I just ended a 30 year relationship with State Farm Insurance today

[eridani]

Made the move to Allstate because State Farm refuses to stop being a major supporter of ALEC. There is not a single other major life and casualty company that backs ALEC--not Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Progressive..all are absent from the list.

I've written two letters to my agent, and got one boilerplate response and one ignore. That was it.

[secondvariety]

1. They were

also the first to drop homeowner policies en masse here in Florida. Once they got away with it, the other biggies followed suit. Heartless bastards.

[hobbit709]

2. My wife had been with them for years

About 20 years ago she renewed her car insurance and about 3 months later she was hit for a retroactive rate hike because she drove a Toyota. When she called they gave her what I call "Standard Answer 35B" and she told them where to stuff their rate hike.
She found another insurance company that gave her the same coverage for half the money.

[sendero]

3. I'm in the process..

... of leaving State Farm although I knew nothing about their support of ALEC.

I can get comparable homeowner's insurance for 40% less from other carriers. State Farm has given me good service over the years but not 40% good

[eridani]

4. I'd agree that their local agents are fine

I have strictly stopped tolerating doing business with people who fuck the public over. Ended a 20 year relationship with US Bank for the same reason.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. Here's one for ya.

From 1976 to 1978 I worked as an administrative assistant at a State Farm agent's office. The agent took time and trained me in all the policies so I could explain and sell the stuff as well as he could. He was very generous in that he would give me a percentage of any policies I sold. Anyway, one day the District Manager came in and was talking to me (OK, he was actually talking with the "girls" on my chest -- creep) and I asked him about me becoming an agent. His response and this is a direct quote: "We don't hire women agents." I was young and still trying to be a "good girl" so I didn't challenge it. Shame on me for that.

Not only did they not hire women, they didn't hire racial minorities. I pulled my insurance from them a LONG time ago.

[eridani]

6. I never paid much attention to their employment policies--if you grow up

--50 miles from Bloomington, IL, insurance was State Farm, period. Familiarity and inertia kept me around for a long time.

[DFW]

7. Oops. NOT like a good neighbor! n/t