Washington Total Loss Appraisal Clause Disputes

Call Now for a Free Claim Review – 503.567.8900  Email: leveragepdx@gmail.com

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In Seattle, Washington, facing a total loss scenario can be daunting, whether due to an accident, theft, flood, or other unforeseen events. When an insurance company declares your vehicle a total loss, they often calculate a settlement based on their assessment of the vehicle’s pre-accident value. This is typically done using valuation tools like CCC One, Mitchell, JD Power, VSS, or similar market valuation reports, which can significantly undervalue your vehicle—especially if it is a rare model such as an older diesel truck, has unique features, special options, or is a classic car.

At Leverage Auto Appraisals in Seattle, we offer a value dispute appraisal—an impartial, independent evaluation of a vehicle’s market value before it was involved in an accident. This type of appraisal is crucial for challenging an insurer’s low valuation following a collision. It serves as a powerful tool to negotiate a more equitable settlement with your insurance provider.

Here’s how you can leverage the appraisal clause in your insurance policy, with the help of our certified auto appraiser, Ken Nix:

  1. Obtain an auto appraisal at your own expense.
  2. Your insurance company conducts its appraisal at their expense.
  3. In case of a disagreement over the vehicle’s value, both appraisers select an umpire, with the costs split equally.

Whether your vehicle has been damaged in a storm, involved in an accident, or stolen, Leverage Auto Appraisals in Seattle provides comprehensive, unbiased appraisal services to ensure you receive a fair valuation. This is vital when repair costs approach or exceed the market value of your vehicle.

Don’t settle for less. If you’re in Seattle and facing a total loss situation, and want to dispute your insurance company’s offer, trust Leverage Auto Appraisals for precise, reliable, and fair auto appraisal services. We are committed to ensuring your vehicle’s value reflects its true worth in the Seattle market, helping you navigate these challenging times with confidence.

Seattle

Our all-inclusive auto appraisal service provides everything you need to determine the cash value of your vehicle. With us you can have peace of mind and confidence in your claim. Other companies may claim to be the best auto appraisers in the Pacific Northwest, but we don’t work for insurance companies like they do. Haven’t you already dealt with enough misdirection and manipulation from your insurance company?

  1. Is there an auto appraiser near me? I cover all of Washington, specializing in helping consumers with Washington total loss insurance claims as an Washington Certified Auto Appraiser since 2010.
  2. Washington Total Loss Laws. Unfortunately, Insurance companies in Washington do not have to reimburse you for the cost of the total loss appraisal. Although, normally since you get an increase in your taxes with an increase in the value, this normally will cover at least part of the cost of the appraisal. 
  3. How can I negotiate with car insurance adjusters for my car’s total loss. YOU DON’T HAVE TO. Under your policy’s appraisal clause, you’re allowed to hire a vehicle appraiser and he can negotiate the claim for you.
  4. How much more can I get? My average increase this year, is $5,768.19 or 44.78 percent of the vehicle’s value. .
  5. When’s the best time to invoke my appraisal clause? The sooner the better. Ken has over a decade of experience working appraisal clause claims. Many insurance companies are known to give claimants a list of things to do if they want a higher value. Most of the times, this is just a ploy to get you to waste time while your vehicle goes down in value, so they can gain an even bigger advantage.

We Can Help! We specialize in Washington Total loss Insurance claim disputes. If your vehicle has been declared a total loss and your insurance company is not providing a fair offer, and you need help, we can provide… LEVERAGE to get the value you should be receiving. Don’t go it alone, our Licensed Auto Appraiser, Ken Nix, can help you recover your full value by producing an appraisal under the appraisal clause of your insurance policy and negotiations with your insurance company.

Seattle
Top rated
Leverage Auto Appraisals |Total Loss Appraiser4.9
Based on 203 reviews
Seattle
Ashley Cervantes
Ken Nix was an absolute joy to work with and he did exactly what he said he would. He was able to get my payout increased enough to pay off my loan, buy back my car, and have some left over to repair it too! He even reassured me when insurance's third party appraiser tried to scare me into thinking I had made a big mistake. Hiring Ken was the best decision I could have made and I am 100% satisfied with the outcome. I could not recommend him more. Thank you so much Ken!
Response from the owner:Ashley, thank you so much for the wonderful review. It was truly a pleasure working with you, and I am so glad we were able to increase the value of your **2015 Honda CR-V** by more than **$2,700**, a **43.8 percent increase** over the original offer. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for insurance company representatives or the appraisers they hire to say things that make policyholders question whether they are making the right decision. I am glad I was able to answer your questions and give you the confidence to stay the course. In the end, being able to pay off your loan, buy your CR-V back, and still have money left over to repair it worked out. That is exactly why I enjoy doing this work. Thank you again for your trust and your kind words. You were an absolute pleasure to work with, and I truly appreciate your recommendation. I wish you many more miles with your CR-V, and if you ever need anything in the future, do not hesitate to reach out. Kind regards, Ken
Seattle
Emily Taber
My car was parked on the street and totaled by a stolen car (neighbors caught the license plate as the thief fled, so we could report more info). Insurance lowballed me initially at around $3000, and with minimal pushing on them they raised it to about $6300 which was still demonstrably too low. So, I called in Ken. Ken was great. The auto insurance adjuster took a lot of time to communicate, but Ken had a good working relationship with them and a lot of experience. He got an extra ~$3600 from their $6300 offer!! Excellent. Got basically $10 grand which was what my Subaru impreza was worth. Just know that especially if the auto's adjuster is slow moving, updates will take a while and it's not a fast process. But, it's insurance so what do you expect? Anyway you can't go wrong with Ken: if he gets you even a penny more, the insurance company pays his fees (which not getting even a penny more is basically unheard of).
Seattle
Debbi Snider
I can't give more than 5 stars, but i would if I could. Our 2002 ford f350 super duty with the 7.3 engine was stolen. We knew within 2 hours of it missing. Called cops, they did a report, daughters and myself flooded social media with pictures. We've lived in our town for 35 years. We owned the truck 21 years in this town. We got over 10,000 shares in 36 hours! Well truck was returned trashed! Insurance did their "appraisal" and offered us $12,108. Well we know what we had before it was stolen. I told them I would not accept their offer. So I called a personal appraiser LEVERAGE AUTO APPRAISALS out of the Portland Oregon area. Oh boy am I glad I did! Ken Nix what an amazing man. Very professional. He told me he could get me at least 10k more than their offer. We talked for a long time, I sent him everything I had, plus before and after pics of our truck. Boy within a week, he worked his magic and got us 10+ K additional. Boy am I glad a called that guy!! I highly highly recommend calling him if you feel insurance is being less than fair. He will be straight forward with you, if he can't help, he will tell you that right up front. No games with Ken. Thank you Ken, you are an amazing man and we appreciate you!
Seattle
Troy Violette
I can’t say enough good things about Leverage Auto and especially Ken. From start to finish, Ken was extremely communicative, professional, and genuinely friendly. He made the entire process much easier and less stressful than it would have been trying to deal with the insurance company on my own. Leverage Auto provided me everything needed to challenge the insurance company, and the results spoke for themselves. Their help ultimately resulted in a significantly higher payout than what the insurance company originally offered ($2k+). What stood out to me most was Ken himself. He was always responsive, easy to talk to, and genuinely seemed to care about helping me get treated fairly. You can tell he takes pride in what he does. We need more honest, hardworking people like Ken who are willing to fight for the little guy instead of just letting the big insurance companies have their way. I’m extremely grateful for the help and would absolutely recommend Leverage Auto to anyone dealing with an insurance company over the value of their vehicle. 5 stars all the way!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much, Troy. I really appreciate the kind words and especially your comments about communication and genuinely caring about the outcome. I do take a lot of pride in fighting for my clients, and I’m glad I was able to get you more than $2,000 above the insurance company’s offer. Your Volkswagen Golf TDI was an interesting one because the six speed manual transmission is actually more sought after, yet the CCC valuation relied on automatic transmission comparables. They also applied the same $1,469 condition deduction against your vehicle, even though yours was exceptional and in better condition than most of the comparable vehicles I found. Unfortunately, finding good comparables for these TDIs can be difficult because there simply are not many of them available. Sometimes I know a vehicle is worth more, but I still have to prove it with credible market evidence. Thank you again for trusting me to handle your total loss appraisal dispute and for the five stars, Troy. I’m glad I could make the process a little less stressful and help get the settlement closer to what your Golf TDI was actually worth. Kind regards, Ken
Seattle
Shawn Penny
I highly recommend Ken with Leverage Auto Appraisals. They were instrumental in my total loss claim process. The insurance company initially offered me $16,500 for my vehicle, but thanks to Leverage’s professional appraisal, I was able to secure a settlement of $19,950. Their service was professional, effective, and well worth it."
Response from the owner:Shawn, thank you so much for the great review and for trusting me with your total loss claim. I am glad we were able to increase your settlement to $19,950. Claims like yours are a good reminder that the first offer from an insurance company is not always the fair market value of a vehicle. My goal is never to create the highest appraisal possible. It is to produce the most accurate appraisal possible and then defend that value during negotiations. That approach helped us reach a settlement that was much closer to what your vehicle was actually worth. I truly appreciate your recommendation and the opportunity to help. Hopefully you never need an independent appraiser again, but if you do, I will be here. I wish you all the best, and thank you again for choosing Leverage Auto Appraisals. Kind regards, Ken
Seattle
Jason Williams
Ken was fantastic and delivered more than I could have hoped for. He was able to increase the offered settlement by more than 100%. If you believe your vehicle may be worth more than your insurance company is offering, contact Ken and let him do his magic. It will be worth its weight in gold. Thank you Ken for standing up for the little guy!
Photo from customer review
Seattle
Krista R
Ken was amazing, friendly and honest guy. My car was totaled after some idiot in Tahoe decided to pull a U-Turn on a blind corner and I was driving around said corner. I received a fair amount from State Farm, but I didn't feel like it was quite enough for what I had. Thankfully my state farm rep mentioned I could try to get more if I contact an auto appraiser, and he was right! I contacted Ken because of his great reviews, and I was so grateful I did. The entire experience was such a smooth process AND he got me an additional $3,000! And...your insurance company refunds you the entire cost of the appraisal process with Ken. I was so grateful I reached out to him, I highly recommend him to anyone that has the unfortunate reason to need this kind of service, but Ken at Leverage Auto is the guy to help! Thanks Ken for your help!
Seattle
Lisa Bacheller
On Father’s Day, I was I was rear ended, and my car was totaled. The insurance company was offering so little I could not even come close to replacing my Vehicle. Luckily, my son found Ken. Ken went into battle on my behalf and won. Thank you Ken
Response from the owner:Thank you so much, Lisa. Getting rear ended on Father’s Day and then finding out State Farm’s total loss offer would not even come close to replacing your vehicle was adding insult to injury. I’m really glad your son found me and that I could go into battle for you. Even better, I was able to secure an additional $4,060 on your total loss settlement. When I reviewed the CCC valuation, some of the adjustments simply made no sense to me. Mileage adjustments on the comparable vehicles worked out to amounts as low as one cent, four cents, and five cents per mile. Then CCC applied the same $2,182 condition deduction against your vehicle across all three comparables, even though your vehicle was in exceptional condition. This is exactly why I believe these valuations need to be carefully reviewed instead of simply accepted at face value. I’m glad I could help get your settlement closer to what your vehicle was actually worth. Thank you for trusting me to fight for you, Lisa, and please thank your son for finding me. I truly appreciate your review. Kind regards, Ken
Seattle
Louis Gomez
I was recently in a car accident that unfortunately totaled my truck. Thankfully, no one was hurt. I assumed my insurance company would handle everything smoothly, but from the start, I felt like I got the runaround. When they finally gave me a vehicle appraisal, the offer seemed far too low. I explained all the features, add-ons, and the truck’s low mileage, but none of that seemed to matter—they continued to make excuses and stick with a lowball offer. I felt completely stuck until a friend of my wife’s suggested I call Ken Nix. Under our policy, we had the right to get a second appraisal from an independent professional if we disagreed with the insurance company’s valuation. Reaching out to Ken was the best decision we could have made. He was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and truly fought for our family. Thanks to his expertise and persistence, we received a fair payout that reflected the true value of our truck. We are extremely grateful for everything Ken did—his communication, dedication, and skill made the entire process so much easier. It’s reassuring to know there are people like Ken out there who will stand up for you when you need it most. If you’re feeling lost or want a second opinion, I wholeheartedly recommend giving Ken Nix a call. He knows exactly what he’s doing and genuinely cares about helping his clients.
Response from the owner:Louis, thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. First and most importantly, I am very glad no one was hurt. A totaled truck is bad enough, but when the insurance company gives you the runaround and then refuses to recognize the low mileage, features, and added equipment, it can make a stressful situation feel ten times worse. I am grateful your wife’s friend pointed you in my direction, and I am honored you trusted me to help with your total loss appraisal clause claim here in Oregon. I truly do care about my clients and their families. My cousin, Harold Wayne Nix, was an esteemed attorney who passed away last month, and he spent his life fighting for the underdog. He was my role model in that way, and I try to carry that same spirit into every insurance claim car value dispute I handle. Thank you again for trusting Leverage Auto Appraisals. I am so glad we were able to stand up for the true value of your truck and help get your family a fair payout. Kind regards, Ken
Seattle
Travis Shannon
I cannot express how HIGHLY I recommend Ken at Leverage Auto Appraisals. He was up front with me when I first contacted him, even before hiring him, on what I should expect throughout the process and what his thoughts were on my appraisal / valuation. He gave detailed information to back up his claims and why he'd fight for me. Ken delivered on his valuation and his hard work showed! Here are the details of my appraisal: Insurance company: STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES Vehicle: 2023 Toyota Tundra 4WD Limited Insurance offer: $46,933.00 Final settlement: $50,000.00 Increase: $3,067.00 (+6.5%)
Seattle
Vitri Reeves
I highly recommend Ken from Leverage Auto Appraisals Total Loss Appraiser LLC. If you’re dealing with insurance pressure to close a claim quickly, trust Ken and his process—even when it feels uncomfortable. I’m so glad I listened to him. Ken fought hard for my dispute and made sure I received what I truly deserved for my Chevy truck. He is extremely knowledgeable about the insurance and appraisal industry and took the time to explain things clearly. I’m not great at reading fine print, and without his guidance, I could have easily ended up paying much more out of pocket. Beyond the appraisal itself, Ken generously shared valuable insights about how he conducts business and the importance of family and integrity. Those conversations had nothing to do with appraisals, but I truly appreciated them—they meant a lot. Thank you, Ken, for fighting for us and for going above and beyond. Your dedication and honesty make a real difference.
Photo from customer review
Response from the owner:Vitri, thank you so much for the thoughtful review and for trusting me with your Insurance total loss claim on your 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss. I also want to thank you for uploading photos of your truck. Beautiful Silverado and honestly a shame that it was totaled. Photos like yours really help people see these are real clients, real vehicles, and real appraisal clause disputes here in Oregon. Sadly, there are companies out there purchasing reviews or creating misleading impressions online, so I truly appreciate clients like you who take the time to share genuine experiences. I’m really glad you trusted the process even when the insurance company pressure started building to settle quickly. That pressure is exactly where many consumers end up accepting less than they deserve. In your case, we were able to secure a $5,132 increase over the original CCC valuation, which made a significant difference on your Silverado claim. Helping Oregon drivers challenge low insurance offers and navigate the appraisal clause process is exactly why I do this work. I also sincerely appreciate your comments about our conversations outside of the appraisal itself. Family, integrity, and trying to do right by people have always mattered more to me than simply processing claims. I have never worked for insurance companies and have never accepted revenue from insurance companies in any capacity because I believe remaining fully independent is critical to being truly unbiased for consumers. Lately, it has come to my attention that several appraisers operating in Oregon are also performing work for insurance companies while simultaneously marketing themselves to consumers without fully disclosing those relationships. Personally, I believe that creates a serious conflict of interest when someone is representing a consumer against the same insurance companies they are also receiving business from. That is one of the main reasons I have always chosen to work exclusively for vehicle owners and policyholders rather than insurers. Thank you again for the trust, the great conversation, and the opportunity to help. Wishing you and your family nothing but the best moving forward. Kind regards, Ken
Seattle
Syed M Wasim
When both the at-fault driver's insurance and our own insurance came back with lowball offers on our total loss claim, Ken stepped in. He provided an accurate appraisal that reflected the true replacement value of our vehicle. He’s the best in the business—hopefully I won't need to, but I'd use his services again in a heartbeat and highly recommend him!

 

Oregon Total Loss Vehicle Appraisals

Has your Insurance Company deemed your vehicle a total loss? Are they not offering enough for your totaled car or truck? In your insurance policy, you have what is called an appraisal clause. The appraisal clause section is devised to allow you to dispute the offer your insurance company is providing.

If you do not agree with the value your own company offers, your policy may include an appraisal provision. Appraisal processes vary. Check your policy or ask the claims representative or contact us for help.

Typically:

  • You get an appraisal (you pay).
  • The company gets an appraisal (it pays).
  • If the appraisers don’t agree on the value, the two appraisers agree on an umpire. You and the company each pay half of the umpire’s cost.

The first thing you need to do, is determine if it is a good decision to invoke your appraisal clause. LEVERAGE can help you by providing a free, no charge review of your total loss claim. This will provide you with the information to make a well informed decision as to whether you need to move forward with disputing your claim or not.

LEVERAGE specializes in Total Loss appraisals in Oregon and Washington. Unlike many large companies that use low generic staff to produce and negotiate your claim, with LEVERAGE, you get a highly qualified auto appraiser and negotiator to work with you to negotiate a fair claim so you can replace your vehicle, and move on with your life. Ken Nix works every claim himself to ensure we recover the maximum fair market value for you.

Why Hire Us?

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Licensed Auto Appraiser for over 13 Years

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Over 35 years Experience as a Professional Negotiator

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Over 18 years Automotive sales Experience. Experience with all types of vehicles. Not just an ex estimator or adjuster.

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Over 40 years of Automotive Experience

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Professionally Trained One on One by Zig Ziglar, Grant Cardone, and Tom Stuker.

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Worked with Hundreds of Dealer, GM's, and GSM's in Oregon, Washington and Idaho while employed with Reynolds and Reynolds.

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Whether you're in Seattle, Bend, Eugene or Portland, Ken knows you're Used Car Market.

Vehicles We Sevice

We produce total loss appraisals for Acura, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Corvette, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford, Freightliner, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Infiniti, International, Isuzu, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Mini-Cooper, Mitsubishi, Oldsmobile, Peterbilt, Plymouth, Pontiac, Porsche, RAM, Rolls Royce, Saab, Saturn, Scion, Shelby, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo.

As well as older Diesel 1 ton and 3/4 ton Trucks with Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax Engines. We also provide Sprinter Van, Ram Promaster, VW Camper Vans, and other Conversion Van Total Loss Appraisals.

We also work Total Loss Claim Disputes on other specialty vehicles such as Heavy Trucks, Semi Trucks, Motorcycles, Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Collectible Vehicles, Exotic Cars, Motor Coaches, Work Vans, Commercial Vehicles, and many more.

WHO IS KEN NIX

Oregon Total loss auto appraiser Ken Nix, specializing in Total Loss Appraisals for vehicles.

  • Ken Nix is a local Oregon Certified and Licensed Vehicle appraiser since April of 2010 has been authorized by ODOT to appraise vehicles in Oregon for over 12 years.
  • Ken started in the automotive industry in the 1980s and has sold and appraised tens of thousands of vehicles including late model cars and trucks, Exotics, Muscle Cars, Street Rods, Vintage, Classics, Street Rods, Camper Conversions, and even Japanese right-hand drive vans while working for multiple franchises over 20 years. Ken is the independent appraiser chosen by Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo for independent vehicle assessments.
  • Previously employed by Diversiform and Reynolds and Reynolds. Ken worked with local Automotive Dealers, Sales, Service and Body shops to market vehicles. Hundreds of Dealership owners, managers, and staff know and trust him. Ken also worked with Lanphere Enterprises, and many other local dealers to provide digital solutions for automotive marketing.
  • Ken is the founder of Volkswagen Owners Club, My GTI, and Jetta Junkie and was an Administrator for Autoguide.com for over 10 years.
  • Ken’s wife jokes that sometimes she’s married to Liam Neeson because Ken has a very particular set of skills, skills he’s acquired over a very long career.

OREGON LICENSED AUTO APPRAISER for over 13 years

 

Ken Nix's current Oregon Auto Appraisers Certification and License issued by ODOT

  • Ken has actual long term automotive sales, appraisal and negotiation experience. Beware long term businesses with inexperienced vehicle appraisers claiming decades of experience because a relative founded the business. Make sure your automotive appraiser has the real world experience to back up their claims.
  • Ken’s background in training salespeople on Product Knowledge, combined with auto body repair assessment experience and his computer background provides negotiating leverage over opposing appraisers. The ability to spot bad repairs from prior damage on an opposing appraiser’s comparables to discrediting salt state and flood damaged vehicles used by your insurance company’s valuations from CCC One and Mitchell / J.D. Powers to lowball your vehicle.
  • Expert Negotiator. Personally trained one on one by Zig Ziglar, Tom Stuker, and Grant Cordone. Over 45 years experience as a professional negotiator.
  • Ken’s Automotive, Computer Technology, Legal Reseach, and Negotiating background provides a very specific skill set that makes him a nightmare to opposing appraisers.

 

Recent Total Loss Claim Dispute Recoveries

G. Genauer – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: State Farm

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2014 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI
Offer: $16,174
Settled Value: $20,500
Increase: $4,326.00

S. Mead – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Geico

Prineville, Oregon
Vehicle: 5th Wheel Toy Hauler 2016 Keystone
Rv M-387 CARBON
Offer: $42,079
Settled Value: $51,700 – May 13, 2022
Increase: $9,621

S. Arkelian – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2018 RAM 2500 Laramie Crew Diesel 2500
Offer: $59,152.21
Settled Value: $65,625 – May 11, 2022
Increase: $6.472.79

M. Smith – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Liberty Mutual

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2003 Ford Super Duty F-250 King
Ranch Crew Cab
Offer: $14327.00
Settled Value: $19,995 – May 13, 2022
Increase: $5,668

C. Wilkinson – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2004 Toyota Tacoma 4 Door Crew Cab
Offer: $22,024.90
Settled Value: $31,500 – May 4, 2022
Increase: $9,475.10

K. Johnson – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 1995 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER
Offer: $20,653.83
Settled Value: $29,500.00
Increase: $8,846.17

LEVERAGE

Auto Appraisals

(503) 420-3001

Location

Portland, OR. 97225

Email

leveragepdx@gmail.com

Open Hours

Mon:8am – 8pm
Tue: 8am – 8pm
Wed: 8am – 8pm
Thur: 8am – 8pm
Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat: 8am – 8pm
Sun: 8am – 8pm

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