I think the Elise may be totaled.

oh dude, that thing almost makes me cry. It looks like ok then POW!! Right in the kisser.

Glad you are healing.

Yeah, you should have seen it from the inside. It's like OK and then POW, a dumb berkeley in a jeep with USAA SUCKS AUTO INSURANCE plows into you from behind and you're bleeding.

like many have said: glad you're ok. It could have been worse.

But more importantly, I LOVE that dash mounted stereo! is that stock?

No, it is an aftermarket upgrade. It hit me in the chest when the dumbberkeley punted me. The salvage yard probably put it there to scratch the dash. Oh, and USAASUCKS tried to claim there was no radio in the car and deminish the value accordingly.

Seriously!?! (the USAA part)

Yeah. Seriously.

Dr. Hess wrote: Yeah, you should have seen it from the inside. It's like OK and then POW, a dumb berkeley in a jeep with USAA SUCKS AUTO INSURANCE plows into you from behind and you're bleeding.

18 months now and USAA still hasn't coughed up the money they owe State Farm (including my deductible). My wife's friend's 16-year-old daughter backed their minivan into the door of my legally parked, unoccupied Audi, and they're contesting the assertion that it's her fault. WTF? I've pondered if I would have been better off going to USAA directly rather than filing under my own collision policy, but based on your experiences I'm thinking the answer to that is probably no.

You're definitely better off going through your own insurance and let them deal with USAA SUCKS. It was so bad, that six months ago the complete shiny happy person "total loss department" adjuster/whatever told me "I recommend you hire an attorney to deal with our company." So I did. They negotiated a settlement, eventually, which I agreed to. They said, great, here's the paperwork on our agreed settlement. Well, I looked over the paperwork they sent and low and behold, the paperwork they wanted me to sign was two large less than what they negotiated with the attorney.

USAA isn't any better to their own clients. When my wife got sideswiped by a guy passing in a no passing zone it was a huge fight with our own insurance that it wasn't her fault. After going up the management chain we have been paid, but the claim is still under investigation over a year later.

Wow. Dr Hess, I'm very sorry about the process. I just went through the same crap with my Honda being totalled this January. Apparently it doesn't matter how nice your car is, how many service records you have or how many accessories or upgrades you've done. They still pay you the same as they'd give to a clapped out and filthy car owned by a crackhead. This is why insurance companies only give you a PO box address. If you knew where these people actually sat and worked, there'd be a line of angry people outside ready to kick ass and take names.

Wow. I've had USAA insurance for well over a decade, these are the first unpleasant things I've heard about them. I've had one claim went through them, no big deal, one of their approved shops gave an estimate, they cut me a check, done. And I never worried that I'd be immediately dropped, like I did when I had a car on the gecko. Everything I've read and all my experiences have been with friendly humans who are trying to be helpful and make things smooth.

I need to run off to work, but I just took a glance at their ratings and ... it looks like they've slipped a bit in the last couple years. I'll have to look at this more - thanks for the heads-up folks.

jimbob_racing wrote: This is why insurance companies only give you a PO box address. If you knew where these people actually sat and worked, there'd be a line of angry people outside ready to kick ass and take names.

Wow, sorry you have such misinformed anger to spew, based on all the recent posts you've made. Truth is that pretty much all big companies that get a lot of mail use P.O. boxes. Not just insurance companies. Physical addresses are typically readily available. And yes, there are always concerns that some angry misinformed person might show up to "kick ass and take names"...over the value of a car. Yeah...cool.

I've used USAA for something around 15 years. I've had one claim when my son wrecked my Jeep. They paid quickly and a surprisingly decent amount when it was totaled. I think I had a check in a week or so for more than I could've sold the thing for. That was in 2006 or so, I wonder if they've gone downhill since that time.

Funny how insurance works - really seems like it is luck of the draw who you get working your case. We had JUST switched to Met Life from American Family (after ~ 15 years with Am Fam they decided to nearly double our home/auto/umbrella rates despite us never filing any claims) and low and behold, my wife totals her car. Met Life - after minimal delay and no real negotiation - paid our total loss claim right at what I researched it would cost us to replace her Accord with one of the same trim level and mileage, including purchase tax. No muss, no fuss. After this, I see Met Life is rated VERY low by CR and others on claims paying experience by customers. Guess we just got lucky ...

USAA on the other hand often gets very high ratings for claims payout experiences. Go figure.

I will say that after NINE MONTHS, they seemed to put a troubleshooter on the case. He was actually pleasant to talk to, unlike the total shiny happy person that I was talking to, and most of the rest of the "total loss department." That first one (or actually second, now that I think of it) would not return a phone call and actually left a rude voice mail for the lawyer saying "why won't you settle?" months after they pulled the two large BS game on me. This last one called me cold, which, you lawyer birds will note, is supposed to be a major ethical no-no if you have legal representation, but he would actually return a phone call. I grilled him extensively on whether or not he would return a phone call on our first conversation, as in my experience, no one else in their organization would. Best you could ever do was press zero to get a flunky reading a script with zero authority to do anything besides read the script.

Horrible experience.

My experience with Geico, my insurance company for the past 25 years or so, has been excellent. When a deer hit me a couple years ago, they took care of it. I was out the deductible, but that's expected. Now, a berkeleying road construction crew motorized sweeper hit my other LS400 IN THE BERKELEYING PARKING LOT AT WORK because the worker was confused on which way it went when he pushed the lever this way (according to his supervisor) and their insurance company tried to berkeley me over like USAA with totaling the vehicle for a dent in the rear quarter panel and not giving me enough to go replace it. Besides it taking me 6 months to find that vehicle, I know what it would take to replace it. A construction worker runs a piece of heavy equipment into your car in your parking lot and it winds up costing you two thousand dollars. What's wrong with that picture? I quit talking to them at that point, called up Geico and said: "I want my car fixed. It's at this shop. Deal with it." Car is getting fixed now. I pay the deductible, they go after them and reimburse me the deductible. So, my Geico experience has been excellent. My Hagarty (GRM Advertiser) experience was also excellent with the Esprit (RIP.)

I swear, it's like you can't have anything nice.

Thanks for the details Dr, I am changing around my insurance soon and its good to know that two of the front runners for my business have been decent to deal with. I have been cagey about the lizard as I have heard some bad stories too.

I joined USAA a few years ago, and although they are always polite on the phone, they have shown me no reason to stay with them. Interest rates are higher, car and home insurance was higher, I got my renters insurance with them just because of easy but I could have been cheaper.

I have State Farm for my car. Much better service and price. I even got a loan for my bike through them and that was the easiest one I ever got.

USAA is not the fable it once was.

I was a bit worried about USAA when they started allowing enlisted to use it, but when I saw the numerous clearly very expensive TV commercials (historically they NEVER advertise) I got very concerned, where exactly is that money coming from? Why did they have to F with something that was working so well.

I haven't noticed much anything myself but they have recently been VERY insistent in getting me to confirm the amount I drive my cars. Yes I STILL don't drive them as much as an average person does, leave me the hell alone!

bgkast wrote: USAA isn't any better to their own clients. When my wife got sideswiped by a guy passing in a no passing zone it was a huge fight with our own insurance that it wasn't her fault. After going up the management chain we have been paid, but the claim is still under investigation over a year later.

Was that the Explorer I bought from you?!?

Never had any issues with USAA. They gave me a fair amount when my S4 avant got totaled and they've been extremely good to me on paying for damages to my house done by a hail storm last Fall. Been with them for close to 30 years now.

I've only had good experiences with USAA.

In reply to Klayfish:

Sorry. You have absolutely no idea of the insurance hell that I am very currently in. Three insurance companies are giving me the run around over two separate but related accidents (that were not my fault) that have left me unable to work for months with no income-despite paying for wage loss coverage. I will likely be permenantly disabled and unable to ever drive my non power steering classic sportscar much less ever turn wrench again. I'm young enough to be bitter and upset about my future and the insurance people that don't seem to give one E36 M3 about it.

einy wrote: Funny how insurance works - really seems like it is luck of the draw who you get working your case.

Very much so, in my experience. I've had a few that were humane. Most were anything but. Doesn't seem to matter which insurance company it is.

In reply to jimbob_racing:

That sucks, jimbob. Sucks bad. I assume you have lawyered up.

Javelin wrote:

bgkast wrote: USAA isn't any better to their own clients. When my wife got sideswiped by a guy passing in a no passing zone it was a huge fight with our own insurance that it wasn't her fault. After going up the management chain we have been paid, but the claim is still under investigation over a year later.

Was that the Explorer I bought from you?!?

Yessir