This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-sit

[notacollision]

I just moved here a few months ago. I bought a hybrid vehicle after moving here. Little did I know that a hybrid would be so weak in the snow.

On Saturday, we had terrible snow. My hybrid couldn't make it over a hill on the street where I live, so I parked on the side of the road, near the top of the hill but not quite over, just about four houses down from where I live. After a few minutes, a guy pulled up in an SUV, and he asked if his family could help. I said sure. Four people got out of the SUV, and got behind my car. While still parked, and while the car hadn't(couldn't) move, the four of them started pushing the car. I immediately heard a crunch and the guy yelled "Well that's not good!"

So I got out of the car, and my bumper cover's right side had come off and cracked. The screw holding the left side on had also come off, so the bumper cover was now sitting on the ground.

I called Progressive, and my claims rep from the next time zone over said that it's covered by comprehensive and that I'd be charged my $100 deductible, and scheduled an appointment at one of the two local Progressive service centers. I spent an hour driving to the service center, and when I got there, the Progressive guy there said he'd also thought it was comprehensive, but that his supervisor had said that it was a collision. So that's two Progressive employees who said comprehensive, one in writing, and one supervisor who said that this would somehow be considered collision. And I wasted my time going over there.

My deductible is $100 for comprehensive and $500 for collision, and this wasn't a collision. The car is otherwise in great condition. Even the bumper itself seems okay. It's just the bumper cover that's a problem(I bought the car used from a dealer about 6 weeks ago). My car wasn't moving and there were no other vehicles involved.

I was wondering what anyone here might recommend. Thanks.

 

[xrac]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

Sounds like comprehensive to me. It would be the same as someone keying the car.

 

[rolox1]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

I agree. Sounds like a comp claim. Collision is when you hit an object/other vehicle OR someone does a "hit and run" to your car OR road damage if you damage your car hitting a pot hole.

 

[djs]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

Actually, it sounds like a warranty issue to me.
What caused the bumper cover to fall off? I can't figure out how someone pushing on it caused it to fall off.... which is why I'm sure the supervisor is thinking something else happened.

Is my mental image off? Pushing on car.... bumper falls off, something isn't right, unless the bumper was caught on an object and they weren't pushing on it. If so, then yes, its collision, but the car had to be moving.

It doesn't add up..... or I'm just not thinking right.

Dan

 

[notacollision]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

There were four people trying to push it over the top of an icy hill, it was about 10 degrees outside, and the car is ~10 years old. This is not a new car, and it's not under warranty.

I don't think there's any way that the bumper could have hit anything, because there wasn't anything around the car, just the hill that I was on and the snow itself, and there's a ditch on both sides of the road, so it's pretty well separated from everything else.

And it's not the bumper itself that came off. The bumper itself seemed to be completely fine, from what I could tell. It's the plastic bumper cover, a plastic piece that's held on mainly by two screws with two washers, that came off.

The guy who first asked if they could help said to not try to put the bumper cover back on the car until it was warmer outside, because it would probably still be brittle because of the cold.

 

[BlockO]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

I think one of two things is going on here:

1. the supervisor assumed/suspected that the car was moving.

2. the supervisor simply doesn't know what they're talking about.

otherwise, I can't think of any reason why this would be a collision claim.

Have you received an estimate yet?

 

[djs]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

Actually, the supervisor is assuming something else happened.

His logic (in my mind) isn't flawed. Bumper covers don't just fall off and even if it did, it is hard to imagine them getting damaged from falling onto an icy/snow covered road from a height of maybe 18 inches.

Now, at the end of the day, it sounds like the OP has both coverages, so the supervisor is making something out of pretty much nothing anyway.

I'm going out on a limb (now that I realize its an older car) and assume the bumper cover was previously replaced from a prior fender bender and replaced poorly. Yeah, I'm still hung up on bumper covers don't normally just fall off. I don't think I've even seen one come loose unless its been taken off and put back on by someone.

Dan

 

[xrac]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

In subfreezing weather with four people pushing on a bumper they broke the bumper cover in the places that it munts to the bumper. They were dummies and pushed too hard at the wrong places. How is this difference than a care getting keyed? It definitely is not collision.

 

[djs]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

See, that's what doesn't make sense to me. Again, he has both coverages, so the supervisor is just nitpicking minor stuff and I'm just caught up in the fact the minutia of the detail doesn't make sense so this is a go nowhere statement.... I recognize that....

Bumpers are designed, even in subfreezing weather, to withstand a bit of 'bumping' and 'pushing'. Top it off with this is a hybrid, so the bumper is probably to low to push on anyway. I just, in my mind, can't figure out what about this incident, by itself, caused the bumper cover to come off. I need pictures Now, I'm not doubting for a minute that this actually happened, as stated, but that would lead me to believe something else happened prior to this incident that was the real culprit, which is what the supervisor is thinking as well, I'm sure.

I'll go back to my statement, knowing its a used car, is the bumper cover had previously been removed and not re-installed correctly. In this case, it would be a comprehensive claim.

Its just rare to see a bumper cover just fall off.

Dan

 

[xrac]

Re: This Wasn't a Collision, Right? Two Progressive Claims Reps Say Comprehensive, but Supervisor On-site Says Collision

Preexisting damage would be suspect.