Let's all take a deep breath here. The problem -- the REAL problem --- is that claims adjudication has been shoved down to a very low level of employee with insurance companies. Hell, if you've got a claim, you are probably dealing with sombody who makes $15K per year. I'm also on the Mercedes Benz Club of America Board. Some member there posted about outrageous treatment from an insurance company I know all too well. My daughter is a Vice President there! I read the post and called my daughter and told her they were looking at a bad faith lawsuit over this, and she said "Oh my God!" Well, needless to say, we got that one resolved that day! But my daughter complains that they have lowered the pay level of their claims examiners so low that they have a bunch of creatons adjudicating claims. And even somebody at the level my daughter is at can do nothing about the underlying problem. So certainly, agents can't do anything about it.

Me? I have some insurance through USAA, Hartford, and some of the "big boys." I've had to threaten bad faith suits on ALL of them to get treated right. Because these companies have delegated the claims examination process to their lowest level of employees, all insurance companies have become a real bunch of bastards. Speaking for me only, if an insurance company tries to cheat me out of even $1 on a claim on my own policy, I will not hesitate to sue for bad faith --- $1 in actual damages and $1 million in punitive damages. Will I get the $1 million? No. But I will get my $1 and attorneys fees and then some. Bad Faith is the only check we have on those SOBs

Thanks,
Richard

 

I have USAA and I also had my top slashed a month ago. They couldn't have handled it better. I took it in.. paid my $500 deductible and they took care of the rest. I can't really say any more than that. They really took care of everything else, the rest of the oF $1600 Bill.. the rental car.. everything.

As twisted as it sounds.. I never thought spending $500 and dealing with insurance would be such an enjoyable experience.

The level of service definetely helped lighten the sting of dishing out $500 for the new top - especially since some idiot broke into my car to steal $6 in change.

 

Well, good, I'm glad you only work with reputable companies.

And it's nice to know you also think this is wrong, whether it's legal or not. Lot's of things in are society these days are "legal" and a total rip off to the public. It must be really great to make a very nice living while hiding behind the fact that you don't have to speak directly to the public! Makes me wonder what our premiums would be if part of that money "wasn't" being filtered through a 2nd or 3rd party such as companies like the one you work for?

I've obviously got issues with the insurance industry. I absolutely resent being required by "law" to do business with any business!! I also hate the way they arbitrarily use statistics to justify unreasonable premium rates. Most of my life, I've had insurance agents spouting statistical data bases, most of which didn't even apply to me, as excuses to raise my rates. We then hear story after story on why they can't or won't pay when it's time for the money to flow the other direction.

I know I've been coming down a bit hard on you but when you posted,

making is sound like all this is somehow "his" fault because he didn't pay high enough premiums?

Now come to find out that you don't even have to make contact with the customer, you just sit nice and safe in your office, making a comfortable living off the little guy, while the company (whether it's actually one you do business with or not) screws said little guy!! I repeat,

You want to talk facts, Ok, here's a few!

1. His company set the rates. He took them up on the offer and they signed a contract.
2. He made a legitimate claim on that policy and they took their own sweet time paying the bill.
3. Now it's highly likely that he'll have to fork over a couple weeks car rental fees out of his own pocket because said company took it's own sweet time paying the bill. An expense he'd likely not have to pay if they'd been more prompt.

Kay, I know that none of this is your fault directly so I don't really mean any of this as a personal attack on you, although I realize a lot of it comes across that way. It's just wrong to imply that the "customer" is at fault in these cases.

My apologies to the forum for the excessive ranting. I'm done and am stepping off my soap box, again!

Drive Safe,
Steve R.

 

Not trying to be a dick but i can tell you don't know enough about how this works. I am not going to break everything down becuase this is jsut being beat to death.
But i am not in anyway hiding behind anything. Large Markets do not deal with agents, they apoint brokers/ undrwighters to do the rate the risk.
But i can;t fight with you if you don't understand hwow it works... becuase myt points not understood.
sorry.

 

I used to work for the Florida Dept of Insurance (now Florida Dept of Financial Services). Specifically in the office that would liquidate insolvent insurance companies.

I can tell you that Mercury was always on our watch list of insurers barely in the black. And I have no doubt that unless they are bought by a group intent on rehabilitating their financial status, they will end up in receivership. Also numbers from the Consumer Services group, which handles consumer complaint calls about insurers, consistently showed that Mercury has a high complaint to claimant ratio.

Delaying claims payments is one method for nearly insolvent insurers to continue operating on low funds. That is why it took so long for your claim to be paid.

With any property and casualty insurance it is better to go a name you have heard of with better claims handling reputations. The Florida Dept of Financial Services used to keep stats on complaints on their website, but I could not find it quickly when I looked. You can contact their Consumer Hotline and they should be able to direct you to that info so that you can select an insurer with the level of service you expect. Note that you will probably pay more for that extra level of service.

 

[QUOTE]You want to talk facts, Ok, here's a few!

1. His company set the rates. He took them up on the offer and they signed a contract.
2. He made a legitimate claim on that policy and they took their own sweet time paying the bill.
3. Now it's highly likely that he'll have to fork over a couple weeks car rental fees out of his own pocket because said company took it's own sweet time paying the bill. An expense he'd likely not have to pay if they'd been more prompt.