Regular Car Insurance

[Guest ChaplainLar]

After reading about Antique Car Insurance, I see that I was getting killed by using a regular Ins. Company. But how about insurance for our modern cars. Is there a lower priced company out there that we can Trust? I got an instant quote from Geico, that would save me $550. a year. But, can we trust them?

Has anyone out there filed a claim with them?

Any other company's out there to get quotes from?

Or, should I stick with Allstate-someone I can drive to their office and talk to them face to face?

Larry

[R W Burgess]

Larry, that "drive to their office and talk face to face" is awfully important.

My dad had some kind of problem with Geico (haven't a clue what), so he drove an hour to their main office in Fredericksburg Virginia. He was not a happy camper that day, because he had to talk to the agent from an office phone "downstairs". The lady wouldn't even come down where he was and speak to him. That was his last day with them. They may have changed policies since then, but you know, shopping around is always a good policy.

Wayne

[Bhigdog]

Other than my collector cars I have all my insurance with Erie. I've been with them for 30 years and over that time i've had a few claims. They always paid promptly with no hassle or arguments. In fact I just had a relatively minor ($1500) claim with one of my cars. I took it to a repair shop where a bunch of digital pix were taken and an estimate given. About 2 hours later I got a call from Erie asking for a few details and was told the claim was approved for the estimate amount minus my deductable.....Bob

[charlier]

When looking at other auto insurance companies I personally think it is important to compare coverage for coverage.

Some auto insurance companies do no sell the same coverage limits as other companies do.

This can make it hard to do an apples to apples comparison. In some cases that also explains why one company is less expensive than another.

Some insurance companies also quote policies with less coverage in certain areas or use state mandated minimums.

That can make coverage cheaper but it also means that the customer is not getting a fair/accurate comparison.

Some customers get blinded by the big "Savings" number and do not look into how/why it is cheaper.

I also agree with others that being able to meet face-to-face with an insurance agent is important.

Having personal contact when there is an issue or problem to work out can be very helpful.

[Bhigdog]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The lady wouldn't even come down where he was and speak to him. That was his last day with them. </div></div>

Hey Wayne, He should have asked to talk to the lizard. Or maybe he did........

[Fred Langille]

Hi! I'm new here but, I have had Nationwide on MY side for several years now and, haven't been treated badly at all. Must be that "face time" you mentioned. I had a 1983 San Fu BIC Passenger Van, a Chinese micro-van (traded it for my 1988 Buick Reatter ... never looked back)insured by them, along with our "BIG" car and, no problems for coverage without collision. The only thing I missed is the "jam and biscuits" at GEICO!

As for my Pre-War, I'm in the process of buying a '39 40 special Model 48 2-door sedan ... need to find a proper jack and tire iron, anyone got a clue for one?

Fred Langille

[Jim Bollman]

I have been with an independent agent for years. I have never had a problem with a claim and ever so often he checks the rates with a bunch of different companies and moves me if there is a better deal. He makes sure the coverage is comparable. The big win for me having a local independent is he has issued me a few days of insurance on several occasions to move a car or get one in my name (NY will not transfer ownership till you license it). He tells me to let him know if I have a problem and he will send the paperwork in and I will have to pay, otherwise he rips up the paperwork. Apparently he has 72 hours to send in the new policy.

[MCHinson]

It has been a long time since I had any hurricane claims, but I am sticking with Nationwide for my regular auto and homeowners policies. They took good care of me when we got hit with back to back hurricaines (including one antique car that was insured with them and totalled by a falling tree). My local Nationwide Agent is easy to deal with and I think I still owe them a few more years of premiums before they will ever break even on my past hurricane damage claims.

[R Walling]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information

Contact Dan Risley, SCRS Executive Director

Phone: (708) 598-3384 or Email: danrisley@scrs.com

Insurance Company Abuse - SCRS Members Identify Some Disturbing "Trends"

....

SCRS recently commissioned a survey of its membership, and during this survey process, a considerable amount of input was received from member and non-member repairers from all over the country. It is with this information that SCRS has based the following position.

SCRS can not accept any actions from any segment of the industry that exhibits blatant disregard for its members. SCRS members are made up exclusively of collision repair shops from across the United States. In our opinion, blatant disregard includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Deceptive referral practices of a malicious nature. Utilizing language and word tracks that cause the consumer to question the quality, services and integrity of any repairer that is not a part of an insurers' Direct Repair Program (DRP) or "referral" program.

Disparaging Statements. It has been reported to SCRS that there are some insurance company employees making disparaging remarks to consumers in an effort to apparently "steer" them to one of their DRP, referral or concierge-type shops. In our opinion, this is in clear violation of the laws in place in many states that prohibit an insurer from steering customers to a specific repair facility.

Secondary steering tactics. It has also been reported that there are various field appraisers that often-times write a repair estimate that is as low as 50% of what the repair shop has written. When the consumer is given this information, their immediate reaction is: "What do you expect me to do with this, it is only half of what XXX shop needs to fix my car?" Apparently some of those field appraisers readily respond with, "If you go to XXX shop (Their company DRP, referral or concierge-type shop) they can fix your car for our figure." In many cases, the end cost is equal to or greater than the original shops estimate.

Vague and Ambiguous remarks about repair "delays". It is reported that various insurance company employees have time and again insinuated, or worse yet, stated to a consumer that the repairs will take longer if they are NOT done at one of their DRP, referral or concierge- type shops.

Refusal to reimburse for proper repairs. Certain field appraisers have apparently developed their own terminology, as well as redefining, what a "proper" repair is. As it relates to an area of the vehicle that may not be visible without removing a trim panel or floor covering, it seems as though various field appraisers have made the determination that finish work on a "Non Appearance Panel" is not necessary. In our opinion, this goes firmly against the contract language which calls for the repairs to be made to "pre-accident function AND appearance."

Misleading service offerings or insinuations in the name of consumer service. There are a number of insurance programs where the consumer is duped into utilizing the insurers DRP, referral or concierge-type program which leaves the consumer with little to no information as to where the vehicle will be repaired, what the amount of the repairs will be, the methodology of the repair, etc. It is our opinion that the owner is left with little or no say in any of these important decisions. We are gravely concerned that through all of their marketing efforts, some insurers have convinced the state insurance departments or regulatory bodies that this very process brings value to the consumer, when in reality, the recent surveys by SCRS as well as J.D. Power and Associates indicate otherwise.

Database manipulation and representing it as 'market acceptable processes'. The manipulation of the databases used in the various estimating guides is a practice that cannot be tolerated. At least one insurer has convinced one information provider to alter their system to default to an arbitrary figure of 50% of the actual refinish time required for a proper repair. This is all without merit, and goes firmly against the vast research and posted times developed through time studies and other means by the information system provider.

Intimidation techniques and threats to keep DRP, referral or concierge-type shop operators from discussing the details of the various programs. It is reported that some insurers seemingly intimidate their participating shops from discussing the values and faults of the programs through the fear of retribution. Repairers have stated that they fear losing work by discussing these unfair practices surrounding the questionable repair methods used by many of the inexperienced appraisers and adjusters handling these claims.

Utilizing inexperienced claims staff to negotiate repair hours and methods based on a consumer's loss. It is reported that there are insurers employing a significant number of inexperienced claims personnel. This causes serious delays and issues when trying to negotiate a fair claim settlement between an inexperienced claims adjuster and an experienced collision repairer. The tactics employed by these inexperienced staff members causes production delays for the repairer, parts issues and overall increased cycle time which lowers customer satisfaction due to obvious missed or ignored items.

Denigrating a collision repairer because of the lack of a DRP, referral or concierge-type program relationship. Based on our discussions with multiple repair facilities, some insurance personnel seemingly employ tactics and word tracks to leave doubt in a consumer's mind as to the quality of the shop when they are not a participant in one of their DRP, referral or concierge-type programs. These word tracks include such verbiage as: "Due to your decision to take your car elsewhere from our network, you may encounter delays and incur additional repair costs or rental car expense that we will not be responsible for."

Prey on the consumer's lack of knowledge in their rights or repair expectations to gain leverage against the informed repairer. The vast majority of consumers do not have the skills or experience needed to make sound collision repair decisions without guidance and input. Unfortunately, it appears as though some insurers take this situation and use it in their favor. The end result is a consumer who is coerced into a situation that may not be in their best interest. In fact, if repairs are done in a substandard way, the consumer is often times at a loss on how to rectify the situation.

Unnecessary delays for estimate completion and authorization. Some insurers are reported as having their adjuster or appraisers come out and inspect the vehicle and write an estimate. In many cases, it appears as though those adjusters have no authority (or possibly don't have the skills needed) to write an accurate or complete estimate of the damage. Shops must go through several layers of management in order to get simple required procedures that are missed on the estimate. Our members also indicated that to completely fix the vehicle, they must write many supplemental increases because the original insurer's estimate was grossly incomplete.

Refusal to negotiate in good faith. Some insurers have been noted to arbitrarily state that repair market conditions prohibit reimbursement for certain procedures, labor rates and other required work (without a proven valid survey performed in those market areas). This appears to merely be a negotiation tactic on the part of these insurers, to not properly reimburse the repairer for the required work. In particular, there are some insurers that grossly disregard the vehicle manufacturers' repair procedures and recommendations, and in fact, have flat out refused to reimburse for those procedures frequently.

In conclusion, it is both a belief and concern of SCRS that there are some insurers (or their representatives) that have utilized word tracks and their size to influence or intimidate consumers into utilizing their programs or to follow their misleading direction. It is unfortunate that seemingly these insurers have no consideration for ensuring their customers receive quality, cost effective repairs and instead convince unsuspecting consumers to accept what has been proven in many cases to be inferior repairs for what appears to be driven by price-only decisions. In fact, there are a number of instances where insurers have purchased a "repaired" vehicle back from a consumer in order to minimize the issues that improper repairs (from their recommended shops) and the refusal to pay for needed operations has seemingly caused.

SCRS fully supports those repairers that have invested in the efforts of bringing to task perpetrators for their unacceptable tactics and gross disregard for proper repairs. We fully support any repairer who stands up for what they believe has been an injustice to their business, such as what North State Custom from Bedford Hills, New York alleges in their lawsuit against Progressive Insurance Company. In our opinion, it is totally unacceptable for any industry segment to utilize "bully" tactics in an effort for their own gain. Specifically, in our opinion, it is the OBLIGATION of ALL insurance companies to make their insured's as well as their claimant's whole after such a loss. This means that they must fully compensate those directly involved to ensure a cost effective, high quality and timely repair be performed.

SCRS is extremely disappointed in the tactics of a select few and fully recognizes that there are a large number of insurers and repairers alike that work together each day to ensure the goals of high quality, timely and cost effective repairs are performed.

As has been offered a number of times, enough is enough! If you feel that any insurance company is employing any of the tactics outlined above, it is your responsibility to put a stop to it. Do NOT accept this type of behavior!!! You should all support those that have taken on the challenges of fighting for what is right on your behalf.

Through its direct members and 34 affiliate associations, SCRS is comprised of 6,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 specialized professionals who work with consumers and insurance companies to repair collision-damaged vehicles. Additional information about SCRS including other news releases is available at the SCRS web site: www.scrs.com. You can e-mail SCRS at the following address: info@scrs.com.

My note, They are being polite is saying "some" insurance companys cheat. In my experience as a body shop owner of 43 years, MOST cheat.

[Ron Green]

I have all my every day drivers and homeowners through Allstate (many years) and the past few years the homeowners insurance would go up 20 to 30 percent and the car policy 8 percent every year. I spoke to my agent complaining about these increases (zero claims) and miraculously she was able to sign me up as a new customer and save me $800 a year.

[Paul Dobbin]

Insurance is a hard topic to cover in great detail on a forum because it's regulated by 50 different state insurance commissions. ie: The Florida people and the Ohio people don't have the same lobbiests paying for protection

on the same perils. (buying influence in 50 states is expensive)

[Restorer32]

Another point to bear in mind is that regardless of which company insures your antique vehicles, if you have a claim, the appraiser/adjustor who shows up to look at your car will likely have little if any experience with collector vehicles. This includes the large specialty collector car insurance folks. Virtually all companys farm out their appraisal work to the same folks who would come to look at your 2007 Isuzu. About 15 years ago I had an appraiser who wanted to total a '32 Packard Conv for the damage estimate of $4500. Usually though, once you educate them a bit, they are willing to pay fairly for repairs. Also, never let the insurance co write the check to you and a repair shop together. You pay the premiums, the money is due you, not the shop. Whether or not you even have the repairs completed is none of the insurance company's business.

[Twitch]

Insurance as well as everything else has taken a dump in customer service whether you have an agent or not. I am hearing from more guys all the time that so called full service companies simply route your claim or querry directly to the repair center. Here's folks that have religiously paid State Farm or Farmers or others more money feeling it was OK because they had an agent to assist them, ask questions of and make any claims process easier.

They are now no better than the companies that do not have a network of single agent offices. Face it. Your agent, like everybody else in the world of business, does not want to talk to you anymore unless you are a new or prospective customer or want to increase your coverage. Their calls are screened better than the Pentegon's and people have told me how they've had to deal with the other parties insurance company directly and are shunted off by the agents to regional repair centers.

I've had what I guess is a company like Geico. It has branches but many "agents" per location that deal with you over the phone. You call in for policy changes no differntly than you would for a "full service" company. And I beleive most of the Geico-type putfits have the same set up as "full service" companies do with collision repair centers to get your damage fixed.

The only times I've had to deal with "full service" companies i've had to end up dealing with higher echelon personnel nyway because the agents were lazy dopes.

ANd I've been in the situation where I've voiced my unhappiness with rates/service and an agent says he can do this or that to lower my rate. I quit then anyway because if they are working for me as agents they should have been doing that anyway!! Now suddenly when I threaten to quit they can save me money. Bull!!!

They all make slick commercials about how much they care though projecting this compassionate image that is totally false. The property insurance companies colluded in California after the 1994 earthquake and internal memos showed how they were jumping for joy because they collectively settled for pennies on the dollar cheating consumers.

You're better off getting cheaper agentless insurance cause they're gonna screw you no matter what. At least you won't have paid $2000 a year more for 20 years for nothing.

[Guest ChaplainLar]

What does anyone know about SafeCo Insurance? I received a fairly low quote (compared to others) and there are independent agents in town that work with this company.