupid people from buying a damaged helmet. i would never buy a helmet used, let alone from a stranger who i cant trust to tell me its history, and ESPECIALLY if its damaged.....that is just common sense. anyone dumb enough to buy it, deserves it. shit, this lady probably hands out darwin award coupons with every purchase. i get where youre coming from, but i think its very odd to make such a big deal over this.....you werent wronged in any way. your stuff got damaged - you got compensated.

[turnone]

I'm with butters here. Sounds like you just wanted your stuff back super cheap and wouldn't have pushed if you could buy back at the price you wanted.

I have SF and they don't pay for anything other than helmets. At least not on my policy.

No one should ever buy a used helmet from a stranger.

[just_some_dude]

Of course there is personal gain here, but I specifically knew what was wrong with the gear. I knew that it was involved in an accident, I knew what could be fixed and what could not/should not. She wanted to lie about it. I just wanted her to feel like a low life for trying to screw people over. That is why I offered her $40. Kind of like a 'Hey, FU'. She may not care, but I feel a little better about it. She knew what she was doing. She can't play stupid.

 

She took down the ads, I am going to post the video of her online. Good enough for me. If I got the gear, good, if not, oh well. I ultimately got what I wanted.

[Ziggy]

When I had my wreck a couple of months ago, I was compensated for my helmet, gloves, and jacket under my policy.  You need to read your policy though, and don't take the word of the adjustor.  Adjustors are human, and insurance policies are often subject to interpretation.  The insurance company has no right to your property unless specifically noted in your policy that payment for those items is contingent upon surrender of the items.  Obviously, in the case of a total loss vehicle (car/truck/motorcycle) your compensation for the vehicle is typically the value of said vehicle less the salvage value if you decide to retain the vehicle.  When it comes to your gear, that gear is yours.  Your damaged motorcycle gear carries no salvage value, despite how much you paid, and how much you could sell it for.  You should be able to retain it.  It really is no different from taking an insurance check for damaged parts on your car that you decide not to repair. 

[madcat6183]

FWIW, I wasn't under the impression you actually wanted your stuff back cheap, just that you didn't want someone else to have it knowing it had been wrecked and may not be 100% safe. 

Edited May 22, 2014 by madcat6183

[Steve Butters]

Not unheard of for insurance companies to write that stipulation into the policy

[just_some_dude]

Yeah, it was the other person's insurance company. Accident wasn't my fault. I don't know their policy, but if I have the documentation of what I signed I'll read it over again. They were pretty clear when the told me on the phone multiple times that if I wanted money for the gear it had to be surrendered to be destroyed. I called the adjuster again today about it to ask him why my destroyed gear was being resold. He kind of jumped all over that (or at least acted that way).

 

What I planned on doing after I received the gear was call the insurance company (claims adjuster) and call him out on it. I was hoping that I'd have better proof than just the video. I have seen some of the video, but have not listened to the audio yet. I'll know more later.

[just_some_dude]

Haven't posted this publicaly, still private, but what do you think?

[Al Z. Heimer]

Ditch the vid.

[just_some_dude]

Ditch the vid.

... go on... ...

 

Why?

[JackFlash]

The Ohio Department of Insurance would maybe

like to hear about this.  They license the agents.

 

Consumer Hotline:     1-800-686-1526

Fraud Hotline:           1-800-686-1527

 

If they say they want to destroy the gear, do it

for them before you turn it over.

 

.

Edited June 2, 2014 by JackFlash

[just_some_dude]

Yeah, unfortunately I was never able to recover the gear. That is a good point to destroy the gear when they take it to make sure this can't happen again.

I wasn't going to pay the lady what she wanted, I offered her $40.