Restitution Payment on Totaled Car

My Beetle was totaled in September 2016. Prior to this I had submitted a buyback claim through the website. I received a buyback offer letter in late December 2016. I have had to submit a new paper claim for just the restitution payment. VW indicated that the claims website could not be used to change my claim to just the restitution payment. i am no longer in possession of the car. I have tried multiple time to have my account reset to change my claim with no luck. I have also contacted one of the law firms for their help.

VW indicated that there is less than 100 people in this condition and are trying to determine how to handle these claims.

My question is that has anyone been successful in changing a BB claim to just the restitution claim when you no longer own the car?

I am actually in the same situation as you. I totaled my Car in November (and sold to insurance co, rollover, not drivable) after submitting all the docs. Received formal offer early December for buyback. Called to change it, was told to submit paper packet, did that early December. Called now several times in January and have been told it is "escalated to the department handling this situation and i should hear from them shortly".

I continue to chat and call to get this same response. Well actually the responses are usually just a bit different from agent to agent but overall the same.

Please keep me posted if you make any progress and i'll do the same.

-Justin

I'm also in the same situation. I totaled my car in October (and sold to insurance; not drivable), but prior to sending the docs. Called to change it, was told to submit the paper packet, did that early December by certified mail. It was received 12/22. When I try to call in to get a status, they keep pulling up my information from the online claim. They can't even confirmed they received my package. I can't get anywhere either. Definitely frustrating.

Please keep me posted, as well, if you make any progress and i'll do the same.

Additional information for my original question.

12/17/16 - VW received my paper claim for restitution. USPS tracking information.
12/29/16: Received email from TDI Outbound Contact indicating that I had two different claims for the same VIN. They indicated that I had to call the claim line and tell them which claim they should process.
12/30/17: Contacted claims line and told them to process the paper claim for restitution.
1/12/17: Contacted claim line on my status. They indicated my claim was still for a buyback. They said they would escalate (LOL) my claim change.
1/22/17: Contacted[FONT=&quot] Finkelstein Thompson LLP to see if they could determine my status

Still do know today what my claim status is. I will update when my claim is changed.[/FONT]

Got an email from the law firm last night. VW acknowledge that they have my paper submittal and will be sending me the offer letter next week for the restitution payment. Looks like you may have to contact a lawyer to get movement on your submittal.

I will provide an update when I get the new offer letter.

Paper Claim?

Same situation here. Where did you get the paper claim from? This is the first I have heard of that option. I got my final buyback notice a month ago, but I totaled my car in November.

The paper claim form is available from the VW settlement web site, vwcourtsettlement.com.

My copy of the paper long form came from the law firm that is helping me. This can be downloaded from the claims website. It is 24 pages long. There is only three pages that you have to fill out but you have to send all 24 pages back. You will need to include your drivers license and registration again. Also you letter showing your car was totaled and in my case the transfer title to the insurance company. The long form has a list of documents that you have to include.

I am wondering if I will have to go to the dealership or will they just mail a check after I notarize the required forms. Supposed to get the new offer next week.

All great info. Thanks. I know its on the site, but I can't seem to find the VW attorney contact info (email)

The email is info@vwclasscounsel.com. There are phone numbers out there as well, but I don't have them handy.

Thanks for the info. I contacted one of the law firms and they emailed me back within one day with the paper claim and instructions. I sent it out today over fax. Any insight on how long it takes them to process a paper claim and submit an offer for a totaled vehicle?

Has anyone had success?

So I faxed my paper claim in yesterday which will supersede my buyback claim from November 2016 because my car was totaled in late November 2016 after I hit a black bear at 55 MPH. After many calls over the past two months, the operators say they will add me to a mailing list which will have information on what VW will do with totaled cars once they determine this process. Each time, I say that I should already be on this list from previous calls, but I am told there are no notes in the system under my claim number that state I have been added to a mailing list. Has anyone had success in getting paid for the eligible owner restitution payment for their totaled vehicle through the VW claims process? Or is everyone being told the same thing, i.e. you are on a mailing list and must wait for VW to figure this thing out. If anyone has had success, what was the wait time from when you submitted the paper claim? There probably are not many people in this situation, so I feel like I am being blown off throughout this whole process. It took 2 1/2 months to get my buy back approval, which of course is no longer an option.

I would try contacting class counsel instead of the people at the call center...
info@vwclasscounsel.com

Good luck.

-T.

Hello, has anyone got any response if you happen to have an accident in the July to September 2016 period and are trying to get restitution? Would the paper form you are mentioning work? The law firm for the settlement said there were a lot of people that fell into this window. Thanks.

I talked to a supervisor in the Escalation Dept yesterday. It appears that my restitution settlement letter was to be generated around 1/24/17 but the process was never completed. The supervisor indicated my new claim had been accepted. She did no know why the letter was never generated. She hopes I will get a new offer letter within a week.

A supervisor on the claim line indicated that payouts for just a restitution payment for a totaled car had not started. The Escalation supervisor stated that that was not a true statement.

I still don't know if I will be required to go to the dealership to get the check.

JulieK said:

Hello, has anyone got any response if you happen to have an accident in the July to September 2016 period and are trying to get restitution?

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If you had an accident during that period that totaled your car, so the insurance paid you and took the car, you aren't part of this settlement. The paper claim form won't do anything for you in that case. I imagine there's a separate class action brewing for those folks, but you simply aren't part of the current 2-liter class action settlement.

If your car was totaled on or after Sept. 16, 2016 your are eligible for the restitution payment if your car was transferred to the insurance company. My car was totaled on Sept. 20, 2016 and transferred to the insurance company December 2016.

You will need to include in your long form submission a copy of the transfer title to the insurance company. The long form has a list of documents that have to be included with your submission. More documents have to be sent than was required for the buyback.

I will update when I get my new offer letter.

Here is the latest update.

I was told by a Escalation Supervisor on 2/13/17 that my claim showed that a new offer letter had been sent to me on 1/24/17 for just a restitution payment for a totaled car. The only problem was that the letter was never generated and sent. The supervisor indicated she would escalate the issue and get the letter generated.

On 2/20 I had still not gotten a new offer letter. Called the Escalation Dept again and was told that my new claim had never been assigned to the correct group even though I should have received a new offer letter in January. She said that she had notified the correct group to finish processing my claim. She said this could take from a couple of days to a month.

She indicated that I was one of the first to submit a new claim using the long form and my claim had been lost in the process of figuring out how to settle these new claims.

In my opinion I am getting the royal run around.

I still stuck in the same process. I keep getting the run around. Haven't even spoken to a Escalation Supervisor yet, just the customer service reps who keep repeating the same useless info. Is there a direct number to the escalation Supervisor or do you need to escalate through the customer reps?

Just contacted VW counsel by phone an left a message. I sent an email to them and they haven't really been helpful yet.

Just received an updated offer letter through UPS including a prepaid return envelop. They want the original letter sent back. Guess they don't want it to get lost. The restitution is the same exact amount that was in the original buyback offer. They want to know if I want to do EFT or a paper check. Does not appear that I will have to go to the dealership to get the money.

Any recommendations which will the fastest most secure way if VW does not make anymore mistakes?

Fastest? Probably a toss up. Most secure? EFT. Likelihood of mistake? Probably about equal, but most likely will be without a hitch. Congrats, this is first I've heard of this process.

I have been trying for months to resolve this. My car was totaled in October and I have been given the run around for months. This thread is helpful so time to get the attorneys involved.

Sent my notarized revised off letter to VW on 3/27. UPS tracking shows it was delivered on 3/29. Yesterday the Escalation Supervisor indicated that receipt of the letter was not noted in my claim. She said they were backed up in processing claims and I should check back with them in a week.

The only way I got my claim processes was through the lawyers. Be persistent in calling the lawyer at least once each week to keep them engaged. It took over two months of constant calls to finally get my revised offer letter.

Thanks for the info, Bruce. I talked with a lawyer yesterday and he was able to get in touch with VW and confirm that they received my total loss paperwork. He stated that VW will send me a revised offer letter but he could not give a time frame (guessed it would be possible for them to send it out in 3-4 business days). I will call him next Monday if I don't hear anything and keep going. I wish I had the email address for the lawyers before - It is a godsend.

Bruce Land said:

Sent my notarized revised off letter to VW on 3/27. UPS tracking shows it was delivered on 3/29. Yesterday the Escalation Supervisor indicated that receipt of the letter was not noted in my claim. She said they were backed up in processing claims and I should check back with them in a week.

The only way I got my claim processes was through the lawyers. Be persistent in calling the lawyer at least once each week to keep them engaged. It took over two months of constant calls to finally get my revised offer letter.

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Found out from the claim line that I will be getting my check within 14 days.

All,

I agree with Bruce Land in that it took getting the class action attorneys involved before I saw movement on my case for totaled vehicle restitution which was submitted in December. I received a request for documents in Mid-February which I promptly sent in and received no word despite weekly calls to the Claim Line. I emailed the class action attorneys the end of March and received a prompt response that they would escalate. A few days later I received the green check marks that my documents were OK and then today I received my revised offer letter for the restitution portion only like Bruce Land via UPS. I will get that notarized and sent back (they provided a prepaid UPS envelope and label) this week and post back when I receive payment just like Bruce Land for another data point. I am going to elect to do EFT, It sounds like Bruce Land did Check option so will be good to hear both sides.

Long story short, get the class action attorneys involved. I think it's the only reason mine finally moved after months.

Good luck everyone.

-Justin

Awesome!

Mine now shows the documents in the portal waiting for approval. Will see how long it takes for them to get me a revised offer letter.

patter98 said:

All,

I agree with Bruce Land in that it took getting the class action attorneys involved before I saw movement on my case for totaled vehicle restitution which was submitted in December. I received a request for documents in Mid-February which I promptly sent in and received no word despite weekly calls to the Claim Line. I emailed the class action attorneys the end of March and received a prompt response that they would escalate. A few days later I received the green check marks that my documents were OK and then today I received my revised offer letter for the restitution portion only like Bruce Land via UPS. I will get that notarized and sent back (they provided a prepaid UPS envelope and label) this week and post back when I receive payment just like Bruce Land for another data point. I am going to elect to do EFT, It sounds like Bruce Land did Check option so will be good to hear both sides.

Long story short, get the class action attorneys involved. I think it's the only reason mine finally moved after months.

Good luck everyone.

-Justin

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Update from me today. UPS says there is something in the mail 2 day shipping coming to me from VW so hopefully it is the new offer letter.

For those of you waiting for you paperwork to be process you are in for a long wait especially if you want a check. It has been 3 weeks since I was told that my offer letter was accepted and told it would take 14 days to get a check. I found out today that my claim has fallen between the cracks a second time and my claim would need to be escalated to get my check printed and sent to me. The escalation supervisor stated that I would have to wait another 14 days before I should call back to find out the status of the escalation.

She stated that my check would be sent via UPS and I or my wife would have to sign for the check. She stated that no email would be sent to me to let me know the check would be in transit. I guess after 14 days I will have to call every day to find out if I have a tracking number.

I will be contacting the CAS lawyer that I have dealt with in the past to try to help on my claim.

Looks like VW is still stalling when it come to settling restitution claims.

Hmm.. good to know. I elected EFT and I can see that my UPS signed package was received by VW so I guess I will call up for a status.

Bruce Land said:

For those of you waiting for you paperwork to be process you are in for a long wait especially if you want a check. It has been 3 weeks since I was told that my offer letter was accepted and told it would take 14 days to get a check. I found out today that my claim has fallen between the cracks a second time and my claim would need to be escalated to get my check printed and sent to me. The escalation supervisor stated that I would have to wait another 14 days before I should call back to find out the status of the escalation.

She stated that my check would be sent via UPS and I or my wife would have to sign for the check. She stated that no email would be sent to me to let me know the check would be in transit. I guess after 14 days I will have to call every day to find out if I have a tracking number.

I will be contacting the CAS lawyer that I have dealt with in the past to try to help on my claim.

Looks like VW is still stalling when it come to settling restitution claims.

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