Diminished value appraisal reports

The market method compares two market values of the same vehicle: what it was worth just before the loss, and what it is worth now, repaired, with the accident on its record. The diminished value is the first figure less the second, and never below zero.

1. Choose the Diminished value purpose. The vehicle is valued as of the date of loss, which is required, and the claim details open.
2. The value before the loss is the case's computed value: the mean of the adjusted prices of the comparables you select, as in any other valuation. Which comparables suit a vehicle with no accident history is your judgment; the app does not filter them for you.
3. The value after repair is entered by you, together with the basis you relied on. The app does not infer it.
4. The repair cost is entered too. It is shown for reference and is not subtracted, because the market method compares values, not costs. A repair at no charge is a valid zero.
5. Both the repair cost and the value after repair are required before the report can be issued, so a reader can always see where each figure came from.

How the valuation is calculated, step by step.

A Diminished value section lists the value before the loss, the value after repair, the repair cost for reference, the diminished value and its share of the vehicle's value, and the basis. The first page shows the before and after values. The section is in all three system templates. An offer recorded in the case is compared with the diminished value, and a diminished value case has no total loss settlement section.

Formula-based methods also exist. They apply set percentages and multipliers to a vehicle's value instead of comparing market values. VINbasis does not calculate them, and this page does not rank one method against another. It describes the method the product supports and what its report shows.

The report presents your evidence and your valuation. It does not decide how a claim is settled, and it is not legal advice.