It's been a while since I've started a car thread

Is it worth the $250 or so a week that I don't have to rent a car?

 

What does management think of your situation? Maybe it's time to check the "Getting out of the business" thread if you don't have any savings.

 

No problems yet as best I can tell. I told them up front I have no rental coverage and that I'll get another car as soon as I can.
I hope that's good enough because I have no other options.
It's not good to have bad luck, I guess.

 

Not saying you have to rent a car. Just saying that unless given permission otherwise, you may need to beg, borrow or steal to get around in the time being.

 

Ace makes a good point. In the long run losing your job would prove more costly than
a rental. Sorry that you are in the situation and hope it works out for you. It's sad
that your company would not find a way to help you out as a valued employee. It
really makes you wonder about people.

 

The last two days, I took the the commuter rail to cover games. It was sort of expensive, especially today when I mistakenly gave the conductor the wrong ticket on the way there and only had the ticket he punched on the way back so I had no choice but to suck it up and pay another $8.50.

 

I signed and sent paperwork back to the insurance company, allowing them to pay the bank and take the car. I also faxed stuff to the gap insurance company. They now need a copy of the check the insurance company is sending the bank and the evaluation report.
Do I have to wait until everything is done before I get another car and transfer the registration or could I go ahead and do that?

 

No one is stopping you from buying a car. I'm guessing the problem is how are you going to come up with a down payment. Next time around, see if your current car insurance company offers gap insurance. You don't need the one from the "Buy Here, Pay Here" dealer.

 

I do have gap insurance.

 

I know. Get it through your current insurance company for your next car. You don't need it to buy it through the dealer.

 

I asked my agent why I didn't have rental reimbursement since I never said I didn't want it and don't remember anyone asking if I wanted it. The agent said he assumed I didn't want it.

I don't have much to put down and obviously nothing to trade, but I do need something very soon. It still might turn out better than when I had to roll the balance of the Neon's loan into this last car.

It's funny. I had no problems with the Toyota. I had it for 3 1/2 years. I thought I was going to be able to keep it for a while and get out of this cycle of needing another car every few years. I guess that just wasn't meant to be.

The last time I had a car totaled (about 11 years ago when a pickup truck t-boned my car in a parking lot, caving in the whole passenger side) I was worried about being able to get another car, I didn't have anything saved. My boss suggested I contact our EAP since they do financial counseling. I called. The guy wasn't familiar with the nature of my work and asked if I could use public transportation. He suggested figuring out a way to save. His idea, while very good, would have taken months. I needed a solution within days or at most, weeks. His idea would have required me to find another job.

Sometimes I wonder if that would have been the best thing for me to do. It also revealed a fault of mine. I tend to be a short-term thinker. When I have a problem, all I can think about is that I'm in a jam now and want to get out of it now as painlessly as possible. Maybe that just sets me up for more problems in the long term.

It's a little late in life for me now, but maybe it's time I take a look at getting out and finding something that doesn't require a car, if such a job exists.

 

The gap coverage company still needs the a copy of the check and the evaluation report. On Wednesday, I left a message with the claims adjuster asking for those documents. I never heard back from him. I called today and he was out for the day.
Is this some sort of "Don't call us; we'll call you" kind of thing?
I remember several years ago calling the claims department to see what was going on with my claim after not hearing from them for a while. The person who took my call seemed very annoyed that I called, as if I had violated some sort of unwritten rule of ettiquitte. I'm sure they have these rules for a good reason but I really don't care. Me making sure I'm not on the hook for $1,100 is a tad more important than whatever rules they have.