Auto Insurance Question

by Guest » Tue Dec 28, 2010 02:49 am
Guest

I am writing to ask your suggestion on dealing with my auto insurance problem as well as expressing my dissatisfaction with the customer service at my auto insurance company.
I just discovered today that our insurance company didn't insure our new car we purchased in Feb, 2010, because the insurance company sent us the renewal information of 2011 which still showed the information of the car we traded in for the new car as well as the other car we are still using. Basically, our agent then sent us the contract and the insurance cards electronically right before he left the company in March (which I didn't know until today). However, our new car insurance was not entered into the system. I setup automatic monthly premium payment from our bank account and I didn't pay attention to the number at all. When I called the insurance company today, the representative asked for the contract from our agent but it's not handy for me at that moment so I requested other way instead of the contract to investigate the case but was rejected. I requested to talk to the superviser and was put on hold for more than ten minutes before the same person told me none of her supervisers would like to talk to me because they didn't have other method to investigate the case other than the contract. I was shocked to hear the supervisers would not take the time to eplain to me and requested someone at the upper level to contact me so that I can communicate my dissatisfaction. One minute later the same representative called me telling me atcually the VIN number of my new car would be sufficient to investigage. AFter I supplying the VIN number she started to ask me to quote my new car. I questioned her why I need to answer those question to submit the request for investigation, she said just in case my car was not insured then it's better to be insured now. I questioned her whether ther's such need to do so before the investigation because I have the confirmation from my agent then in my computer. She then tolde me she didn't find my car information in the company system. I was very upset with her dishonesty and requested to hear from the branch manger regarding the investigation before further action. Now I rethought about it and was concnerned that even though I have the electronic insurance cards, since it's illegal to have no car insurance, will I be in a disavantaged position if not completing the insurance quote? Any suggestion for me? Thank you!

Total Comments: 7

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 06:33 am Post Subject:

our insurance company didn't insure our new car we purchased in Feb, 2010

You are required by law to have an insurance card with the vehicle listed on it in the vehicle itself. First indication that something was wrong is... no card... for almost a year.

setup automatic monthly premium payment from our bank account and I didn't pay attention to the number at all.

Another error... you never once looked at the amount being taken out each and every month?

but it's not handy for me at that moment

By saying "not handy" I'm guessing it means you don't have one... or the matter is not important enough for you to look for it

She then tolde me she didn't find my car information in the company system

In what way was she being dishonest? Perhaps I missed something... they have not been charging you for almost a year, never mailed you an insurance card and you think she's lying about seeing the car listed on their computer system?

Any suggestion for me?

Depending on how hacked up the policy is by the insurance company, if it's a replacement vehicle then it should have liability coverage this entire time. That is, most policies are going to carry on the liability coverage for a replacement vehicle. It's this way because the liability exposure is a person and a car... that never changed. Liability risk to other people does not change based on the type of car you drive.

If there have been no accidents simply add the vehicle to the policy at this time and call it even or you can feel free to supply your proof as they requested. How hard is it to forward an email? It would take me about 30 seconds. How long has your plan of attack taken? Seems like the agent never sent in the change. Stuff happens. But not being reasonable is not going to make the matter any better. Sometimes you need to step up to the plate in order to correct someone's mistakes. It's not like they are asking for anything unreasonable. You forward the email... they add the vehicle in retro... problem solved.

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:24 am Post Subject:

the fact that your agent left the company in the following month might be an issue. But I agree with the first response... how could you not have known for that long?

lylesinsurance.webs.com

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 03:51 pm Post Subject: My Reply

Thank you for your writings. But it seems you didn't get a full picture of my situation. Besides, when I posted the message I expected someone to offer real help other than criticizing randomly. The origin of the mistake lies in the company. Now that I discovered the problem, the company has the responsibility to solve the issue. I have never had such an expreirence of being put on wait for ten minutes before being told the superviser won't talk to me because he or she has no other way to help. It's a basic courtesey that he or she should explain him/herself, otherwise how can I know it's the superviser's decision or the agent's decision? In this sense, it's also a basic organizational design issue. Besides, insurance industry is customer service oriented. Besides, obviously there does exist other way to solve the issue. That's totally lack of professionalism. Honestly, your comments didn't appear to be valuable to me.
I do have insurance card for my new vehicle, which was sent by my agent electroncially, as I stated in my previous posting.When my agent left the company he didn't let me know and I have been a cautious driver and have no need to contact the agent or company for insurance matters. The insurance company has been withdrawing monthly payment from my banking account for the orginial amount, i.e., the premium for the car I am still driving and the one I already sold. When I say it's not handy for me, it's simply because I had no access to computer at that time when talking to the agent. I think the agent is not honest because she didn't tell me the real situation directly until I asked her whether she already found out the car was not listed in the system. I guess maybe it's the professional style or convenition in the insurance industry that I just couln't appreciate personally.

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 06:25 pm Post Subject:

But it seems you didn't get a full picture of my situation.



I think everyone has a very clear picture of the situation but you.

The origin of the mistake lies in the company. Now that I discovered the problem, the company has the responsibility to solve the issue.



You have it backwards. If a mistake is made, it is the insured's responsibility to bring it to the attention of the insurance company IMMEDIATELY, in order to prevent any loss of protection.

The insurance company has been withdrawing monthly payment from my banking account for the orginial amount, i.e., the premium for the car I am still driving and the one I already sold.



That, again, is "your problem" not the insurance company's. If you recognized there was a mistake, you are responsible to report it, so that it may be corrected. Methinks you figured you were getting a bargain by paying less than you should have been for the new car, so why complain?

I guess maybe it's the professional style or convenition in the insurance industry that I just couln't appreciate



No, it's your failure to work with an agent who is actually in business. If your agent left the company, you needed to find a new agent IMMEDIATELY.

What's the common denominator here? Your failure to do anything for a year . . . instead of immediately.

Fortunately, you do not appear to have suffered any claims events, which would have been worse.

I have never had such an expreirence of being put on wait for ten minutes before being told the superviser won't talk to me because he or she has no other way to help.



Apparently you've never dealt with a credit card company, either. Try 20 minutes on hold before you get to the first CSR, then another 20-30 to get to a supervisor.

10 minutes? You should be celebrating.

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 06:48 pm Post Subject: Final Posting

I thought there existed any intellectual experts here in this forum. Obviously that's quite the opposite. I doubt your real motive to answer my questions. Are you solely pecuniary reward driven? That's really pathetic! No need to waste time here any more.

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 06:49 pm Post Subject: Last One

I thought there existed any intellectual experts here in this forum. Obviously that's quite the opposite. I doubt your real motive to answer my questions. Are you solely pecuniary reward driven? That's really pathetic! No need to waste time here any more.

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 05:58 am Post Subject:

I doubt your real motive to answer my questions



The problem is . . . you don't want to hear the truth. You want someone to suck up to you and pat you on the head and say, "There, there! Let me kiss your boo-boo and make it all better."

Every reply to your original and subsequent post has been direct and to the point. You have received the best answers for your dilemma, yet you insist that we have ulterior motives for replying as we did. You are insinuating that the only reason for anyone to offer a reply is to earn $0.10-$0.45. Please! We all have better things to do than that.

As Jack Nicholson's character shouted in response to Tom Cruise's, "I WANT THE TRUTH!" demand . . . "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!"

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