SPEAKING OF FRAUD...

AXO Alum · #1 11-14-2000, 04:41 PM

This is way long!

Okay - could someone PLEASE explain insurance to me. I was under the impression that since I live in a state where I have to carry collision and comprehensive, (and pay a $500 premium even though my husband and I have PERFECT driving records) that it might pay when I am involved in an accident...yeah right! So we're riding down a country road at night on a Monday and headed for a curve to the left (which means that naturally our vehicle will push out to the far right) - all of a sudden we hear this terrible crash and feel all this wind. Well - I look down and see the drivers side mirror in my lap (I'm on the passenger side) and there is no drivers side window - period. Somebody crossed the center line and hit our mirror causing it to come through the window. There was glass everywhere (thank heavens it was the safety glass that crumbled like it was supposed to and didn't cut us all to high heaven).

So the officer comes out, Mr. Personality to top all, and measures and all and determines it was not our fault - well the problem is we have no idea who did it. And never will. So we call the insurance agent on Tues. morning, and the assistant says to take it where we always go that they won't dispute us. So we go to the dealership (we have ALL our work done there because we know their work and trust them) - the bill comes to $528. So we call the insurance company back and they tell us first of all that we have to wait and see their adjuster since they don't work with dealerships, and secondly, that we have to pay the $500 deductible. If an animal hit us, they would pay for it. I said what about uninsured? No - we don't know who did it, so we don't know if he/she has insurance.....MY POINT EXACTLY! So we said screw it and just paid out of pocket. No sense filing a claim for $28 when we'd pay for it in the long run. I am just so PO'd about this. Everything we own is insured by this company - so guess what..."we're going to save hundreds of dollars by switching to Geico" (nah - we just have to hear those annoying commercials every 5 seconds). But we are going to change everything. I just don't see how we can do business with them after the way we were treated. It sucks! So I had to see if anyone else has experienced this kind of BS. Thanks for letting me rant!

[This message has been edited by AXO Alum (edited November 14, 2000).]

LXAAlum · #2 11-15-2000, 01:52 AM

AXO, man can I relate...

The Monday before Halloween, someone thought it very funny to throw a pumpkin from a speeding car into my car. $982!!!! It dented the car just behind the rear seat driver's side. The problem is that piece of metal is also part of the roof and the rear side panels. Had it gone into the window, as happened to a few other vehicles that evening around town, it would have totalled the car...you can't clean pumpkin guts out of upholstery I'm told.

Gee, when I was young, pumpkins were thrown into the street for the awesome impact events. We never dreamed of throwing it at private property...ugggghhhhh. Hope my kids aren't too upset next Halloween when I don't enthusiastically carve pumpkins like I used to...

AXO Alum · #3 11-15-2000, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LXAAlum:

The Monday before Halloween

That's when mine happened too! But I don't think it was a prank - probably just another drunk driver on the road of life

Glad you weren't hurt - but it still ticks you off I know! Are you having to pay the deductible too?

SoCalGirl · #4 11-16-2000, 08:36 PM

If the assistant is a licensed insurance agent, they have to do what she said. Because she's a representative of your insurance company. And to you, she IS the insurance company!

Double, even triple check, your policy. Make sure that glass is covered under your collision coverage. Also, double check that you even have "uninsured motorist-PROPERTY DAMAGE". It's not the same as regular uninsured motorist. Give your insurance agent a copy of the police report too. This proves that it was a hit and run. Which IS covered under uninsured motorist-property damage and bodily injury.

Make an appointment with your agent and make him explain ALL your coverages in DETAIL; AND why your limits are what they are. If you own a home, and he has you with the state minimums; RUN AWAY! He's only interested in commision and not in protecting your assets.

Definitely call around, even GEICO. Their agents; that you reach on the 800#, 24/7/365; are trained to do ALL of that the FIRST time.

Out of curiousity, what company are you with? You're in NC, right?