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August 2009
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When my producer suggested we do our own Katrina-type follow-up to last December's windstorm, I didn't think we would find many problems. Some were upset there were so many "exclusions." Others told me they accepted less than they deserve because they were tired of fighting and wanted to move on. I also talked to people who didn't realize you could even ask the OIC for help. The OIC says they never hear from the vast majority of people who have problems. 3 Comments |
linda bryon,i'm in simulair
situation as cronin-& farmers ins. we also had a trees fall on our house dec 06 &costant delays there misplacing reciets and paper work has been an ongoing thing i would like to talk with cronin's &schultz 253-279-5499 call me laural
You hit the nail on the head about people not knowing what is in their policy. As an agent, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to get people to understand what they are buying...but they are not interested. They only want the lowest cost and then are disappointed later. The other item not mentioned in your story is "where is the homeowner's agent in all of this?" For people who have a good relationship with their agent...they know what the policy covers and they know to call the agent at claim time. Problems can arise at claim time (as in any business, and that is what the insurance company is) but these problems can usually be corrected before you feel like you have to go to the OIC) You are paying for your agent to be your advocate and get your issues solved based on the coverages you have purchased. Use your agent...a good agent would not let you go through the claims process alone! For every negative story you want to tell about ANY insurance company, there are thousands of positive claims that get handled and paid every day by insurance companies that help build customer loyalty to their insurance company. If that wasn't the case, the insurance companies would be out of business and we would all be "self insuring" our homes and cars!
I am also an agent and completely agree with Cathy. Very often, the only thing a customer hears is the bottom line and takes no responsiblity to learn about the coverage they are purchasing, despite the best effort of the agent to educate them. They walk out of the office thinking that every single loss is totally covered, only to be mystified and angry to find that's not the case.
Several things were missing from your story - how much has already been paid out on this claim? I think it's a great deal more than $40,000. What exactly is Farmers denying? Was there pre-existing damage subject to policy exclusions? What are the policy limits? Where was the response from Farmers? What exactly are they claiming under the policy?
The vast majority of claims are paid promptly and fairly. But that doesn't make a very interesting news story does it? I'd like to see this re-examined and ALL of the facts presented.