You've Been in an Accident. Your Car's Been Totaled. Now What?

-- With Growing Number of Total Losses, Progressive's "Total Loss Concierge" is the Only Service in the Industry That Helps You Find a Replacement Car - Even if Your Totaled Car is Older or You Want to Replace it with a Used Car

If you get into a car crash, chances are better than ever thatyour vehicle will be declared a total loss - in other words, yourinsurance company will tell you that your car would cost more to fixthan it's worth. An estimated five million vehicles, or about 20percent of those involved in insurance claims each year, are totaledin crashes - that's a 40 percent increase over the past seven years.This means that each year, millions of people face the daunting andtime-consuming task of replacing their cars following crashes.

And while some insurance companies advertise total lossreplacement coverage, the coverage generally only helps you if youdrive a newer car. By contrast, "Total Loss Concierge" from TheProgressive Group of Insurance Companies will help find you areplacement car regardless of the age of your totaled vehicle - andeven if you want a used car.

"Because new cars have a higher Dollar value, it's very unlikelythat following a crash they'll cost more to fix than they're worth, soa service that only replaces newer cars doesn't help a lot ofdrivers," said Paul Lamison, Progressive's Total Loss Conciergemanager. "We designed our Total Loss Concierge program to help thepeople who need it the most - that is, people whose cars may be a fewyears old and who may want help finding replacement cars andfinancing."

If your car is declared a total loss, your insurance companytypically writes you a check for your car's actual cash value (ACV),minus the deductible amount you selected when you bought your policy.In exchange, you sign over the car's title. After that, you're on yourown - you have a check, but you don't have a car.

This can cause a couple of different problems. First, you're facedwith the inconvenience of unexpectedly having to shop for another car.And second, if you're like a lot of people and are "upside-down" onyour auto loan (meaning you owe more to the financing company thanyour car is worth), you may find yourself in the position of owingmoney on a vehicle you don't own anymore. This can make it moredifficult to find a car comparable to the one you had with your totalloss settlement amount.

Total Loss Concierge makes these problems easier to deal with byusing Progressive's large network of carefully selected cardealerships and lenders to find you the car you want, at the price youwant to pay. Progressive's network of lenders can even help youarrange financing if you need it. All you have to do is describe thevehicle you're looking for - you can even specify the year, make,model, price range and color - and your concierge specialist will takeit from there.

"Because of the resources we've put together, there's a goodchance we'll get you a better deal on both the purchase price and thefinancing than you'd get shopping on your own," said Lamison.

Total Loss Concierge is free and available in selected states toall Progressive Direct(R) and Drive(R) Insurance from Progressive autoinsurance customers and anyone involved in a claim with a customer.

In addition to possibly saving money, Total Loss Concierge canalso save drivers a lot of time. According to a recent countrywidesurvey by Progressive, the majority of people whose cars are totaledspend at least five full days trying to find a replacement car andarrange financing.

"With Total Loss Concierge, we do the leg work for you so you canspend your time the way you want to," said Lamison. "And you get thecar you want at the price you want to pay, fast."

Total Loss Concierge is the latest innovation from Progressive.While this service handles vehicles that are not able to be repaired,in 2003, Progressive introduced a concierge level of service forrepairable vehicles available through its now more than 40 ServiceCenters throughout the U.S. That service made Progressive the firstinsurance group in the country to take responsibility for the entireclaims/repair process. Progressive Direct or Drive Insurance customerswho choose to use a Service Center simply drop off their damaged carsand, in about 15 minutes, can be on their way in a rental car assuredthat a Progressive claims representative will handle the repairprocess from beginning to end. The process saves people time becausethey avoid driving around to different body shops getting repairestimates, arranging for alternate transportation, keeping tabs on therepair process, etc. More than 50 Service Centers will be open by theend of 2006.
Total Loss Concierge Facts

It's widely available, strictly voluntary, and free

You can use Total Loss Concierge if you have a Progressive Direct
or Drive Insurance from Progressive policy, or if you are involved
in a claim with a Progressive Direct or Drive customer. If you
choose not to use the service, you can take the cash settlement
and find a replacement vehicle on your own. Either way,
Progressive Claims Service will pay you your vehicle's actual cash
value less any applicable deductible. And, the service is free.

There is no obligation

We're generally able to find cars our customers like within about
six days, but if for any reason you don't want to buy any of the
cars we find, you are under no obligation to do so. The choice is
yours.

How it works

Your Total Loss Concierge specialist will ask you what kind of car
you're looking for, including the year, make, model and price
range. You can even specify a car color. He or she will then
contact the network of car dealers that have proven track records
of providing great service and good values. The dealers will find
you cars that meet as many of your specifications as possible and,
if needed, your specialist will put you in touch with multiple
lenders to get you competitive financing rates. You can work
directly with the dealers and lenders, but your concierge
specialist is always available to answer any questions you may
have or provide additional information.

If a dealer finds you a car you like that costs more than your
actual cash value settlement, you can pay the difference, either
through financing or other means. If the car you like costs less
than your settlement amount, the difference is yours to keep. The
total dollar amount you receive is the same regardless of whether
you use the service.

Progressive's Total Loss Concierge service is currently availablein 14 states. It will be available in more than 20 states by the endof August and in the majority of states by the end of the year.

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since1937, ranks third in the nation for auto insurance and number one formotorcycle insurance based on premiums written and provides driverswith competitive rates and 24/7 in-person and online service. Theproducts and services of the Progressive Direct Group of InsuranceCompanies are marketed directly to consumers by phone at1-800-PROGRESSIVE and online at www.progressivedirect.com through theProgressive Direct(R) brand. The products and services of the DriveGroup of Progressive Insurance Companies are offered by more than30,000 independent insurance agencies and online atwww.driveinsurance.com through the Drive(R) Insurance from Progressivebrand. The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the MayfieldVillage, Ohio-based holding company, are publicly traded at NYSE:PGR.More information can be found at www.progressive.com.

Paul Lamison is available for interview