Switch from Mercury to State Farm auto Insurance? From State

by g.sorensen » Sat May 17, 2008 10:08 pm

I'm looking into the pros and cons of these two auto insurers and would like some input from anyone who's been covered or is still covered by one of these two companies.

Total Comments: 8

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 12:24 am Post Subject: State Farm is changing

I own a body shop, and State Farm is still ok for me to deal with right now, but in my opinion they are rapidly going down hill. Believe it or not in my experience E-surance has been pretty good to work with.

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 11:30 am Post Subject:

It's just so local, and depends on the circumstances...check YOUR states Dept of Ins. website most show the number of complaints per company...they further show (many of them) whether they were justified complaints etc..and IMO stay away from the top offenders.

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:47 am Post Subject:

Selecting an Auto Insurance Company :

Most all businesses are Nice while we are giving them money in exchange for the products they sell. Most give us something tangible like Food, Firewood, Electricity, Natural gas, Used Car, Toys, etc. for that $1000.oo or more per year. We can see and touch and use the product and get a feel for what it can and can not do as we expect it to based on the Advertising and implied abilities by the Company selling the product.


Likewise most all Insurance Co.'s are Nice to deal with while we are giving them Money in exchange for a Paper Promise that is generally only valid for Six Months to a year.

If we've been accident free for that year we are happy because our life's routines have been un-interrupted by an automobile accident. Our insurer is happy also, they get to keep all of that money while we get to keep an expired Piece of Paper. Then we get to repeat the process all over again, year after year.

Unlike other products, with insurance, until that dreaded accident occurs, one never knows how they will be treated should they need to actually use that Insurer's Paper Promise. Decades could pass before one discovers if they have been paying a Good insurer or if they have been paying their hard earned Money to an not so ethical company??

How will your brand of insurance treat you? -- What's their track record? And more importantly... what's their track record *Locally*?

There is a Huge National source of knowledge throughout this country that has the answer to those questions.

That information is at your local Auto Body [Collision] Repair Shops. They see first hand, over and over again how each insurer [and more importantly, how each Company Adjuster] treats their insured's and third party Accident Claims. They know which company is more likely to Pay the full cost of your expenses as a result of an accident and which company is likely to Stall, Delay, and Deny full payment.

The individual Company Adjusters have the ability to set the "real" day to day claims handling practices that an insurance acompany will be judged by in the area the Adjuster works. I communicate with Collision shops around the nation and as unbelievable as it may seem to some... the same insurance company can be number one in one area and two counties away be the worst company anyone has ever had to deal with. I know, I've experienced it many many times over the past 40+ years of repairing automobiles.

If you care about your Car, Before you Sign... it might be a good idea to contact a few Auto Body Shops in your area and ask them about the "Claims handling practices" they've experienced with the company you are considering purchasing automobile insurance from.

Also, start out by asking if [and which] insurance company(s) the Auto Body Shop has Direct Repair Agreements with. These agreements could [but may not] create a bias response to your questions because they may be concerned their answers may cause them to lose some referrals from Your insurer.


That's my 2¢ worth for now. ( maybe ± a couple ¢ ) :)


FK,

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 03:20 pm Post Subject:

Goog advice to the poster Fred, and it came without having to hire a caveman or a talking duck or Gecko to make the poster feel positive about the experience.

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 05:12 pm Post Subject:

Goog advice to the poster Fred, and it came without having to hire a caveman or a talking duck or Gecko to make the poster feel positive about the experience.

_________________

Meant to say good, sorry bout that! Darn home lap top, says I am logged in but won't let me post under my screen name and couldn't edit.

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 09:05 am Post Subject:

FK, I think that’s a very important point raised by you….the local performance of the insurer should be an important determinant of your choice. The customer feedback varies widely. And, therefore, you would hear both good and bad about the same company. IMO it depends largely on the local operators. If you have good and considerate claim handlers, you’d get your claim handled properly.

Thanks,
Rupert

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 09:58 am Post Subject:

He's correct about local opinion too..one one area all the shops love working with st farm...if a couple of county's over dispise them...it's mostly about how is handling the area, their knowledge bank, and ability to bridge the gap. Same of courese goes with any business you chose...you shop throughy check them out...ask your agent what are the best shops in the area...they can tell you which shops they get complaints about their work and which ones they never get complaints about.

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 02:04 pm Post Subject:

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