Rant against insurance agencies

[Torvy]

I've got no complaints about AllState. We've had them since before we were married (she had them and I joined her). Rates aren't the cheapest. We've lived in 4 states in that time. Some things change due to state laws. The local agent can also make a big difference.

 

[Runner]

For those of you who have State Farm, can you explain what they are trying to do with their new billing "process"? Up until a couple of years ago, they did things normally, send you a bill for your 6 months of insurance, it's due in a few weeks, that's it.

Now we keep getting these things that look just like bills, have the amount written on them, insurance cards printed on 8 1/2x 11 pages (but no actual cards), even contain return envelopes, but in bold letters written on them say "This is not a bill. You may pay now, but your actual bill will be sent when due". This happens for every policy we have, multiple times per year.

I have four vehicles, a boat and house insured with them, and this is an enormous amount of paperwork they are creating for no reason that I can see. Seems like a huge waste of resources and I can't figure out why they are doing it. I asked my agent (that I've been with for 40 years) and he says he doesn't understand it either.

 

[George2615]

I recently changed from SF to another company for both regular vehicles and a motorcycle due to the renewal price increased over 50% with no claims or accidents. Was told increase was came from corporate.

 

[mjonesnh]

Been with TN. Farm Bureau for 38 yrs. Very few claims but they never complained when there was one. Have gotten a couple of quotes from other companies through the years but no one else was even close.

 

[caver]

I switched to USAA (veteran) when Shelter dropped my home insurance. USAA does sub out smaller stuff like motorcycles to Progressive. No issues so far and even had a small claim 2 years ago.

 

[tradosaurus]

Been with TN. Farm Bureau for 38 yrs. Very few claims but they never complained when there was one. Have gotten a couple of quotes from other companies through the years but no one else was even close.

Been with Texas Farm Bureau for 8 yrs now. Had 2 claims early on with no problem. Rates have been skyrocketing lately though.

 

[M59]

I'll grant you that. Ours, Amica tends to pay out as it should.

Lived in CT for 50+ years and insured with Amica for almost 30 due to Amica being mutual insurance company that returned % of premium back to renewing customers along with their auto rates were very competitive. However, I did have a 4 month difference of opinion on a totaled car. Auto policy was they would pay out the then current value or find a replacement. They tried to low-ball the cars value by $5,000 and I balked. Amica dug in and so did I. After going back and forth on mileage, condition and car's options and recent Toyota replacement of engine, I told Amica I would not take buyout and wanted an equivalent replacement. Amica hunted around for equivalent car and being unable to find one finally paid out the full value including the $5,000 over original low ball offer.

Everything in life is a negotiation. Sometimes negotiations take longer than we would like.

 

[Snobdds]

Copart has ruined the business. Now insurance companies are using arbitrage to find the relationship between what it will cost to repair vs what they can get from Copart to part out the vehicle.

A car or truck that requires a lot of repair work is going to be totaled. I have seen if a repair is 25% of the value, it's totaled. It use to be 50-60%.

I remember telling you that the bumper you had on is what is called a damage multiplier. Round bar bumbers should be banned. Only put plate steel bumpers on, but those are heavy and expensive.

I would get what you can from SF. Then buy it back. Then call up Copart and sell it to them. SF will do everything to prevent you from doing this, but this is best way to deal with it.

 

[Oaktree]

For those of you who have State Farm, can you explain what they are trying to do with their new billing "process"? Up until a couple of years ago, they did things normally, send you a bill for your 6 months of insurance, it's due in a few weeks, that's it.

I have SF and I haven't noticed that (at least yet). Wife just got a "new" car, paperwork was the same as it's always been.

Only issue I've had with them was a couple years ago I got a vaguely-worded letter saying there were some home issues that needed to be remedied or they would not renew next time around. Couldn't get a straight answer on what these were, so I just did some cosmetic "fixes"...fresh paint/stain, replaced a few shingles that were a bit ratty (we have cedar shake siding), rebuilt a solid but ugly stoop around my back steps. Called my agent over to see, he took some pictures and apparently they were happy with it.

 

[Paystar]

Since we are ranting about insurance companies.....I hate the fact that no one thinks any more. They only want a VIN number and go by what their computer tells them to do.
A few years ago after I had retired from my trucking businesses, I bought an F550 with a flatbed for personal use. It took me months of fighting with them to get it insured.
They would argue "we can't insure it because it's a commercial vehicle" So then I'd say well then put it under my commercial policy, I don't care I'll pay the extra.
The they'd come back with "we can't insure it commercial because it's being used for personal use"
Finally found a company that insured it commercial for personal use.

Then in 2021 I bought a new dirt bike and went to get off road insurance (required here in Ontario) and had to keep arguing with an east Indian woman that "IT DOES NOT GO ON WATER!!!" LOL

I kept saying "it's a dirt bike" and she'd reply again "so does it go on water?"
Then I'd say "lady, if it goes on water, I'm having a really bad day!" LOL