Other driver's insurance lowballed my total loss — wrong trim listed. How long does a fix take?

This happened to me almost exactly. They had my trim wrong AND had the mileage listed higher than it actually was. I had to call every three or four days just to keep it moving. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease here — they're juggling hundreds of files and yours will sit if you don't nudge it. Don't feel bad about following up constantly.

I used to work on the claims side, so let me give you a little peek behind the curtain. When a correction gets flagged, it usually has to go back through a valuation vendor — the insurance company often outsources those reports to a third party. The adjuster submits a dispute, the vendor reviews it, and then it cycles back. That handoff alone can eat a week or more even when everyone's being cooperative. The silence isn't necessarily bad faith, it might just be a slow internal queue. That said, two weeks with zero update is too long. Call and ask for a specific date when they expect the revised report. Get them to commit to something.

I'd be really careful assuming this is just bureaucratic slowness. Lowballing on trim level is one of the oldest tricks in the book — and "we'll look into it" can sometimes be a soft stall to see if you'll just accept the original number and go away. Document every single call: date, time, who you spoke to, what they said. If this drags another two weeks, you may want to file a complaint with your state's department of insurance. That tends to light a fire under them fast.

A couple of practical things worth knowing: First, most states have regulations requiring insurers to acknowledge and act on claims within specific timeframes — look up your state's "unfair claims settlement practices" rules, because prolonged silence after a documented correction request can actually be a violation. Second, your own insurance company (even though you're going through the at-fault driver's carrier) can sometimes step in and subrogate if things get really sticky. You might loop them in just so they're aware of the situation.

Call them tomorrow morning. Don't email — call. Be polite but direct: "I submitted documentation correcting the trim level on [date]. I need to know where the revised valuation stands and when I can expect a new offer." Write down whatever they say. If you get brushed off again, ask to speak to a supervisor. Two weeks of silence after you handed them proof isn't okay.

How are you pricing out what your car should be worth? Just curious — sometimes people use private-party sale listings which tend to run higher than what insurance uses as a benchmark. Not saying your claim is wrong (especially if the trim is literally documented incorrectly), just want to make sure your expectations are calibrated to what they'll actually reference. Did you pull dealer retail comps or auction data?

Not legal advice, but — the rental car point you raised is actually pretty astute. Some policies and state laws cap how long they'll pay for a rental after a total loss settlement is offered, not after it's accepted. So it's possible they've already started that clock internally. Worth asking them directly where you stand on rental coverage so you're not caught off guard with an unexpected bill. If the valuation dispute keeps stalling, a PI attorney who handles property damage can sometimes apply pressure quickly — many will do a short consult for free.