Insurance Companies: Necessary Evil, or Tools of Satan? (a RANT)

[Missy Vixen]

My sad saga begins three days ago, at which time a local moran hit the back of my parked car (a '94 Nissan Sentra - don't laugh, it's paid for,) with his big ass Ram 15-passenger van. We won't even discuss that the moran didn't seem to know the area I was parked in is not wide enough to back up his massive vehicle, let alone do it without hitting another car. I was informed at the scene that the car was now illegal to drive due to the fact that said moran broke out not just the drivers side tail light, but the complete housing surrounding it, also managing to put an impressive crimp into the surrounding bumper area.

Moran left me a note reading, "Call me. (Phone number.) (Moran's name.) I couldn't figure out if he wanted to have dinner with me, or if he hit my car. Moran then called my work and left a) a fictitious insurance company phone number, and b) a fictitious license plate number for his vehicle.

Our insurance company, Amica, has been wonderful. Honestly. They are worth every penny. They had a rental car at my disposal within an hour of the accident. They have handled my every concern like champs. I'm writing about the moran's insurance company. It starts with "S", and rhymes with "afeco". (It was amazing how quickly the nice lady from my insurance company managed to ferret out the moran's true insurance information. I'm sure it had something remotely to do with "would you like to be charged with hit and run?") The "afeco" company called me yesterday. They had "questions".

It was astonishing how quickly the conversation went from "Could you verify the spelling of your last name?" to "There is some question as to whether or not our insured was truly at fault," which I met with, "You're joking, right? Your insured hit a parked car, legally parked in a parking space. Your insured admitted fault on my answering machine tape. Your insured then proceeded to give false information about his insurance coverage and even the license plate of his vehicle." I then told them to deal solely with my insurance company; I wanted no further conversation with them, and hung up.

I was going to post an even lengthier rant about the brain dead that obviously make the "S" company what they are today, but I have finally decided that they and the Moran deserve each other. In the meantime, have I mentioned today how much I hate some insurance companies?

Julie

[Spinzonner]

1. You underestimate them

they can be both

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Yeah they always pull that shit

In a few days they'll admit liability and send you to one of THEIR approved body shops where their adjuster will do an estimate..in the meantime get yourself an estimate or TWO.

[Missy Vixen]

4. Oh, the car's already at the body shop ;-)

>in the meantime get yourself an estimate or TWO.<

The car went to the body shop yesterday morning. Let's just say that "afeco" wasn't happy about that. "We must inspect it first!" the CS person loudly said, upon which I mentioned that I would like in writing that moran's insurance will be covering the rental car cost until said "inspection" has taken place. I also mentioned that the "inspection" will be done at the body shop the car was already at.

NSMA, they're acting like we've never been through this before. ;-) Thank you, though, for the great advice.

Julie

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. My pleasure

[GOPisEvil]

3. Both.

Although I have GEICO, and they've been nice...although I've never filed a claim with them.

[gizmo1979]

6. Insurance is gambling at it's lowest form

Life insurance for example,if you have life ins you are betting that you are going to die,they are betting you are going to live the only way to win the bet is to die,alas you still lose.It's a sucker bet.

[Swede]

9. Life insurance is renting an estate. No more,no less.

If you die,your bills are paid and your family is taken care of. How awful.

[gizmo1979]

10. you don't get it fool.

[Swede]

11. Oh,sorry. I didn't know you were wealthy.

And had no family.

[LibDemAlways]

7. Years ago I was hit on the freeway

and pushed into the center divider. Fortunately no injuries, just a badly damaged car. Idiot who hit me was insured with the auto club. Auto club refused to pay for my damages. Said a phantom car had forced the guy to swerve into me and it wasn't really his fault. I ended up taking the guy to small claims court where he admitted he hit me. Got the check from the auto club insurance two days later.

In my experience insurance companies will do just about anything to avoid paying a claim.

[skygazer]

8. Yeah, the insurance company runaround

Hubby got rear ended a couple of years ago - clearly the other guy's fault. Hubby was at a light when this bozo with a bunch of kids in his minivan plowed into the back of his truck. No one was hurt but hubby was more concerned about the kids than anything else (and seemingly more concerned than their father).

Hubby had already called the cops and wanted to get a police report but the cop told him he "wouldn't need one" and the other guy didn't want to wait around and "it's all cut and dry". Upshot of the deal was that the other guy's insurance company contested it, other guy claimed hubby had "cut him off" (while stopped at a light?) and it was a big runaround until hubby's insurance company got pissy about it and finally got a settlement.

They tell you that if your vehicle still runs, to get it off the road and they say that if it's less than a certain amount of damage, you don't need a police report. Bah, humbug, I say to both. If you move the car, you run the risk of there being doubt about exactly what happened and if you don't get a police report, they'll try to jack you around.

[Floogeldy]

12. ALWAYS get a police report

Cops always try to weasel out of writing a report by saying, "The insurance companies will work it out." Always insist on one, if you are not at fault.

A lady hit me and fudged her story to the cop. She was definitely 100% at fault. I insisted on a police report. The cop sighed, and begrudgingly started filling it out, adopting a version of the story that was not accurate at all, but did at least put her at fault.

Turns out, the lady went back to her home state and LIED to her insurance company about how it happened, AND TOLD HER INSURANCE COMPANY THAT THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT.

I contacted her insurance company about a week later and they had already fixed her car and were preparing to COME AFTER ME for her damage.

Two phone calls with her adjuster and a copy of the police report backed them off real quickly. They paid for my damages and I offered to help them prosecute her for insurance fraud.

They never got back to me.