INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE PREDATORY

Within the past three months I have been (shafted, royally screwed) take your pick...by no less than 2 major insurance companies. This is my story, my way to fight back against a superior foe. ...and in keeping with the stated mission of this blog....to warn other seniors about what may be lurking out there.

FLORIDA AUTO INSURANCE
If you are in an incident with another vehicle, where no police report has been filed, no tickets issued, you do not report it to your insurance company, the other driver does not report it...and as far as you are aware
there is nothing in your record to show anything took place...nevertheless

you may be shocked to find when you apply for new insurance that the new company tells you about the incident and quotes you a higher rate because of your "driving record".

How could this happen?...

The other driver reported it and it became part of your record through something called a "clue report". I only found out about this "clue report" in which most insurance companies trade information without you being aware, by speaking to a forthright person in an underwriting dept. Don't try to contact someone in one of those departments because God may be easier to reach!!

Now for the bad news. There is no way to remove this incident from your record for 3 years. So you are saddled with this noose around your neck that you cannot remove and .... it is going to cost you a higher rate EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT AT FAULT!!

Update as of 02/10/09

Further events in the world of the big, bad, mercenary, nasty insurance companies.
I indicated to my current insurance co. that I would be cancelling my policy. Big mistake!!

I subsequently received a letter in the mail stating "at my request they were cancelling my policy effective (the date my policy term came to an end.) Why did they do this?...Simple...So they could save a few dollars by not insuring me during the period from the date of their notice to me until my policy lapsed.

Another example of what predatory s.o.b.s that industry employs... The golden rule that over rules every other rule that most companies try to live by in other industries...

1) Part company with long time customers in the nicest of ways...who knows, you may have the chance of selling them again.

2) Bend over backwards to try and put a sort of bonus in their pocket, like a pro rated return of their money on the unused portion. This holds true in any kind of business where this kind of technique is possible to employ.and it leaves a good taste in their mouth which story they may
relate to their friends thus helping your company's reputation and growing your customer base.


Instead, they have their own iron-fisted rule to every employee in the company...settle only under threat of a lawsuit and then for an amount as close to ZERO as possible.

By the way, the credit reporting company, ChoicePoint, sent me a copy of the report they sent to my insurance co. (Only because they were forced to by state law) It confirmed my position ..it states "no entry within the past 3 years against record in above name" and under Driving Record it states
Motor Vehicle Record Clear....So what the heck is going on here?
No money ever paid out on any claim...No accident report ever filed..and yet I have a report filed against me on the record which causes my premium to be increased...and I can't get it off my record for 3 years!!! Something ain't right here!!

And this is the way they treat Seniors in the state of Florida?

SHAME!!!

HOMEOWNERS

We have Homeowners Insurance from Company H for a number of years. (Over 10 at the minimum) We have never filed a claim.

In accordance with instructions received from a claim adjuster employed by the insurance company, we recently filed a claim for repair of the Facia and a small corner of our roof.

We were concerned about an approaching storm so we "protected our property in advance of any bad weather" as instructed in writing by the adjuster, and employed a well recomended contractor to effect repair.

The Insurance Company then sent an inspector who reported that he could not inspect the roof because the repairs had already been made

but that he would take information such as a listing of the work done by the contractor.I made an offer to meet him at a convenient location and give him the package of information including before & after pictures of the roof repair on a CD. He would not accept the package saying that he was told by the adjuster at company H that we should send it directly to the adjuster.I did so and then proceeded to followup.

The adjuster kept telling me "I did not receive your information yet. Then he stated that his system prevented him from opening my CD pictures.

Of course I took the CD to a CVS drug store and he printed the pictures in about 29 minutes. I then sent the before and after pictures which clearly showed the damage and asked for a resolution to the claim.

Much to my astonishment he never asked me for a dollar amount we were claiming!! Sounds like his mind was made up before the fact, doesn't it??

The Insurance company then sent me a rejection letter telling me my claim was rejected because of an obscure paragraph buried in my policy under which they would not pay anything due to "Wear & Tear under normal usage." One look at our pictures clearly showed this was surely not "normal usuage.

<>So fellow (or ms) Senior, be

careful to check your "normal wear & tear" clause and have it carefully explained to you...IN WRITING!!

Conservative

A middle eastern reporter, not worthy of the title, throws his shoes at our President (the worst form of insult as viewed in the Muslim culture) and then his countrymen are pictured on International TV, as being ANGRY when he is jailed.

They are always angry, marching in the streets, chanting ugly phrases written by their clerics, so called religious men of peace, against the U.S. and it's Allies....and we sit on our hands.


Why don't we get angry...at the insults hurled at our President and other friends, at the threats to our way of life? Demonstrate, fill the streets shouting "Death to the the Muslim Extremists,

Down with Iran and Amadeemajob." (The Iranian ruler who is always threatening extinction to anyone opposed to him and his regime. ) But no car burning...that would lower us to the
level of those uncivilized people. (and right now...we can't replace the cars)




We don't do those things because we are afraid? Because we hate Bush that much? Well people..
you entirely miss the point. It is not President Bush they demonstrate against. Against whom they throw their shoes in a desperate attempt for attention. No Matter how you feel about
Bush, it is our country and our way of life they are threatening with extinction.
THEY HATE US !! Pure & Simple...

To answer "Well Bush has so much blood on his hands, has done so much wrong that we shouldn't defend him, misses the point...whether or not you hate or defend Bush, I believe we should continue to love our country. and if there are things about our way of life you don't like, then demonstrate and become active in opposition. But never allow a group of terrorists dictate to us what we may believe or not believe.

When the Tripoli Pirates started to hijack our vessels for ransom in the early years of our democratic republic, Thomas Jefferson, then our President, didn't hesitate one moment. With no army and very little navy he challenged them...

and won!!! and yet Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, in fact married one.

But he also was a major force in writing our constitution.So there is bad and good in every man. When Bush's legacy is written, who knows what the real facts will bring out? In the meantime, I've given eight years of my early youth to help defend our way of life and I refuse to stand by and listen to unqualified people bad-mouth it. The Taliban will not allow any dissension or opposition to their regime. Perhaps these negative souls would like to live there?

I AM ANGRY!!

I AM ANGRY BECAUSE SOMEONE SHOULD BE....