The Estimate That Wasn’t Real

When Marcus Taylor got sideswiped on the freeway, he was relieved the other driver admitted fault. His car—a 2020 Mazda CX-5—had a bashed-in rear door and deep scrapes along the quarter panel. It looked bad, but he figured the insurance company would take care of it.

Within hours of filing the claim, Marcus got a text from the insurer:

“Please upload photos of the damage for a virtual estimate.”

He followed the instructions, snapped a few angles with his phone, and hit send. Two days later, he received a “final” settlement offer: $1,450.

That felt low.

“I don’t think that’s going to cover real repairs,” Marcus told the claims rep.

“This estimate is based on industry-standard AI photo analysis,” the rep replied. “If the shop finds more damage, we can re-evaluate.”

But Marcus had read a few things online and decided not to gamble. He took his car to a trusted local shop for an in-person inspection. Their estimate? Over $3,800—including structural work the AI couldn’t possibly see from photos.

When Marcus sent the real estimate back, the insurer pushed back. “That’s unusually high. We’d like a second virtual review,” they said.

Weeks passed in back-and-forth emails. Eventually, Marcus had to invoke the Appraisal Clause in his policy to get an independent appraiser involved. The final settlement came to $3,600—nearly two and a half times the original virtual estimate.

He shook his head at the final outcome.

“Guess their camera didn’t catch everything.”

Moral of the story:

Virtual estimates save insurance companies money—not necessarily you. They can miss hidden damage, minimize payouts, and pressure you to settle fast. Always get a qualified in-person inspection and know your right to dispute unfair estimates.