The Projected Sold Adjustment on a CCC Report, Explained

Updated · General information, not legal advice

Look closely at the comparable vehicles on a CCC One valuation and you may see each dealer price reduced before it is averaged. That reduction is often labeled a projected sold adjustment. It is easy to miss, it applies to every dealer comparable, and it is one of the lines most worth asking about.

What the projected sold adjustment is

Comparable vehicles on a CCC One report are often dealer listings, which means asking prices. The projected sold adjustment is a reduction applied to those asking prices on the theory that vehicles usually sell for less than they are listed for. The adjusted price is then used, along with the other adjustments, to calculate your car's value.

The label varies. Some reports call it a projected sold adjustment, and older or different reports may use similar wording about a typical negotiation or price adjustment. What matters is the effect: a reduction to the comparable's price that is not about mileage, options or condition.

Why it matters

The adjustment is usually stated per comparable, so it is easy to read past it as a small line. But it applies to most or all dealer comparables in the report. Because the comparables are averaged, the reduction flows straight into the base value of your car, and from there into the settlement.

To see its real size, add it up:

  1. Find the projected sold line (or similarly labeled reduction) on each comparable.
  2. Write down the dollar amount for each.
  3. Average them the same way the report averages the comparables.

That average is roughly how much the adjustment lowered your valuation.

A worked example

The numbers below are made up to show the arithmetic. They are not from a real report and they are not a prediction for yours.

Suppose a report uses four dealer comparables listed at $24,000, $24,500, $25,000 and $25,500. Each one is reduced by a projected sold adjustment of a few hundred dollars, say $600, $620, $640 and $650. After mileage, equipment and other adjustments, the comparables are averaged.

The projected sold reductions average about $628. Because the comparables are averaged, that is roughly how much this one line lowered the base value, before tax and fees are added on top. On a different vehicle or in a different market the figure could be larger or smaller. The point is that a line that looks small on each comparable is not small in the result.

Doing this arithmetic on your own report takes a few minutes and tells you whether the adjustment is worth raising at all.

The case for questioning it

The idea that cars sell below their asking price is not unreasonable in every market. But whether it holds for your vehicle, in your area, at the time of your loss, is a factual question, and the report does not usually show the data behind it. Several points are worth raising:

  • Market conditions change. In tight used-car markets, many vehicles sell at or close to their listed price, and some dealers advertise no-haggle pricing.
  • It is applied broadly. A reduction applied to every dealer listing may not reflect how the specific comparables in your report actually sold.
  • It has drawn scrutiny. The adjustment has been the subject of class-action lawsuits and regulatory attention in some states. Rules and outcomes differ by state, and none of that decides your claim, but it is a reason to treat the line as open to question rather than fixed.

How to question it

Ask in writing. Keep it simple:

  • Identify the adjustment and the total dollar effect you calculated.
  • Ask what data supports applying it to your vehicle in your market at the time of loss.
  • Ask whether the comparables in your report actually sold, and at what price.
  • Ask the insurer to remove it or explain it.

Then back the request with your own evidence:

  • Listings with no-haggle or fixed pricing for comparable vehicles in your area.
  • Sold prices, where you can find them, showing cars like yours selling at or near asking.
  • A note from a local dealer, if one is willing to say how similar cars have been selling.

You do not need all of these. One or two solid pieces of evidence give the adjuster something concrete to respond to.

A short written request might read like this:

Re: Claim No. [Claim Number], [Year Make Model], VIN [VIN]

The valuation report reduces each dealer comparable by a projected
sold adjustment, totaling about $[Amount] on average. Please explain
what data supports applying this reduction to my vehicle in my market
as of [Date of Loss], and whether the listed comparables actually sold
and at what price. I have attached [number] listings for similar
vehicles in my area offered at fixed or no-haggle prices. Please
remove the adjustment or provide the supporting data, and send a
revised valuation report.

Keep it in proportion

The projected sold adjustment is one line among several. If your report also has a wrong trim, missing options or weak comparables, those may matter more and are often easier to correct. Use our CCC valuation checklist to see everything in one pass, and our guide on how to read a CCC One valuation report for the layout of each section.

If the insurer will not adjust and the total gap is large, many policies include an appraisal clause for disputes over the amount of loss, and you can file a complaint with your state's Department of Insurance. See the appraisal clause guide and how to file an insurance commissioner complaint.

If you want a second opinion on how much this line is costing you, send us the report for a free CCC report check.

A flat fee, not a cut of what you recover.

A percentage fee comes out of whatever extra the insurer pays. Our fee is flat, so it stays the same however much you recover. Compare what you would keep.

From $500 to $25,000. An estimate, not a prediction.

Claim type

On $4,000, you keep $3,651 with InsurifyAI, and $2,680 with an attorney.

  • Attorney

    Typical fee: 33% contingency

    You keep

    $2,680

    They take $1,320

  • InsurifyAI

    Full Claim Kit: $349 flat

    You keep

    $3,651

    You pay $349, flat. No cut of the recovery.

Check my offer

If your claim recovers less than $500 after using the Full Claim Kit, we refund your purchase in full. Guarantee terms

Typical fee ranges are industry estimates and vary by provider and state. Attorneys often charge about 33%, and some add costs. Confirm any provider’s terms directly.

Sources for the typical ranges, not any named provider’s fees: published contingency rates of diminished-value recovery services, and the one-third contingency common in attorney fee agreements.

Those options handle the claim for you. The kit gives you the valuation evidence and letters to respond to the insurer yourself.

Results vary. Not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is the projected sold adjustment legal?
It depends on the state, and it has been challenged in court and by regulators in some places. This guide cannot tell you whether it is permitted in your state. You can ask your state's Department of Insurance or a licensed attorney, and you can always ask the insurer to support it with data.
How much does the projected sold adjustment usually take off?
It varies by report, vehicle and market. The best way to know is to add up the reduction on each comparable in your own report and average it, which shows roughly how much it lowered your valuation.
Does it apply to private-sale comparables?
It is generally aimed at dealer asking prices. Check each comparable's source and whether the reduction was applied. If a comparable is already a sold price, a further reduction for negotiation may not make sense, and you can ask about it.
Can I ask the insurer to remove it?
Yes. Ask in writing, state the dollar effect, and ask what data supports it for your vehicle and market. Attaching evidence that similar cars sell at or near asking price makes the request stronger.
Is this the same as the condition adjustment?
No. The condition adjustment is about your car's pre-loss condition compared with a typical vehicle. The projected sold adjustment is a reduction to the comparables' asking prices. Both are worth checking separately.

How much is this line costing you?

Send a photo or PDF of your CCC report. We will add up the projected sold adjustment, check the rest of the report, and tell you honestly whether the number holds up.

Get a free CCC report check

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