"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
12/15/2014 at 13:00 • Filed to: None
103
100|
"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
12/15/2014 at 13:00 • Filed to: None | 103
| 100 |
I've heard complaints about my pieces on insurance companies, as if it is unfair to them when I describe !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Well, it's not always stuff that has happened to my clients. Let me tell you why I, personally, hate one particular insurance company.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
I owned a 1995 Jeep Wrangler. Bought it brand new and parked it in a parking lot behind my condominium in a very nice suburb of Detroit. People familiar with Jeeps know they are not the securest vehicles out there. The plastic windows would barely slow a thief down and there are things which can be removed from them quickly. Like the doors.
One winter morning, with six inches of fresh snow on the ground, I walked out to find the doors missing from my Jeep. On that Jeep, there was only one nut you had to remove to get each door off. I know, because I had removed them myself in previous summers. It probably took the thieves – there were two sets of footprints – about a minute to pull the doors off.
I filed a police report and then called my insurer, one of the "-state-" insurance companies. They told me to take it to the local Jeep dealer for repairs. I drove it over in the freezing cold but the dealer was only two miles away and I could get there using side streets. Still, it was a precarious trip. The Jeep dealer told me they don't stock full doors and would have to order them. Then, the doors needed paint. It would take a week or so. I called the insurer again and asked about authorizing a rental.
"We can't give you a rental."
"Why not?"
"Your Jeep is still drivable isn't it?"
Yes, in theory, a Jeep is drivable without doors. As noted, I had driven mine without doors before. But it was winter in Michigan and the roads were shin-deep in snow and slush. Driving any distance on major roads in these conditions would have filled the Jeep with slush, ruined the interior and whatever I was wearing, and I would have frozen to death. So, I told her that.
"Sorry. Your policy only covers a rental if your car is 'undrivable.' We will pay for the repairs but not a rental."
I told the writer at the dealer I needed a rental and was working on it with my insurance company. I gave him my credit card and took the rental. I spent the week calling people at the insurance company and getting nowhere. They kept insisting that the Jeep was "drivable" and hence, no rental was needed. As far as I could tell, none of these people had ever seen or driven in snow.
The dealer had a bit of trouble with something. Not sure if it was getting the doors assembled or painted but they called me twice to tell me they were running behind schedule. When they did call me to tell me it was done, I went in and talked to the same guy I had talked to before.
He asked me about the rental and I told him the truth. The insurer was refusing to pay. He checked his computer to see if the claim for the doors had been authorized and it had.
"Are you serious?"
I told him I was.
He shook his head. "Forget the rental. We didn't get your Jeep fixed as soon as we promised. We'll pay for it." He punched a few keys on his computer and handed me the papers. The rental was "No Charge."
I drove my Jeep with its brand new doors to my office and called my agent and cancelled my policy.
"Why?" Yes, he actually asked. He had been the first one I had complained to when the insurer had told me they wouldn't pay for the rental.
"You live in Michigan. Would you have driven the last two weeks without doors on your car?"
He stammered and said something about the "relationship" we had - good neighbors and all that.
The phone cord in my office stretched far enough for me reach my door. I closed it. "I don't care about our 'relationship.' You couldn't help me when I needed it and that insurance company is a bunch of –" At this point I began screaming at him so loudly he probably could have heard me if he stuck his head out the window and hung up the phone. It was ugly. I said things. Very dark, frightening things.
I quieted down to end the call. "Just cancel my policy as of today. If I have a refund coming, send it immediately. If I don't see it promptly, I am going to sue you personally." I hung the phone up.
I then went and apologized to everyone on my side of the building, who were briefly worried about my mental state but could now see I was going to make it.
Meanwhile, I did not sue the insurer. Because the Jeep dealer ate the rental, I had nothing to sue them over. But I'm sure you now understand why I hate them. And I have taken an extra bit of perverse joy !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on behalf of clients who have also been screwed over by them.
Why do insurance companies behave like this? Well, look what they did here: They scammed the Jeep dealer into paying for my rental car. And yes, I have insurance on my present car albeit with a different insurer. Insurance is a necessary evil. When you find an insurer you trust; cling to them like Kate Winslet clung to that piece of wood as she callously watched Leo drown. Even so, they will probably turn on you someday. It's just what they do; !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Follow me on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Hear my podcast on iTunes:
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 23 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we're not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn't act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.
Photo by
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
CB
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:05 |
|
"Drivable condition" sounds like an incredibly vague term. Technically, anything short of complete mechanical failure is drivable, such as having smashed windows, dented in body panels, maybe even a locked brake or two (I've driven with one wheel partially locked, and it's not fun or easy). Sounds like a bullshit protection term to me.
For Sweden
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:11 |
|
This is one of those Jeep things I don't understand.
|
SteveLehto
> CB
12/15/2014 at 13:12 |
|
I agree. It was just there way to weasel out of paying the rental.
And I drove my truck with a frozen brake caliper about a mile to the shop. It was the most hellacious metal-on-metal noise you ever heard. I'm sure you could hear it (And be annoyed by it) a mile away.
Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:14 |
|
Flo is my homegirl. She always says such nice things
MonkeePuzzle
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:15 |
|
got told the same about this damage on my civic, car is drivable not going to pay for a rental. I inquired if they would pay for my tickets for having broken tail lights? "No". My rental was approved shortly after making the same inquiry to the first insurance agent's manager.
HammerheadFistpunch
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:16 |
|
I'm not trying to be an ass, but I'm trying to understand how the insurance company"scammed" the dealer into paying for your rental? seems like you took the rental knowing the risk and the dealer just did you a solid on their own. I'm not saying i don't believe you, just that i don't understand based on the words i read
CalzoneGolem
> CB
12/15/2014 at 13:18 |
|
Probably hinges solely on being road legal.
themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:22 |
|
I still find it funny how my auto insurance took MUCH better care of me than my health insurance did when my jetta decided to become a hat when I was underneath it. Oh and state farm? Your cute little handwritten note about my "lowest quote ever" that will "save me hundreds" is still about 50$ more expensive than my current company. Weirdly enough my rate still lowered that year even though I made a claim......Good on you, progressive. Good on you.
JGrabowMSt
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:22 |
|
Haha, I wish you didnt live so far away, because that is a story worthy of a beer on me.
Im glad you made it through that and survived to tell the tale.
I think we need a "Storytime with Steve" segment on a weekly basis.
lonestranger
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:27 |
|
Even if Michigan doesn't legally require doors on a vehicle (I don't know if they do or not), surely they'd require a driver's side mirror? Since the mirror was mounted on the door, it wouldn't be street legal without it. I'd call that undriveable, regardless of winter weather.
|
Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:27 |
|
that said buying a jeep with square headlights is a mortal sin
|
kalabaddon
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:30 |
|
So have you had to deal with any problems from USAA? I use them and had to file a claim for various different things and they never batted an eye and just took care of me.
TeeJayHoward
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
12/15/2014 at 13:41 |
|
Drivers who switched saved an average of $X per year! Both of them! The other folks who called weren't idiots, and didn't want to pay more than their current insurance, so they didn't switch. Through the magic of careful wording, we can appear to save you money without any actual effort. Call us now at...
|
pedal-force
> CB
12/15/2014 at 13:41 |
|
Hell, you don't even need an engine to be driveable. Get that shit to the top of a mountain and you can drive all the way down.
Transmission only has first gear? Driveable.
Roof got chopped off by the jaws of life? Driveable.
bbutle01
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:42 |
|
My wife wants a Jeep. She wants a soft top. She intends on going topless in the summer. (hehehe, I can't wait. No, I won't share pics.)
But my serious question is, these things seem like they'd be drafty to down right freezing in the winter. Is that the case? We're in Nashville so it's not too cold, but we're from Mobile so we're not used to any amount of snow.
Christopheroni
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:42 |
|
Must be a Jeep thing.
Noodles
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:42 |
|
Agree with you 100% here. This is ridiculous. I was once an adjuster fro a smaller less neighborly insurance company, and I'd have authorized the rental.
ColonelKurtz
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:42 |
|
USAA. They've always treated me great.
switzerr
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:42 |
|
I kept looking in the article for a picture of your Jeep but all I saw was that ugly truck with square headlights :)
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:43 |
|
"good neighbors and all that"
Well played.
Too many M's
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:43 |
|
Were they challenging your man card? I'm sure they were trying to get you publicity by insisting you drive without doors in a Michigan winter.
|
SteveLehto
> bbutle01
12/15/2014 at 13:43 |
|
Yes. They are noisy, drafty and they leak a bit. But they are a BLAST to own.
Until some jackasses steal your doors and the insurance company stiffs you on the rental.
Jim is one of KFCs secret ingredients
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:44 |
|
Thats a clean looking YJ in the lead photos.
clutchshiftington
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:44 |
|
Couldn't you have made the argument that it would've be illegal to drive the Jeep with no side mirrors, which were attached to the doors?
Viperfan1
> For Sweden
12/15/2014 at 13:44 |
|
I remembered why I like you.
|
SteveLehto
> ColonelKurtz
12/15/2014 at 13:44 |
|
They are consistently among the highest rated companies when it comes to customer satisfaction.
Renault R8 Gordini from 1966
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:44 |
|
State Farm?
thebigbossyboss
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:46 |
|
Oh dear. I do believe I am insured with a similar company actually.
One day I was driving down the street when a car backed out of a driveway into my right front wheel. The wheel was totally borked and the front right suspension of the car was almost totally gone.
Because I was less than 700 ft from my house I limped home. I had to reverse 3x to get around the right hand corner, the car could barely turn right at all.
Anyways I made a claim. Time passed. Nothing happened. 2 or 3 days went by. I called them. "SO", I said...."can we get the ball rolling on this...are you guys going to do anything? My car is still in my driveway, it hasn't been towed, assessed, I have no rental, etc".
Them "It's still drivable right?"
Me "How the hell is it still drivable if it can't make right turns?"
Them "You said you drove it home"
Me *facepalm*. "yes I drove it home, it was 700 ft, and it took me 3 tries to get around a corner"
Them "Oh".
I did totally take advantage of the rental though when i finally got it. I drove it all the way to DC and back. By the time my two weeks of rental was up I'd gone about 2000 miles. 100 miles per day.
Fun times indeed. I had a Charger for my first week of rental and then there was a recall so I got an Impala. The Charger was sweet. The Impala looked like it had an interior from 1988.
|
SteveLehto
> clutchshiftington
12/15/2014 at 13:46 |
|
I believe that, at the time, it was legal to drive it that way. I have not looked at the law recently on this. I took them off when I was up north on back roads and such but you still see people driving without the doors in the summer.
Really, it didn't matter. The mindset was to deny part of my claim and save some money.
albo
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:47 |
|
Nationwide for home and auto for 22 years and going. Our agent just called last week and figured out a way to save us about $300 a year, and is sending over the papers to sign.
|
SteveLehto
> Renault R8 Gordini from 1966
12/15/2014 at 13:47 |
|
I had written the title originally, "Why I Hate State Farm" but I thought that was a bit much.
Rendhammer
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:47 |
|
As far as insurance companies go, USAA is a saint. The patron saint of car owners. I feel bad for anyone that is not a USAA member.
|
SteveLehto
> albo
12/15/2014 at 13:47 |
|
Had any claims? That is always the question. They treat you well when you pay them. They become wonky when you want them to pay you.
|
bbutle01
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:48 |
|
She parks her Murano in the garage now so the jeep should fit as long as she doesn't want it lifted. So that should at least help with the door situation, and some of the elements.
My Armada unfortunately does not fit :/ (because of all the junk)
Paullubbock
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
12/15/2014 at 13:48 |
|
I have progressive also and I have been with them long enough that I am up to their Large Accident forgiveness status, whatever that means but I still don't really trust them. I don't trust any insurance company. As far as I'm concerned it's all a scam up there with health insurance and pharmaceuticals.
|
davedave1111
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:48 |
|
When they asked you 'is it driveable' the first time, did you say something more complicated than 'no'? See, the paradox is that if you were a real man (tm) you wouldn't have taken any shit from them - but then you also wouldn't have objected to a bit of cold like some hot-place-living wussywuss.
No doors? Pfft. Amundsen made it to the South Pole without doors, windows, wheels, or an engine...
|
TheChafing
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:48 |
|
Couldn't you make the case that because you needed to leave the vehicle with the dealer, it's not drivable?
|
SteveLehto
> switzerr
12/15/2014 at 13:49 |
|
Yeah, who knew they'd go back to round in a few years?
IDM3
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:49 |
|
Had this happened in Alabama, my guess would have been Alfa Insurance. And that's exactly how you would be treated, unless you were a farmer, who makes up 75% of Alfa's clientele. Did you wreck your Lamborghini sports car in downtown Birmingham and work for Regions Bank? You'd have better luck if it were a Lamborghini tractor and working the back 40 outside of Prattville.
David E. Davis
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:49 |
|
He stammered and said something about the "relationship" we had - good neighbors and all that.
Nope, they weren't there at all.
DrinkLiftGamble
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
12/15/2014 at 13:49 |
|
She's such a bitch when she visits my gf in the middle of the month.
Bring Back Pontiac
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:49 |
|
The good neighbor part tipped me off.
|
DrinkLiftGamble
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:51 |
|
I have them for my homeowners and when someone decided to park their truck in my pool, at least they were a good neighbor and paid for his damage. And got me my deductible back. Never had car insurance through them and right now, don't think I'll risk the change.
O[][][][][][][]O ™
> bbutle01
12/15/2014 at 13:52 |
|
I'll let you know after this winter.
Azzy
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:52 |
|
Sounds like my experience with Geico. "Are you sure you want to switch companies?" "Yes, Im going to save $200 a month, and they will actually insure my motorcycle for real replacement value, and not give me the run around like you did. And I have that in writing."
|
thedangler
> For Sweden
12/15/2014 at 13:52 |
|
It is an awesome thing that you can only understand by riding and driving in one. It's not that you have to take the doors/roof off, or put the windshield down, or go crawl down that rocky trail... it's that you can.
My wrangler feels like a big (huge) 4-door toy. When you take the roof and/or doors off, it feels even moreso like one. But you know what? Little kids heads do a 180 and watch me go by, I've yet to ever be stuck anywhere (on or off road), can drive around when conditions are horrendous, do an oil change without a lift, and blind the f*** out of people who drive at me with their high beams on. Because 10,000 lumens of LED aftermarket lighting.
They're a fun vehicle that people of all socioeconomic classes can enjoy, whether it be a beach house toy, daily driver, or dream car*.
*A Jeep Wrangler is not a car, it is a Jeep.
|
thebigbossyboss
> CB
12/15/2014 at 13:52 |
|
They told me my car was driveable when it couldn't turn right because "I drove it home".
I drove it home, because the accident was on my street so I just limped the rest of the way.
CobraJoe
> For Sweden
12/15/2014 at 13:52 |
|
Driving without doors is awesome. That's all there is to know.
StevenG
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:52 |
|
The worst is if you get hit by someone with the same insurance. That or if one car on the same policy gets hit. Say the wife has a parking incident.
|
SteveLehto
> davedave1111
12/15/2014 at 13:52 |
|
They didn't ask if it was drivable. They asked what was stolen and I said "the doors." Anything else? "No."
Them: "It's drivable."
As someone who wore a tie to work, I had to have something to protect me a LITTLE from the elements.
Cigarette Butt Plug
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:53 |
|
Don't get State Farm insurance. Got it!
|
SteveLehto
> TheChafing
12/15/2014 at 13:53 |
|
No, because the doors are so easy to hang, the dealer did not need the Jeep until the doors were ready to be installed (which takes two minutes).
|
UnknownPerson2
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:53 |
|
Why didn't you call up anyone of the aftermarket companies and have a set of full soft doors shipped to you? and find a set of full frame doors on craigslist and maybe even a hardtop for the winter?
|
titsinmymitts
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:54 |
|
State Farm is that bad, huh?
My current insurance is through them. My family has had a good experience so far, but I'm now with a different agent.
Hopefully I never have to find out.
Mustang5134
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:54 |
|
I'm a former adjuster at a major insurance company and I would never deny our customer a rental for that reason. Its literally a quick phone call to authorize a rental and given your circumstances I would have approved it. I'm glad everything worked out in the end, however its companies like those that give insurance companies bad reputations.
FriscoFairlane
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:54 |
|
When you find an insurer you trust ; ahhh hahahhahahaha! Yeah, right. I am sure that's going to happen about mid-Nevuary.
deliquus
> CB
12/15/2014 at 13:55 |
|
Drivable condition:
VoltRon
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:55 |
|
I'm lucky enough to have access to USAA (father is a Vietnam vet), and will never let go. I don't even price out other companies because USAA is always just so damn great. Love it.
Dest
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:55 |
|
Every time I've looked at them they're so freaking expensive too!
sgoldste02
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:55 |
|
I share your hatred of all things insurance. Auto insurance. Health insurance. Life insurance. Property insurance. Extended warranties. I hate all of it.
|
SteveLehto
> UnknownPerson2
12/15/2014 at 13:56 |
|
Principle. It still would have taken a day or two to get the extra doors and I had no garage.
autojim
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:57 |
|
Related: When the airbags were stolen* out of my '94 Probe GT (still miss that car), the insurance company (one that has the world "club" in its name; I'm still with the Texas version of them because this was more silly than anything else) was adamant that the car be towed to the repair shop as it was "undriveable". When I pointed out that I'd driven it to work that very morning, the nice young lady on the other end of the phone was astonished that I could drive a car missing "an important safety system". I pointed out that the seat belts were still perfectly intact and working (and in use whenever I drove the car), and the airbags were just an explosive pointed at my chest that would come into play in only about 10% of likely collisions anyway.
Anyway, the car went into the shop. The adjuster came by and ran her estimate, leaving off about 80% of what was needed to be repaired from the claim (the resultant dollar was only just above my deductible). I was somewhat alarmed by this, but the shop assured me that was normal and they'd handle it. Which they did.
But when I went to get a rental, they tried to play the driveable card. I faxed them (it was before digital photography was a viable thing) a picture of the car in the shop with the IP removed and all the wiring everywhere and asked if they thought it was driveable while it was in the shop being fixed. They covered the rental.
I find it interesting that they would contend the Jeep was driveable while it was in the shop and not in your possession. Wrong, but interesting.
*Theft to order. They drove past 3 other Probes in the apartment complex to get to mine. The others had black interiors; mine was grey. The thieves removed the driver's side properly and it was just as easily replaced. The passenger side was also removed properly, but how they got access to its fasteners was interesting. They had to drop the glove box out of the IP to get to the passenger airbag screws. The right way to do that takes about 5 seconds and doesn't damage anything. The wrong way to do that takes about 15 seconds and also destroys a then-$600 IP panel that requires roughly 10 hours of labor to replace. Guess which one they used? They also destroyed the frameless-glass weather stripping on BOTH door openings getting the car open. Apparently, getting one door open and hitting the power lock button for the other was too much work. The thieves were smart and stupid at the same time.
|
SteveLehto
> FriscoFairlane
12/15/2014 at 13:57 |
|
Oh wait. You're right.
green_man_group
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:57 |
|
This is a serious question: Was this the fault of the insurance company or your agent?
The reason I ask ... I, too, have this company insuring my vehicles.
I like my agent pretty well overall.
To be honest, they've been fine for me. I've never filed a claim either, though ... so yeah.
|
veloceracing
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:58 |
|
Aren't side view mirrors required by law? If the doors got stolen off your Jeep, the mirrors are gone too. Can't legally drive with out them.
|
SteveLehto
> VoltRon
12/15/2014 at 13:58 |
|
That's all I hear. Makes me want to enlist.
|
User1312
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:58 |
|
As a customer service veteran (never again), enforcing an insurance company's policy does not warrant dark, frightening things being screamed at me over the phone. You spoke with several people at the agency; did you scream at all of them? Perhaps your reputation preceded you, and reps weren't interested in listening to your logic.
Insurance agencies are one of those companies you never contact until something goes wrong. It's never a positive conversation. We associate them with bad things. That's not to say that there aren't bad agencies; every industry has scum. But after totaling my Mustang on a winter night (story for another blog), my agency was professional and prompt, and I found the settlement amount (full coverage) to be quite appropriate, despite all the warnings I got from others.
But I appreciate the story. I like the Wrangler. If I buy one, I'll be sure to talk to my insurance provider beforehand to confirm the policy details..
|
BimmerMedic
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:59 |
|
Gotta love State Farm. Had renter's, auto and an IRA with them in Arkansas. Moved back to Louisiana and went to the agent my entire family had been using for years. My rate TRIPLED!!!, oh, and we know you're house hunting-we're not writing any homeowner's policies.....Welcome home! Went back to USAA that next week-haven't had any issues.
Thedingo8mybaby
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
12/15/2014 at 13:59 |
|
Flo is my homegirl, too. Has been since 2002. You get all kind of awesome perks when you've been with an insurance company for a long time. I've had several claims and they have actually been pretty decent to deal with every time I've had an issue.
450X_FTW
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:59 |
|
I'm sorry Mr. Clarkson but if the vehicle is still drivable after the military shot it up we do not cover a rental.
J-DUB
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 13:59 |
|
"Like a good neighbor?" LOL - Sounds like the neighbor who test runs his chain saw at 2:45AM, smacks his dog, sells drugs out of his garage, and pisses behind his wood pile....
|
SteveLehto
> veloceracing
12/15/2014 at 14:00 |
|
Someone else asked this but I'd have to look it up. I know people drive all the time without them in MICH and I've never heard of anyone being ticketed for it. I will look it up later on.
|
icelandr
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:00 |
|
Jeep obviously needed to get into the double nut community. If the thief only brought 1 wrench he would have been in trouble. I grew up on a farm, and am an engineer who has had multiple farmers ask me why nothing from the factory is double nutted. COST, they said they would pay for the option. Crazy group of people, but I do respect them.
Prophet of hoon
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:00 |
|
You don't think "State of Denial" came from alcoholics, did you?
SirPoopyPants
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:00 |
|
On the PI side the "State" tends to fold quickly... presumably passing the cost of settlement on to their insureds.
|
none8239487234
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:01 |
|
Insurance companies will do ANYTHING to save money. I stupidly drove my Mercedes S class into a tree and was horrified when I opened the hood for a small dent in the bumper and small crack in the grille. There was a lot of hidden damage to the structure behind them. I made a claim and the insurance company sent over a "helpful" adjuster. He was really nice and went to the dealership daily to check on the status of the repair. Later on in the repair process I found out that he was interfering in the repair process trying to get the shop to cut corners and threatening to "total the car" when they did not want to comply. I called him and asked that he not interfere with my relationship with the dealership. He flatly refused stating since they were paying the relationship was with the insurance company. I called the shop and told them that he was not to get any information on the vehicle and should not be allowed near it for any reason. He called me after being rejected by the dealership and started throwing "I'm going to total your car" threats around. I politely told him to do whatever he had to do and informed him I had turned the matter over to my attorney and provided him the number if he had any additional questions. In the end the car got repaired correctly. That's all that mattered to me. The dealer and my attorney both who I have good relationships with pitched in so I had very little out of pocket costs.
Insurance companies are all smiles and happy while they are taking your money. They are vicious greedy animals if they actually have to pay a single penny on a claim. They will use any flimsy excuse in the book to not pay even if they don't think it's reasonable themselves. You have to be a special breed of scumbag to work in the insurance industry.
|
albo
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:01 |
|
Oh, yeah, no problem. We were hit by an uninsured douchebag a year ago and they were fine. We went to a local shop that was on their list and only had to pay our deductible.
Nationwide looked into suing the douchebag, but they said she was judgement proof. She was driving her boyfriend's car and they lived at the county's most notorious section 8 apartment complex. I was thinking about putting up the $90 to get back my deductible, but the cop who dealt with the accident told us that he was pretty sure she fled the jurisdiction.
|
haveacarortwoorthree
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:01 |
|
When my 66 Mustang convertible got totaled a few months back, I told the other guy's insurance company just to pay me what I had paid for the car 14 months earlier — I'd even eat the sales tax and registration. They refused. They then tried to lowball me, offering $7 grand less than what I had paid. So I had to spend a day rounding up paperwork, proof of the car show trophies it had won, Haggerty info, and comparables to provide to them. They came back and offered what I had paid, which I immediately rejected because that offer had expired when they lowballed me and then made me spend a day to demonstrate that. They ended up paying me $7400 more than what I had paid. So even if you try to be reasonable with an insurance company, they still try to screw you. But in the end, they just screwed themselves (which I very much enjoyed).
|
SteveLehto
> User1312
12/15/2014 at 14:02 |
|
No, I did not yell at anyone but my agent. And only after he acted like he did not understand why I was cancelling the policy. I was professional with every single person I dealt with at the insurance company.
The agent deserved it. If I saw him today, I'd yell at him some more.
|
RelentlessSlacker
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:02 |
|
*prays for a world where corporate ethics supercede corporate profits*
If corporations want to be legally considered as people for business reasons, they may as well hold up their end of the bargain and be DECENT people.
I really hate the insurance industry...
|
Bobsmith30
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:03 |
|
state farm im assuming
Jeff Glucker
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:03 |
|
good neighbors
hehehe
|
icelandr
> thedangler
12/15/2014 at 14:03 |
|
I haven't gotten my old cj7 stuck, but my dad got it stuck in a ditch along the gravel road. The wheelbase fit perfectly into the ruts of an excavator that went up onto the road when the ditch was softer earlier in the year.
|
SteveLehto
> green_man_group
12/15/2014 at 14:03 |
|
In my case, the agent was ZERO help. I don't think he had any ability to influence them at all. That is one of the reasons I yelled at him and no one at the insurer.
|
rayJoyal
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:04 |
|
I would have immediately gone on the offensive that it's technically drivable, but it sure is unsafe. Offer to have the vehicle towed and inspected by a licensed mechanic and he can decide if the vehicle is drivable.
Or, do what I do - own way too many cars and don't worry about the rental car coverage on the insurance. (This is jalopnik.com right, not carsAsAppliances.com)
TWEAR
> bbutle01
12/15/2014 at 14:05 |
|
The new models (JK: 2007-current) are MUCH nicer/quieter than the old ones (TJ/YJ/CJ), especially if she wants it as a daily driver. I've had my top and/or doors off at least one day every month since I've owned it for over 3 years. It can get a little noisy over 75-80 mph on the highway (we have speed limits up to 85 here in TX), but other than that, it is perfectly fine. It is not as quiet as an S-class (I hope you aren't expecting that from a Jeep), but it is definitely acceptable.
|
straz85
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
12/15/2014 at 14:06 |
|
State Farm is awful. I had an accident I was at fault for and they refused to pay out saying the other person involved was asking for more than her injuries warranted. I spoke to a lawyer who said that State Farm is famous for refusing to pay and to threaten to sue them if they don't pay. I sent them a letter saying if they wouldn't pay every penny, I was going to go to a lawyer and literally 2 days later, after 6 weeks of fighting with them, I got a letter saying they were covering the whole thing. I changed insurance companies immediately after.
|
SteveLehto
> Bobsmith30
12/15/2014 at 14:06 |
|
Good guess.
|
maxburto
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:06 |
|
Did they have the same policy for convertibles if your top is damaged and it's snowing for the next week? Because fundamentally your Jeep and the convertible would be in the same predicament.
|
davedave1111
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:07 |
|
You said they asked "Your Jeep is still drivable isn't it?" Did you answer 'no' at that point? Or even better 'no, and I have a gun' before taking another drag on your unfiltered Marlboro?
"As someone who wore a tie to work, I had to have something to protect me a LITTLE from the elements."
Yes. A tie. You can put the rest of your clothes on once you get to the office.
|
SteveLehto
> rayJoyal
12/15/2014 at 14:07 |
|
Well, nothing anyone could say would change their mind. But if I had another car at the time (I didn't) it might not have been this big of an issue.
|
straz85
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:08 |
|
Not nearly as much with a JK. Sure, it's certainly colder and louder than a hard top, but the heat is ridiculously good in them. Though I still recommend getting both tops.
|
albo
> thebigbossyboss
12/15/2014 at 14:08 |
|
A few years ago when I got to pick a rental, I went with a Mustang.
It was winter and I hadn't experienced rear-wheel drive since the early 1980s. Lots of fun ensued!
|
Schnell!
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:08 |
|
My buddy nose-plowed a Jeep into a ditch at 40mph and crushed the roof from A-B and C to rear pillars. Still started and drove at the wrecker yard if you leaned halfway in the car and drove it with one arm. Driveable?
|
Kyle Petree
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:08 |
|
I might be the only one but my insurance company is fantastic, in my opinion. I was lucky enough to buy a high end car ($100k+) when I was under 25 and they insured it no problem, even though the model wasn't listed in their system. They had to call some underwriters at the head office to make it happen but they did. Insured that and my daily for under $300/mo, full coverage, $250 deductible, OEM parts, again I was under 25 years old. I have had three claims with them (all on the daily) and I call, spend 10 minutes on the phone answering questions drop the car off at the body shop and it's fixed, no fuss. I don't want this to sound like an ad but they really are that good, they are on my side....
|
SteveLehto
> davedave1111
12/15/2014 at 14:09 |
|
No, she told me it was still drivable. I guess I should have noted she had made up her mind at that point - it was a rhetorical question.
This had nothing to do with anything I was saying. It was all about denying some of the claim.
|
kinsoomer
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:09 |
|
That's surprising. My wife recently backed her Highlander into a dumpster and blew out the back window. Car was totally driveable, but State Farm still authorized and paid for a rental for several days. I guess they figured the damage could get worse by virtue of the car being exposed like that. Maybe depends on the claims rep you get on the phone?
|
green_man_group
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:10 |
|
The thing that made me the most nervous about State Farm is their ancient legacy computer system. They have to virtualize an old crusty environment to get it load on a Windows machine.
It's like they're stuck in the stone ages.
As a software developer, I can understand why this kind of thing happens in a small shop ... but it seems like a company of their size could put some money into updating the system.
I would assume a system with something resembling a graphical user interface would be helpful for efficiency, and ultimately profits ...
|
CB
> thebigbossyboss
12/15/2014 at 14:10 |
|
"I had a Charger for my first week of rental and then there was a recall..."
What.
|
autothusiest
> SteveLehto
12/15/2014 at 14:10 |
|
Some time ago, you had mentioned what your friends think of your "relaxed" face... I think they know more the truth of it from what it sounds like.
That being so, I'm surprised you didn't bring this little tidbit of "insurance company thinks it is safe, let alone possible, to drive my car doorless in the winter." I can only imagine how high they would jump with the word lawsuit thrown in after that.