Steve P is extremely knowledgeable. He was able to advise me that my car had severe frame damage and he explained it very clearly to me as to what constituted the frame damage in my case. He answered all the emails and the numerous phone calls and text messages. His report was extremely thorough and he also calculated the loss of use. I was able to use this report and was able to settle both diminished value as well as loss of use for my car from Geico. I did have a lawyer to negotiate the values, but Steve's report was gold. The price of the report was very easily worth it. read more

Auto Mediator delivered beyond expectations. My GMC Yukon had a prior accident, and I was told I'd never recover the full diminished value. Their report was incredibly detailed, backed by solid evidence, and gave me the leverage I needed. The insurance company ended up paying the full amount of the report. Highly recommend if you want real results. read more

I had an excellent experience working with Steve Proto at Auto Mediator. After a luxury vehicle valued over $110,000 was declared a total loss, the insurance company significantly undervalued it using CCC comparables that failed to account for the MANUFAKTUR paint and custom interior. Steve thoroughly analyzed the build, properly documented the factory specifications, and successfully negotiated with the opposing appraiser to increase the valuation by over $13,000. Without his involvement, the vehicle would have been underwater with the finance company. If you are dealing with a high-end or exotic total loss dispute, Steve is absolutely the person you want on your side. read more

Steve with Auto Mediator was great to work with! Steve always got back to me right away! I had a brand new Hyundai Palisades Calligraphy with less than 1,000 miles on it when a valet parker backed into a telephone pole. The damage was about 20,000 and Steve was able to get me the DV amount of $10,000. read more

Auto Mediator - Appraisal Services Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Steve is totally awesome. Very knowledgeable, patient, willing to help throughout the often LENGTHY process of getting diminished value paid out. Trust him, and stick to the process, and keep asking your adjustor to pay the diminished value claim. read more

Steve helps me all the way with prompt response. Finally we got deminished value from geico

In todays world of insurance doing all they can not to pay claims, your service was very much appreciated. After my car was hit I had approached their insurance company about the diminished value of my car and was basically told that once fixed, my car was not diminished in value. I could barely get a response from them and it was obvious I was going to get stone-walled. That's when I decided to look up experts in the field and found you... I am certain that I would not have gotten anywhere near the amount they awarded me without your help and your detailed report. Thank you for your help Steve. it really went a long way. read more

Steve was incredible. I had purchased a new car in June 24, which was victim to a total loss due to a reckless driver less than one month later. The insurance company was valuing my 1-month-old car compared to 2-year-old vehicles, and would not budge on the price. Within a matter of days, Steve brought them up on the price by 13k! I could not be happier with the service. Thank you! read more

I didn't know there's such thing as diminished value in your car when you get an accident I chose Auto Mediator because they are real auto appraisers and have 10 specific certifications in DV, I even called the IAAA to verify. I knew that if I needed to go to court their reports are "court ready." The others were not. My accident was of a personal nature and I had to be very careful how I navigated around the "at fault" party. The guys at Auto Mediator really cared about my individual situation and its specific nature making sure not to rock the boat with the driver . I really appreciated their support in my claim. read more

I hired Steve to do a diminished value appraisal of our car. He was very knowledgeable on the subject and answered all of my questions. Needless to say, the insurance company came in with their own report that was significantly less than Steve's report. Steve advised me to get an attorney or go to small claims court to "at least get something" and fight the insurance company myself. I now see reviews on here where Steve dealt directly with the insurance companies for other clients and recently found other companies who do what Steve does that WILL deal with the insurance company on their clients' behalf as part of their fee. Steve did NOT do that for me, but rather pushed me to do it on my own or hire a lawyer, which is what I ultimately did. Sadly, Steve charged me a lot of money and did not provide the same service that he provided others. He did say he will be an expert witness if I file a lawsuit for a fee, but never offered to talk directly to the insurance company, ever. This is important to know before deciding to hire Steve/Auto Mediator, as I would have had a different outcome financially if he did and definitely would not have had to pay a lawyer and lost that portion of the DV payment I ultimately received from the insurance company. read more

Steve is an amazing expert. We retained him for a Diminished value and loss of use claim. Prior to his retention, the insurance company was offering a very low loss of use amount, something around 10k. After retaining him and going through the litigation process, we were able to settle the case for over 6 figures for diminished value and loss of use. Steve was helpful, responsive and incredibly knowledgeable! read more

Steve is the consummate professional. He spent time with me on the phone carefully listening to my story and provided advice and feedback on the diminished value process before i even decided to become a client. I trust him and for this reason i am deciding to go with auto mediator. Hes superb. read more

I recently had the pleasure of working with Steve at Auto Mediator for a diminished value claim on my new Lexus. I must say their service was outstanding. Steve is incredibly knowledgeable and professional. He took the time to understand my needs and provided expert guidance. The offer from the insurance company for my diminished value claim was $3,500. With the Auto Mediator's 51 page highly detailed report using straightforward methodology that can be substantiated, explained, and backed up by facts and data, no formulas, was enough to recover $9,200 for my diminished value claim. I am extremely satisfied with the outcome and will definitely be recommending Auto Mediator to friends and family. Thanks again Steve for all your help. Dave B. California read more

Steve at Auto Mediator is not only professional and extremely knowledgable, but he just fights for what is right. I unfortunately got my Jeep Wrangler 392 that I cherished stolen out of my house. I had done many OEM Upgrades and other beautiful things to this vehicle and Steve was able to fight on my behalf and reflect the true replacement cost of my vehicle with an added $18,000 to the original settlement offer by the Insurance. Not only, does he make it all worth while financially, but so much more with the stress he takes away and allows me to perform at my job and continue with my life! read more

Amazing service here by Kevin. In April 2019, someone had crashed into my car (2020 Subaru, recently purchased, only 5 months old at the time), safely tucked away in my apartment complex parking lot. I used auto mediator to calculate the diminished value of my car due to this accident. I was able to sue the person who hit my car (uninsured) for a total diminished value of $9700 provided by Auto Mediator in a comprehensive 74 page report. They also provided me with an example of a letter of intent to sue and a list of attorneys / lawyers who were able to assist me with my small claims lawsuit. The judge ruled that the value of the lawsuit was "inflated" and lowered it from $9700 to $7000, but I did expect the lawsuit to be lowered in court. I am extremely glad I went with auto mediator. Kevin was extremely helpful and happy to help at all steps of my case. I am happy that he did not stop as soon as the report was completed but continued to follow through with me throughout the whole process. I cannot imagine getting any better service than the one provided here! P.S.: If you are in California, you are legally allowed to pursue your diminished value in court for up to 2 years after the accident. Per CACI 3909J - Damage to Personal Property & CACI 3909M - Loss of Use of Personal Property, you are entitled to the value lost due to the diminished value and loss of use of your vehicle. read more

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Look no further for help with your total loss! Just started getting the ball rolling with Kevin and he was a gentleman from start to finish. Spent an amazing amount of time and gracefully made sure I understood what was going on with my total loss. read more

Just want to say a huge thank you to Kevin for his appraisal services! My boyfriend found Kevin after we experienced a car accident and I was having issues with getting a proper settlement value from my insurance company. Kevin made sure to take care of me and walk me through every step of the process, was very thorough, and we appreciate his professionalism and was extremely satisfied with the settlement amount we ended up receiving. I highly recommend Auto Mediator and thank you again Kevin for the outcome and fighting for a fair settlement value for us! read more

We were very pleased with the help we received from Steve Proto from Auto Mediator and the diminished value settlement we received from the insurance company, and heartily recommend Auto Mediator's services. Our Tesla was not even three months old when it was rear-ended on the freeway. The damage was over $18,000.  Repairs were well done (Brooks Motor Cars in Oakland) and fully paid by our insurance company. But then we were left with a months-old Tesla that had on its record a major accident. My insurance would not help with the loss of value, I had to pursue compensation from the at-fault driver's insurance company. We talked to two companies and chose The Auto Mediator to document our diminished value. Steve wrote up a very thorough report, estimating our DV at over $11,000, and provided a template for writing the insurance company. The insurance company dragged their feet (big surprise), the process took 7 months, but we knew it would not be quick and did not stress about it. Through back and forth letters and emails, the insurance company made two low offers ($2k, $7k), then we made a counteroffer ($9k) that they accepted. Though he was careful to point out he was not an attorney and was not offering legal advice, Steve provided guidance throughout and was key to our getting the settlement. Well worth the cost. read more

Being in the security field I was very skeptical paying for such a service. Once I saw the professionalism, technical experience and precise tools and acumen that Auto Mediator had I engaged in their services. My Lamborghini suffered an accident with only 6400 miles on it! I was very happy when after submitting Auto Mediator's Diminished Value report the other side immediately acknowledged his expertise and his brand. I was able to recover the fair amount $70,000+. Thanks Auto Mediator, you are the Gold Standard. read more

Auto Mediator - Appraisal Services Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I was really hesitant to pay for an appraisal to get diminished value payment for my car. But the at-fault-driver's insurance company didn't want to give me anything for diminished value without some sort of estimate. So I read the reviews here on Yelp and went to Steve. It was not cheap, much more than I had expected, but the initial consultation was free and the ballpark estimate he gave me was thousands of dollars more than what I was expecting the damage to my car to be worth. In all, it took about 4 months from first inspection to getting a check from the insurance company to cover my diminished value. but I'm very happy with the final result. Steve was reachable throughout the entire process, and when the insurance company hired their own appraiser to lowball me, Steve spoke with them directly and they reached a very good compromise. I hope I never need Steve's services again. But if I do need an auto appraiser in the future, he will be my first call. read more

One of the best decisions I did was to contact Steve at The Auto Mediator. Even my attorney was surprised with the detail provided in his report and the backup documentation regarding why there was a loss of value and use claim here. Their initial offer after my car was repaired (nice repair but still - car now had a damage claim on its history) was $0 from their insurance for this loss of value/loss of use claim. They first tried to say they do not acknowledge this type of claim! Which does not invalidate it or make it go away. So, once they knew I was serious, they offered $3000 to my reported $12,500 loss via The Auto Mediator report. Do not settle! After dragging this out with me, I filed a letter of intent to sue for the $12,500. Only at that time did they get serious - as I was over $10,000 small claims court was out, so I retained my attorney to do this for me. After the deposition, they flat out asked how far I was going to take this - and my reply was all the way into court! The insurance company tried to explain I would have to pay for my attorney and the court costs. I replied I was fine with that, as that would cost me roughly $5000 - according to the estimate from my attorney. That did it - settled for the $7500 I would have walked away with if we went to court. They knew the deal, but tried to avoid any payout. The Auto Mediator is well worth his fee - detailed, methodical and a well written report, by a qualified expert witness in this field, with the education and expertise to win in court. Or to avoid court, as they knew this report would cost them. read more

I am so glad I found Auto Mediator! There are definitely some less expensive companies out there to do diminished value assessments, but I chose this company because of their online ratings, background and qualifications. It took about 11 months from accident to resolution and there was a lot of push back from the at-fault party's insurance company. I had to file a small claims court case, but in the end, I was awarded the full amount of my claim plus my costs. The insurance company tried to paint all companies that perform Diminished Value Assessments as inferior and flawed companies just trying to make money off of accident victims. However, I pointed out to the Judge that I specifically hired Steve because of his extensive experience and qualifications. In the judgement letter, the Judge specifically mentioned Steve Proto's report and said that she found it persuasive when considering my case. Steve was great to work with as well. It was odd at first dealing with email and the website as the primary point of contact, but Steve turned out to be very responsive and he was not hesitant to reach out quickly by phone when it was appropriate. He even returned my call mid-evacuation from a wildfire! He also took the time to fully explain any questions I had. My car is a Mazda CX-5 which was 6 months old at the time of the accident. I felt it notable to mention since it is a "regular" vehicle and not an exotic, luxury or sports car. read more

My one month old Tesla Model 3 LR RWD was hit by another driver who was deemed to be at fault. Needless to say I was devastated to go through this on my brand new car but Steve at Auto Mediator was with me every step of the way. My vehicle needed extensive repairs from a Tesla Approved body shop which ended up taking nearly two months and resulted in a total repair bill that exceeded 20k. It was my first time filing a Diminished Value Claim and I had heard from others that it was a very arduous process but Steve made it so much easier! With his guidance and the amazing comprehensive and detailed appraisal report he wrote, I was able to get reimbursed over $10,000 dollars for Loss of Use on top of what I received for my Diminished Value Claim from the insurance company. I could not be more happy with the outcome and service provided by Auto Mediator. :) read more

I got rear-ended in my minivan in November 2018 and came across the Auto Mediator when I couldn't find a lawyer that would help me with my diminished value claim without a significant personal injury claim. I decided to pursue it on my own. Steve was extremely knowledgeable and created a thorough 50+ page report for me detailing my diminished value and loss of use. He provided guidance through my process of recovering my losses. It was a laborious process, but with the help of Steve's report and suggestions, I was able to recover $10,000! Thanks, Steve! read more

Mr. Proto was retained by our office Hafif-Stonehouse Law Group for a case involving diminished value and loss of use. Our Client had a tree fall on his 2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG. Mr. Proto provided an excellent report detailing the diminished value and loss of use. This case did procedure to trial in Santa Monica, where Mr. Proto was called to testify in-front of a jury. Mr. Proto's testimony helped us secure a verdict of over $40,000 for the client. I would recommend his services to anyone dealing with diminished value or loss of use. read more

My beautiful Porsche GTS was very unfortunately declared a total loss. My insurance company offered me about $20,000 less than I knew it was worth. So, I turned to trusty Yelp and saw that Auto Mediator had amazing reviews. I contacted Steve and hired him to do a quality, thorough 3rd party appraisal. I told him that comps may be a little hard to get because this 911 had a factory aerokit as well as a few other options and add-ons. It took about a week (probably because Steve had to really search for comparable cars - and his price came up to be right around what I thought it was worth - $20k more than my insurance company had offered. My insurance company hired a 3rd party appraiser themselves, and ultimately they and Steve were able to settle on the fair value. Thanks Steve for helping to put an extra $20,000 in my pocket! Very highly recommended! read more

Steve Proto is hands down THE best auto appraiser! Steve is very direct and willing to go to bat for you. My 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX caught on fire and my insurance company wanted to give me $3,300, an absolutely unacceptable offer. I called Steve and explained the situation, he was extremely professional and had my best interest in mind throughout the process. Steve was prepared for anything the insurance company threw at him. Long story short, he was able to negotiate $15,500 for my car, that's $12,200 more than what my insurance company offered me.  If you need an experienced appraiser that is knowledgeable, does his research, easy to work with, and has your best interest in mind, Steve is your guy. Thank you for your exceptional customer service, Steve! 5+ stars all the way. read more

Last month, I threw off my pelt-skin and crawled out from under my prehistoric rock where I had lived 10 glorious, car-accident free years (in LOS ANGELES mind you.) Have I been driving an invisible super blooper from Mario Kart??? Maybe just call me the one decent Asian driver on earth (triple certified). Well I got PLOWED into heading down La Cienega and um, those Judge Judy trials about subsequent neck pain? Yeah, it might've been legit. Short story long, I was going to get $9k back from insurance and written off as "totaled". Uh..on which planet is a 2010 BMW worth a sack of lentils? I got another appraisal from Rusnak and it was a cookie-cutter 1-pager just a few hundred more bucks. I was processed faster than a McDonalds Drive-thru so I'm assuming it was a standard trade-in price based on the specs. I made a big stink on FB and my friend said to contest it and get one from a mediator. Steve at Auto Mediator was super straightforward and helpful. Naturally, I called with dramatic flair because I'm already out of my element being a CHICK and all. He explained everything, was a great listener, and got me a 30-page detailed appraisal with comps through his auction. Confidence Level: Russell Crowe in Gladiator, I sent THAT baby to the insurance co and got cut a check for $14k =) This experience now tops that one time I used 23 consecutive Bed Bath Beyond coupons and saved $190. read more

I cannot speak highly enough of Steve and the Auto Mediator. He walked me through every step of the process after a horrible accident I was involved in which totaled my car. As we all know, dealing with insurance companies can be very complex and anxiety-producing. He was extremely generous with his time and ensured I was well taken care of. Steve advocated for me to get the best possible settlement and succeeded. He intervened with the insurance companies so I did not have to and knew exactly what language to be utilized. He is knowledgeable, patient and very skilled at handling the specifications of these processes. I would refer and recommend him to anyone needing an expert in auto appraisal. Thank you Steve! You are the very BEST! read more

I am a licensed attorney who has been practicing nearly 30 years. I have dealt with many experts and professionals over this time. By far Steve Proto was the most knowledgeable, professional, prepared, credible, reliable and just a down right good person. His thorough work and professionalism commands respect from the judges as well in the courtroom. I highly recommend his services to anyone and would absolutely use him for all future business. He is the BEST! Auto Dealership business practices/Dealer plates/CA vehicle code/Expert in Car Rental business practices read more

Let's face it, no matter how knowledgeable you are about automobiles, a vehicle purchase can be most stressful. I was in the market for an automobile and I was stressed going through the process of evaluating and appraising each vehicle. I made the decision to seek the services of a professional to help me in my pre-purchase evaluations and appraisals. I had the pleasure of working with Steve Proto of Auto Mediator regarding three "exotic" vehicles that I needed evaluated and appraised prior to the purchase decision. What Steve did was to provide a detailed deep dive into the particulars of each vehicle. He patiently answered my questions and provided information in a manner that I could understand about each vehicle. Now I could reasonably make an intelligent informed decision, over and beyond what was in my heart about each vehicle. His use of his quite unique specialized dealer only tools allowed me to purchase with confidence, ease and peace of mind. Thanks Steve. I will be back to use your service for my next purchase. read more

Steve is undeniably a true professional and has gone above and beyond with offering his professional opinion as a true expert in the diminished value subject matter. I spoke to him for more than 30 minutes about diminished value and industry practices that has helped me grasp what the best way to deal with pending issue. I'm on the defense end, as a rental company is attempting to recover DV from me, Steve was instrumental in the way that I constructed my defense and position myself in this case. Steve is the man to go to in any DV cases, and is truly knowledgable in the space. read more

We used the auto mediator with an accident claim on our Rolls Royce Wraith. Steve is super knowlegeable and walked us through the process and provided a very thorough report. In the end his advice and report landed us a $64K diminished value and loss of use settlement from State Farm. I highly recomend the Auto Mediator's service if you want a diminished value settlement. read more

Steve Proto helped assist my attorney with an arbitration case (CAMVAP dispute) regarding an issue with my WRX STI engine out in Canada. The dispute was between Subaru Canada and myself about not honoring my power train warranty. His expertise provided us with valuable information and resources to help us with our case. Steve opined on very specific mechanical issues that were in contrast to what Subaru had stated in their inspection report. Steve analyzed the repair orders and uncovered very revealing facts in the reports. Thanks to Steve and my lawyer's services, we were successful with our arbitation case against Subaru Canada. This manufacturer has an 83% win rate according to the APA (Automobile Protection Association) in Canada. A rare win for the consumer. The manufacturer was ordered to honour my warranty for a major engine repair. I also got reimbursed for the costs associated with my towing and diagnostics for my vehicle. Would highly recommend Steve as an expert for legal disputes for vehicles, 100%. Thanks again Steve! read more

Even though I have not been a client to Steve directly, I found him online and called him for advice/help in giving his opinion for a report I had already obtained from someone else prior to finding out Steve. Instead of dismissing me he went miles ahead and helped me in any way he could, merely to help me out with no ulterior motives. He connected me with the right people when I needed them prior to my trail. This tells a lot about him as a person and helpful nature he has. And guess whom I will approach next time me or a friend needs a report! Thank you, Steve! Be great as always! read more

I contacted Steve, after much research. He was friendly and professional. After trying to work with the insurance again (which was a complete waste of time), after six months, I finally heard back from the insurance's lawyer, increasing the offer from an insult to something workable. I can't wait to see how much more they are going to offer, right before the small court date. At first, I felt very skeptical when Steve told me about experiences of his other clients, but I now see that those experiences are true. I would definitely recommend steve's service. If there is any doubt, feel free to reach out to me via yelp.com messenger. read more

Steve's work at Auto Mediator appraising diminished value claims is tops in the business. Our law firm, Kerr & Sheldon, is one of the leading firms in CA handling diminished value claims and recently obtained a record settlement of $87,350 for diminished value and loss of use to a 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S based on Steve's report. In addition to establishing the Porsche's resale value was substantially reduced despite being restored to its pre-accident condition, Steve also established the reasonable cost to rent a similar vehicle during repairs was nearly $700 per day. I recommend Steve highly to anyone who's car has lost value due to an accident. read more

I am still in the middle of the process. So far the company isn't helpful at all. Diminished value report was generated by Mauro and I haven't had such a terrible service anywhere. He is unprofessional. Doesn't return calls nor makes any valuable suggestions. Any step is being discussed with someone else in the company. I am still waiting for someone to get back to me from the company. Worst experience in many years. If Mauro reaches out to you either ask for someone else or find another profesional to help otherwise you'd be wasting your time and money. read more

Steve was extremely helpful in determining how I should proceed with a dealer dispute. He is very knowledgable in the auto industry and has been a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend Auto Mediator to anyone in need of assistance. read more

Picture this: you double park your car, you step into a shop for 1 minute. You hear a crash. In one split second you think, no...no, it can't be. But yes, yes it was. Some (uber) driver slammed into my car - despite the fact that he had at least a hundred feet to see the flashing lights on my bright white car and the street was not busy at all. Uber, really...really?? Who the hell are you hiring? Anyway, I know, I was parked illegally which I literally will NEVER do again but apparently someone saw that the driver was texting. Fingers crossed that they will find this jerk at fault...because he's denying wrong doing. People suck. But this gets to my point. Steve does not suck. I reached out to Steve because Geico was offering me a market valuation for my car that seemed low. I was completely overwhelmed at the whole process and Steve was like the calm in the storm. He had me send him the market valuation form I received from Geico. After reviewing it, we spoke and he explained that actually their offer was just a little lower and not worth hiring his services...that overall it would not be worth it. I was impressed that he told it to me straight, was informative, professional and clearly not just trying to make a buck. Plus, the process has been very stressful and his calm and supportive approach helped make it just a little less painful. I highly recommend Steve's service, if even just to learn that you don't need to hire him. In the automotive industry, he's a gem, and clearly does not suck. read more