Boned by local insurance agent.

Trying to figure out what's next. I'll try to give only the critical details to keep it brief.

Lowdown: We went shopping for cars a couple months ago. Called our local insurance folks (State Farm - father-in-law was with the same agent for years, we have all our cars and home-owner's with them, etc.)

They quoted a really reasonable price for the Fit we were looking at. So reasonable, that there wasn't much difference between it and an 08 Scion xb. Chick says that it will go down an additional $40/ 6-months when I sell the Civic, as the "accident free" discount will be transfered from the Civic to the Fit. Sweet.

We end up buying the fit. Call State Farm from the dealer, they fax over the info. Good to go.

Next day, I call the local agent, and pay the premium. The next weekend, I sold the Civic. Called the insurance folks again, cancelled the insurance on the Civic, and got the "accident free" discount applied to the Fit.

A week or two later, I get a letter in the mail, saying they've CANCELLED THE POLICY on the Fit, and per GA state law, have informed the state of GA that I'm driving w/o insurance. WTF!? I assume it's just a clerical error, but call the next day. Leave a very serious "You NEED to call me back ASAP" voicemail. Never get a call back.

Call the next day, and chick assures me everything is okay, it was a slip-up by a new employee, I'm covered, no problems, etc.

A week later, I get a berkeleying check in the mail from State Farm, REFUNDING the premium I had initially paid. I call again, and this time, talk to the actual agent (the dude who's name is on the sign.)

This isn't the first time I've had problems and had to contact him directly. I didn't read him the riot act, but was very firm, and he was well aware of how disappointed I was. I also mention that the premium should be $40 less, due to the "accident free discount." Anyway, he says he'll get to the bottom of it.

He calls back and says he's got good news and bad news. Good news is, he called the state, and everything's cool. They're not showing I'm without coverage. Fantastic.

The BAD NEWS: The girl who wrote the policy, who has since been fired, UNDERCHARGED me for the policy, to the tune of about $180 a year. My response: "That's fine, I'm sure you'll cover the balance."

He starts back-pedaling "Oh, well, we can't do that, etc." At this point, the profanity starts from my end, and I'm half-tempted to drive down to his office and ram my foot up his ass. I calm down enough to tell him that he either needs to make this right, or I'm shopping for insurance elsewhere.

He basically says he's sorry to lose our business, but there's nothing else he can do.

SO, a good portion of my berkeleying day will now be spent going over our current homeowner/car policies and shopping around. No problem. Even if I can't find something cheaper, this scumbag won't have my business.

Here's where I need help: I want to do everything possible to make sure State Farm knows what this mother berkeleyer has done. During the conversation, he mentioned that this has apparently happened a bunch of times. Not sure who I need to contact at corporate, and if it's going to eat up hours of my time, it's probably not worth it.

Also considering contacting the Georgia Dept. of Consumer affairs.

Any other thoughts?

I'm also in Georgia and have State Farm insurance - could you PM me the name of your agent? I want to make sure he's not my insurance agent too.

I'll be happy to post it here: It's Jey Willis in Canton. The office used to be run by Joe Manous but was sold 10 or 15 years ago. It's gone downhill since then. The biggest reason we stuck with them was for that "local" level of service, but it's non-existent. I still talk to a different person every time I call, and it takes 3 phone calls to get anything done.

I just looked at their Google reviews: 11 reviews, all 5-stars, all posted within a week of each other in 2009. A little suspicious, don't you think? I'll be setting up a gmail account today.

Look up Liberty Mutual. I'll bet they beat your original quote by a bunch.

The one thing I'd like to find out if I was in your shoes is how said girl managed to undercharge you - at least my local SF agent has the premium quotes spat out by SF's computer system so unless the lady in question was seriously incompetent in filling in a bunch of forms on a computer, I'd be at a loss to see how she managed to "undercharge" you.

Georgia dept of insurance is the agency most likely to get their attention. They can pull licenses and suspend agents. Complain about the agency and insurance company. It may not help your situation, but you can cause at least a few hundred to a few thousand dollars of pain to each in the form of time spent responding to the insurance dept. complaint. Don't let the general agent off the hook for firing a bad agent/employee - the general carries the responsibility - and gets the bigger commission.

Bait and switch anyone?

I believe this calls for industrial lubrication products.

Allstate jammed me on a clerical pricing office so I booked over to State Farm which had outstanding rates. The SF lady was great and helped me out. Now she is unreachable and I have to fight it all through her office personnel. Doesn't she know this is one of the reasons I left Allstate?

I switched from State Farm to Geico for car insurance years ago. State Farm was charging me $110 a month for liability on one car, Geico charges me $30. Still have homeowner's insurance through State Farm, need to get that switched as I'm being charged double what Geico quoted me and triple what Farmer's insurance quoted.

The one (and only) thing I really liked about State Farm is that they have agents everywhere.

Oldtin is right. I work in the biz. You'd want to call the DOI if you've got an issue with an agent. Could be a million reasons the girl underqouted you. Simple error all the way up to something more serious. But let the DOI figure it out. They take that stuff seriously. Trust me.

By the way, congrats on the Fit purchase. We love ours!

He can't spell Jay right you and want him to handle something complicated like insurance pricing?

My wife was with SF before we were married and her agent told us he was going to drop us because I had a CDL which made me a larger risk for accidents.

GA Insurance Commissioner seems to be one of the less retarded pieces of state government. Give them a call.

Also - I've been with Geico forever and remain happy. I don't need/want a local agent. I want a good website and an 800 number that works 24/7, and they have both off those.

I guess I'm the only one thinking you've overreacted a bit to an honest mistake.

I wouldn't call the various attempts at cancelling the insurance and informing the state that he's driving without insurance an honest mistake. Especially given that it seems it's not the first time he's had problems with that agent.

I use a broker. It's so much easier, and she's a lot better at ferreting out deals than I am. If I want to change something, I make one call and she does the legwork. Her fee more than covers the better deals she can get me - when we moved away from my wife's Farmers deals, we saved a huge chunk of change. It's probably no coincidence that my insurance companies don't have multi-million-dollar TV campaigns.

Plus, if I ever have a problem, I've got an insurance pro on my side. She doesn't work for the insurance company, she works for me. That can't be emphasized enough.

I had State Farm, in Georgia, on my Mk4 Jetta. I did the online fill out the field thing, got coverage online. When i filled it out, i opted for "liability only" since the Jetta was paid off. I get a call a week later from the local agent that represents me, asks me to bring in the Jetta for a "visual inspection". I said no thank you as it is liability only and visual inspections apply to cars under full coverage. A week later, i get a notice that they have cancelled my coverage.

Avoid State Farm like the plague! Especially in Georgia

poopshovel wrote: I'll be happy to post it here: It's Jey Willis in Canton.

That's a relief - my agent is Scott Foster in Conyers.

I agree with the others, call the insurance commissioner. Even if it was an honest mistake, that many honest mistakes are way too many.

BoxheadTim wrote: I wouldn't call the various attempts at cancelling the insurance and informing the state that he's driving without insurance an honest mistake. Especially given that it seems it's not the first time he's had problems with that agent.

That's the underwriters, not the people in the office. So the mistake started in the office and the underwriters went off what they were given.

Especially over $15/month.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be upset, just the reaction seems a bit over the top.

have you got the -binder- you took with you to buy the car?

z31maniac wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote: I wouldn't call the various attempts at cancelling the insurance and informing the state that he's driving without insurance an honest mistake. Especially given that it seems it's not the first time he's had problems with that agent.

That's the underwriters, not the people in the office. So the mistake started in the office and the underwriters went off what they were given. Especially over $15/month. I'm not saying he shouldn't be upset, just the reaction seems a bit over the top.

Sorry. If I make an honest mistake over a small amount (like under-billing a customer by $15/month) I berkeleying pay it myself, at least over the timeframe that said customer had already paid for. Doubly so if my mistake also caused a bunch of other E36 M3 to happen in the meantime.

keethrax wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote: I wouldn't call the various attempts at cancelling the insurance and informing the state that he's driving without insurance an honest mistake. Especially given that it seems it's not the first time he's had problems with that agent.

That's the underwriters, not the people in the office. So the mistake started in the office and the underwriters went off what they were given. Especially over $15/month. I'm not saying he shouldn't be upset, just the reaction seems a bit over the top.

Sorry. If *I* make an honest mistake over a small amount (like under-billing a customer by $15/month) I'd berkeleying pay it myself, at least over the timeframe that said customer had already paid for. Doubly so if my mistake also caused a bunch of other E36 M3 to happen in the meantime.

That's exactly it. After 10 minutes of "Well, there's nothing I can do about it" round-and-round yesterday, I finally told this piece of E36 M3 "You know why I'm so upset? I'm 10 phone calls in, and out of the 5 different people I've spoken to at your office, not one of them has said "I'm sorry." As a business owner, that's just pathetic on your part."

He still never said "I'm sorry."

I own my own business and do custom work. In 8 years of business, I have NEVER charged a customer more than the price I've quoted, and I've gotten burned for a whole lot more than $150 by doing so, but that's the RIGHT way to treat people.

I've also had honest mistakes. In 8 years, I'm happy to say that only 2 really stick out in my mind. Both were made by emplyees. Both were irrevocable, but I made NO mention of the employees to the customer, and told each I'd do WHATEVER it took to make it right. Both are still customers to this day.

OH, and thanks VERY much, guys. I knew I'd find good answers here, and maybe even a couple of folks in the business. I greatly appreciate your help!

z31maniac wrote: I guess I'm the only one thinking you've overreacted a bit to an honest mistake.

No, you're not the only one to think that.

rotard wrote:

z31maniac wrote: I guess I'm the only one thinking you've overreacted a bit to an honest mistake.

No, you're not the only one to think that.

Hey you. Give me $900.

madmallard wrote: have you got the -binder- you took with you to buy the car?

I do. What's up?