From a lowball offer to a fair check.
Two to four weeks, start to finish. Here's exactly what happens on each day — and which steps are yours, which are ours.
DAY 0 · YOU · 5 MINUTES
Send us what your insurer sent you.
Upload your insurer's Market Valuation Report and a few phone photos of the car. No card, no commitment. An appraiser starts on your case within hours.
WITHIN 24 HOURS · YOU · 10 MINUTES
Your full appraisal, in your inbox.
A licensed appraiser delivers the full report — every comp, every condition adjustment, our final fair-market number — within 24 hours of you sending us the documents. You see the gap before anything is submitted anywhere. If you stop here, the report is yours.
We know exactly how brutal it feels to wait on a totaled-car claim. That's why we don't make you wait on us. Email, chat, anything — we reply in hours, not days.
BEHIND THE SCENES · YOU'RE DONE WORKING
We work the appraisal clause.
Under your policy, each side appoints an appraiser. We file the invocation, exchange comp data with the insurer's appraiser, and resolve the dispute — or, if needed, escalate to a neutral umpire whose decision is binding. Most of the calendar here is the insurer's side moving at their pace — assigning their appraiser typically takes them 3–7 business days. We move within hours.
SETTLEMENT DAY · YOU · CASH IT
A new check from your insurer.
Once both appraisers (or the umpire) lock in a number, your insurer issues a revised check. Most cases close two to four weeks after you send us your documents.
The math, plainly:
Three weeks of paperwork you don't read. Average extra recovered: $0.
That's roughly $155 a day for waiting — while you do literally nothing.
Questions we get a lot.
What's a Market Valuation Report — and is it the same as the offer letter I got?
No. The offer letter is the one-page email or PDF that tells you the number. The Market Valuation Report is the 10-to-20-page document behind that number — full of comp listings, condition ratings, and adjustments. It's titled "CCC", "Mitchell", or "Audatex" depending on the vendor. If you only got the letter, just email your adjuster: "Please send me the full market valuation report." They have to provide it.
What is the appraisal clause, exactly?
It's a paragraph buried in almost every U.S. auto policy that says: if you and the insurer disagree on what your totaled car is worth, either side can demand an independent appraisal. Each side picks an appraiser. The two appraisers try to agree. If they can't, an umpire decides — and that decision is binding. It's not a lawsuit. It's not a complaint. It's a built-in dispute mechanism the insurance company itself wrote into your contract.
Can I do this myself without you?
Technically yes — and we'll respect you for trying. But the process has a learning curve: you need to write the invocation letter correctly, find a licensed appraiser who'll work for a single driver (most won't), build a defensible comp set, navigate the umpire selection, and not get worn down. That's why we exist. If you want to try solo first, our Guides section has every template and walkthrough you'll need.
Which states do you serve?
Licensed appraisers across the U.S., handled through our team or partnered local appraisers depending on your state's requirements. If your state has specific licensing rules (Florida, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts), we route your case to a locally-licensed appraiser. The process and pricing are the same everywhere.
How fast can I get started?
Now. Send us your documents and you'll hear back within 24 hours, usually within hours. If your insurer is pressuring you with a deadline, mention it — we'll prioritize.
What does it cost — in plain English?
Free case review. If we both decide to move forward, $199 to start the formal appraisal. If we don't beat your insurer's offer by at least $1,000, you get that $199 back. If we do beat it, we charge 15% on whatever we recover beyond your original offer — never on the original offer itself. Nothing is hidden, nothing is owed before you sign.