How can Geico cancel my comprehensive policy without notice?

by shijun_bu » Wed Mar 12, 2008 05:11 am

I bough my certified 2003 Toyota Corolla on April 24th 2007, and I insured my car with GEICO for 6-month comprehensive coverage, and indicated that the car is financed when I request the quota. As a general rule, any financed vehicle should take comprehensive coverage.

On 9/9/2007, the policy was renewed automatically. And I always paid the premium online.

On 2/13/2008, my car skidded on the snowy road (a pile of snow left on the middle of the road) and hit into the barrier, and evaluated at total loss by body shop.
Police came and filed the accident, then I reported claim to GEICO----------
All at a sudden, I was told that I don't have a comprehensive /collision coverage!!

After further inquiry, they explained that they deleted the comprehensive /collision coverage for lack of photo inspection! How can they do that without noticing me!
MY God, I never knew that I had been left unprotected until the accident happened! Nobody has ever informed me the change of coverage!!

GEICO insisted that they sent mail to my previous address requesting photo inspection, but I moved from Binghamton to Kirkwood. And before my move, I did receive several GEICO advertising mail with “important information” printed on the envelope. Possibly, I ignored one or two mails from GEICO after I received the insurance package which included my coverage in detail. Definitely, there is no page requesting photo inspection in the insurance package! or any this kind of reminder is included in the package.
what should I do now? please send advice to my email: shijun_bu[at]yahoo.com. thanks very much.

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Lakemen

Total Comments: 5

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:19 am Post Subject:

Haven't you noticed any change in your premium rate at the time of renewal? If your comprehensive coverage was dropped during this period there should have been a significant drop in your premium rate, because comprehensive/collision coverage is pretty expensive in nature.

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:42 pm Post Subject:

Good morning shijun_bu, and welcome to the community...I see immediately a few problems right out of the shoot!

On 9/9/2007, the policy was renewed automatically. And I always paid the premium online.

Did you not notice a big difference in your premium ? (should be substantially less!) or you didn't have collision/comp ever?

On 2/13/2008, my car skidded on the snowy road (a pile of snow left on the middle of the road) and hit into the barrier, and evaluated at total loss by body shop.

for 6-month comprehensive coverage

, This would be a 'collision' loss NOT comprehensive....

After further inquiry, they explained that they deleted the comprehensive /collision coverage for lack of photo inspection! How can they do that without noticing me!

Well, when you requested the quote or purchased the policy did they not say, something along the lines of, 'in order to provide you collision/comp we must receive a photo within blah blah amount of time?"...they would've had to have done so....did you just forget to do it? or what? They certainly can request this, and give you 'x' amount of time to do so...or refuse all together to issue those coverages until they have this pictures (or any REQUESTED information)...

Nobody has ever informed me the change of coverage!!

Are you SURE there was a 'change' that they dropped the coll/comp? or did you ever have it to begin with..? as I said if you had coll/comp then at renewal those coverages were dropped your premium should've been WAY WAY lower...did you not wonder why? More than likely there were numerous attempts, and maybe even on your renewal it said something like, 'due to your not providing the requested information (photos) we will not be able to provide you with coll/comp coverage' look at the renewal again...

GEICO insisted that they sent mail to my previous address requesting photo inspection, but I moved from Binghamton to Kirkwood.

Did you not fill out a change of address at the post office? How did you get the renewal ? They only have to send the notice to your last 'known' address...

And before my move, I did receive several GEICO advertising mail with “important information” printed on the envelope. Possibly, I ignored one or two mails from GEICO after I received the insurance package which included my coverage in detail.

I'm sorry but why on earth would you do that? ignor something from your own carrier that said 'important information'? I'm sure these were regarding your coll/comp coverages....

Definitely, there is no page requesting photo inspection in the insurance package! or any this kind of reminder is included in the package.

Still they attempted (more than once probably) to advise/warn you about this...You cannot now hold Gieco responsible for your not opening mail from them with ''important information'' right on the outside of the envelope for pete's sake!

As a general rule, any financed vehicle should take comprehensive coverage

. You are correct most leinholders require collision and comprehensive coverage, but this is between you and the leinholder...and ulitmately your responsbility...


Only thing that 'might' possibly help you, is that if Gieco knew you had a lein holder they would've advised your leinholder that your vehicle was not protected....your leinholder I'm sure also sent you some 'important' information saying something like, 'listen here buddy, you'd better get some coll/comp coverage on this vehicle or we will and it will cost you way more than it would privately!' so check thru all your mail see if your lein holder added coverage (that you will have to pay for) if they did you will have coverage thru that carrier whomever it is....otherwise, I'm sorry but you are just in a bad position now of still having to pay your leinholder for a vehicle you cannot drive...that really sucks...and a tough lesson to learn....

please send advice to my email: shijun_bu[at]yahoo.com. thanks very much

.

we (or I don't anyway) do not respond to emails....hopefully you put your email address in and will be sent a message that this thread has been updated....

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:56 pm Post Subject:

And before my move, I did receive several GEICO advertising mail with “important information” printed on the envelope. Possibly, I ignored one or two mails from GEICO after I received the insurance package which included my coverage in detail.



If so, then its your fault. And I'm taking that you haven't even read your policy document carefully. Have you updated them with your address change?

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 06:51 pm Post Subject: Replacement cost

Btw there is an annoying popup that is in readable in the iPhone screen and cannot be clicked odff. Please remove!!!

What ever happened to replacement cost for comprehensive and collision instead of cash value?

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:40 pm Post Subject:

What ever happened to replacement cost for comprehensive and collision instead of cash value?


Never in my 23 years EVER heard of replacement cost (I assume you are talking about when a vehicle totals)..on any auto policy or claim. ever..never, ever...it has always been ACV (actual cash value) and still is...there are a few companys out there that are offering an endorsement for replacement but that's relatively new, not all carriers, and I'm sure expensive.

Btw there is an annoying popup that is in readable in the iPhone screen and cannot be clicked odff. Please remove!!!

I have no idea what you're talking about.

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