This is what bothers me the most. I had an insurance company for 5 years and never made a claim. I paid them almost $15kUSD over that course of time. I had me car broken into and the stole $2k worth of tools I had with me because I was helping a friend. They straight up wouldn’t pay out because they claimed the tools were for work.
I’m an insurance agent and I’m constantly frustrated by shit agents and shit companies giving all of us a bad name. Not that I always agree with the decisions from our claims people, but they generally try to be fair. I’m assuming this was long enough ago that it’s too late now, but for anybody else reading this who runs into a similar situation, you may have some recourse.
My first stop, if I have a local agent, would be their office. I would calmly and politely (agents don’t make coverage decisions so it isn’t their fault) explain the situation to them. They have a vested interest in keeping their customers happy and they may have access to claims supervisors who can make it right. They probably don’t want to lose you as a customer, especially over such a small claim.
If I’m still not happy, I would start pestering the adjuster to talk to their supervisor. Don’t be rude, but be persistent. Call every day. Leave messages and emails until you get the supervisor.
If they won’t give you a supervisor or the supervisor is no help, you can go above the claims department. It’ll be different for each company, but look for contact info for the “office of the president” or something like that. In my experience, those calls always get looked into by someone who has the power to really ruin your day as an agent or claims person. If you get a call from them, you had better either have a good explanation for why you did what you did or fix it in a hurry.
As a last resort, check with your state’s insurance department. You may be able to file a grievance.
I take claims practically every day and I can’t imagine this not being paid. I’m not sure why it would even be questioned, since it’s your first claim and it’s not huge. Could be that that particular adjuster is an idiot or on a power trip, but it’s also possible that the company is just shady.
It’s too late now, and I’ve since moved to using an insurance broker. But this is great to know. As a layperson navigating the world of insurance is hard enough with out of country call center, automated voice lines, and underpaid staff.
Thank you for your input, I’ll keep this in mind for the future.
I’m biased, but brokers and independent local agents are definitely the way to go. Going direct through one company means that everyone you talk to has no choice but to put that company’s priorities ahead of yours, even when they’re wrong. As an independent agent, if a company stops treating people fairly, we can just stop writing with them and offer our customers quotes with other companies. I also think there’s a lot of value in having an actual person with a local office that knows your situation and can help if things go sideways. I’ve physically been to every house I’ve ever written a policy on. You don’t get that online.
This is what bothers me the most. I had an insurance company for 5 years and never made a claim. I paid them almost $15kUSD over that course of time. I had me car broken into and the stole $2k worth of tools I had with me because I was helping a friend. They straight up wouldn’t pay out because they claimed the tools were for work.
Straight thieves.
I’m an insurance agent and I’m constantly frustrated by shit agents and shit companies giving all of us a bad name. Not that I always agree with the decisions from our claims people, but they generally try to be fair. I’m assuming this was long enough ago that it’s too late now, but for anybody else reading this who runs into a similar situation, you may have some recourse.
My first stop, if I have a local agent, would be their office. I would calmly and politely (agents don’t make coverage decisions so it isn’t their fault) explain the situation to them. They have a vested interest in keeping their customers happy and they may have access to claims supervisors who can make it right. They probably don’t want to lose you as a customer, especially over such a small claim.
If I’m still not happy, I would start pestering the adjuster to talk to their supervisor. Don’t be rude, but be persistent. Call every day. Leave messages and emails until you get the supervisor.
If they won’t give you a supervisor or the supervisor is no help, you can go above the claims department. It’ll be different for each company, but look for contact info for the “office of the president” or something like that. In my experience, those calls always get looked into by someone who has the power to really ruin your day as an agent or claims person. If you get a call from them, you had better either have a good explanation for why you did what you did or fix it in a hurry.
As a last resort, check with your state’s insurance department. You may be able to file a grievance.
I take claims practically every day and I can’t imagine this not being paid. I’m not sure why it would even be questioned, since it’s your first claim and it’s not huge. Could be that that particular adjuster is an idiot or on a power trip, but it’s also possible that the company is just shady.
It’s too late now, and I’ve since moved to using an insurance broker. But this is great to know. As a layperson navigating the world of insurance is hard enough with out of country call center, automated voice lines, and underpaid staff.
Thank you for your input, I’ll keep this in mind for the future.
I’m biased, but brokers and independent local agents are definitely the way to go. Going direct through one company means that everyone you talk to has no choice but to put that company’s priorities ahead of yours, even when they’re wrong. As an independent agent, if a company stops treating people fairly, we can just stop writing with them and offer our customers quotes with other companies. I also think there’s a lot of value in having an actual person with a local office that knows your situation and can help if things go sideways. I’ve physically been to every house I’ve ever written a policy on. You don’t get that online.