How hard can it be to buy home owner’s insurance. It’s like, “Please take my money and sell me a damn policy.” No, they have to screw with me.
I went to the Bahamas for a week just to come back and find my Travelers home owner’s insurance canceled. The reason: I don’t have central heat. Like most homes in this area of California I have a natural gas wall heater. It does a great job and this is western California (Gilroy) and it doesn’t get cold here. When I get back with no warning they have me canceled and refunded part of my money I paid. No phone call; nothing.
Now that I’ve been denied coverage it’s now more difficult to get insurance. They created a black mark against me. So I’m creating a black mark against them. Never pick a fight with a blogger who buys data by the terabyte.
These people are real morons and I despise morons. I tried calling them and talking to them about it but that just got me more pissed off. So since I bought it through Geico because I had auto insurance through them I’ll probably go with someone else as well.
I had Farmer’s insurance last year and they were morons too. In fact that’s why I switched companies. I got them while purchasing this house. After paying them and it being too late to change, they demanded that I paint the windows… seemed to be pride of ownership related. I told them that I didn’t yet own the house and that the condition of the paint wasn’t my fault. Besides, I planned to replace the windows as soon as I could after buying it. Not good enough for them. I had to paint the windows anyway and then they charged me an extra fee beyond what we agreed to. So that’s why I dropped them in favor of someone else. Stupid people must be punished, not rewarded.
So, Farmers and Travelers is on my do not buy list. However I am needing to get some insurance and looking to find a company who isn’t a bunch of morons who is willing to just sell me some damn insurance without a lot of crap.
Someone just sent me this link to insurance ratings. Looks like Travelers is not well rated.
Not sure if Arbella sells insurance out there, but I’ve had really good luck with them. We had a bad hail storm in my town last year. Very unusual for this area. My neighbor has Travelers and they refuse to pay to have his house re-sided. They want to cover just one side.
I have Arbella, they paid to side and roof my whole house. The siding was faded and you wouldn’t be able to match the color, so they covered the whole thing.
And my cars were damaged in the same storm. Put in the claim on a Tue, had a check in hand on Fri for the cars.
Before that storm I was planning on shopping around for cheaper rates. Afterwards, no way. After seeing how my neighbor was treated I’m sticking with them.
I’m thinking this is part of the conspiracy to kill off the American middle class. Travelers is probably in bed with some developer/realtor who plans to (or is already) build mega-homes in your area. And Running out the middle class, older homes, is all part of the scheme. I’ll just be these moron insurers don’t give the $500k homeowners these hassles. But just own an old house, sitting on property they might like to see redeveloped soon. And the policies start getting tough to find. This could all be part of the great american middle class screw job. You’re either Martha (six mansions) Stewart, or you’re soon to be someone who can’t afford their own shack. As far as big banks and insurers are thinking.
So you’re in the path of a hurricane, and you’re upset the insurance company raises your rates because you are at a high elevation? Isn’t this one of those places that the US government pays to fix your house after it comes down in a storm?
We are a bit behind in the insurance industry here in Malaysia but can anyone tell me why they can force you to PAINT YOUR WINDOWS to keep your insurance? That seems incredible to me.
I would be amazed if any insurance personnel here got out of their office seats, let alone going around inspect client’s house windows!
“So you’re in the path of a hurricane, and you’re upset the insurance company raises your rates because you are at a high elevation? Isn’t this one of those places that the US government pays to fix your house after it comes down in a storm?”
Ah.. The guy said that he lives in Long Island, New York. Not exactly the hurricane center of the Western World.
Get insurance with a local agent, a real person with whom you can talk when there is a problem. Paying the lowest dollar often gets you in the situation in which you find yourself.
I have USAA and they have always been good to me. I actually had an insurance agent recommend them to me back when I was a 2nd LT in the Army.
This is why we need even more regulation of the insurance industry than most.
Without it, you can get screwed for DECADES of premiums without even knowing it.
Conservatives are so full of crap when they argue that insurance should be de-regulated. You’re a sucker if you believe them.
Might I recommend Amica. They are a mutual insurance company–not a for profit scumbag corporation. They always seem to be winning some JD Powers award for customer service. I am happy with them.
Mark, it’s a slippery slope you’re on. I’ve long past run out of airlines to fly based on the same philosophy.
#25, one post said Virgin Islands.
#12 Except that like most credit card application forms, mixed in with the 29 or so pages of terms and conditions there is most likely a clause that states something like:
“you hereby allow the insurance provider to change the terms and conditions at any time without notification”
Of course nobody has the time, attention span or legalease degree to carefully read all the fine print, but you can bet that such a condition is hidden in there somewhere.
#32. You are dead wrong, we do not get government subsidized insurance. You are thinking about the continental US. The VI does not qualify, even though we pay the same taxes you do, we do not get that “benefit” (which by the way I disagree with). Besides, if you read the comment the excuse they use was that I was in a flood plane. They didn’t raise the rate, they canceled the policy. I had to hire a surveyor and submit a Topo to prove the elevation.
Please, Mike learn to read.
Actually I signed up with Amica. So far so good.
Hey McCullough!
I lived just above FrenchTown in St. Thomas for about a year. Enjoyed it immensely – as long as I kept some distance from RastaLand.
Only problem with companies like Amica, Geico, or 21st Century is that they do not have local insurance agents that you can meet with personally if a problem arose. Consumers have much greater satisfaction when they have a local agent to lend a hand!
Travelers is a mornic company. The speak out of both sides of their big mouths. They make everyone smile when JD Powers is there and when they leave ship half of the work to India. Those that are left there work hard to try and do right by the customers but can not due to their insane phone standards which leave the customer stranded and UNHAPPY. We are stuck getting screamed at by irate callers and we can sympathize becuase of their backwards procedures.
The Insurance industry is extremely regulated… The company has 14 days to cancel you when you start a policy, and then can choose to non renew after the life of the policy(1 year on homes). You always have the right to switch companies or cancel. Even if your home is paid through escrow.
For the most part, companies will return your pro rated premium, while others will repay you with a short-rate.
No central heat makes the home a risk for a few reasons, most notably a plumbing freeze… While this is not an issue in much of California, it gives them enough to decline coverage in the 1st two weeks.
Farmers making you paint the home was just a local agent being a prick.
If you really had an issue with Travelers, make a complaint to the state Insurance commissioner. These complaints are taken very seriously, if valid.
Well… after having Traveler for over seven years and never asking them for a thing… today they told me they won’t cover the earthquake damage we got (we live about 10 miles from Mineral, VA). Tomorrow I’m changing to USAA. It’s a matter of principle.