Car insurance is annoying (me complaining)

"blacktruck18" (blacktruck14) 07/17/2016 at 16:27 • Filed to: None

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As some of you may remember I got into an accident a couple of weeks ago. I would like to air some grievances about my insurance company which I will not name, but rhymes with late arm.

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First up the shorter grievance. The accident happened on the 1st and Ninja went into the body shop on the 5th, gate aquafarm didn’t call to get the police report until the 11th, so their “investigation” isn’t done. The other driver, who also has grated parm, got a ticket, admitted fault to the cop, me, and mate swarm, they are still investigating though. This means I am probably going to have to layout my deductible when I get the car. My deductible is only $100, it’s not a big deal laying out the money and I will get it back, it’s just the principle that their screwing around means I have to basically spot them $100.

Now for the larger grievance, Ninja has been done except for replacing the front passenger side wheel since the 12th. Great barm got extremely befuddled about how to deal with the wheel. My wheels are factory IS350 aluminum wheels that have been chrome plated.

The body shop wanted to get the wheel re-chromed, which I was fine with. The wheel is just scuffed up most of the way around the lip, there are no cracks or anything.

The body shop submited the estimate to date charm and they wouldn’t approve the wheel getting re-chromed because it is considered “betterment” since the wheel wasn’t chrome from the factory. The bodyshop and I both called and explain that it’s not “betterment” it is just putting the car back to how it was before the accident.

After a few days of back and forth and them denying just re-chroming the wheel because “betterment,” rate alarm decides that ordering a brand new $640 wheel from Lexus and getting it chromed for another $300 is not “betterment.”

If I lost you allow me to repeat that, re-chroming the original wheel is “betterment,” but buying a brand new wheel and chroming it is not. To me laying out an extra $640 for a new wheel would constitute “betterment.”

I know what some of you are thinking. Irate forearm just wants me to be safe and have a new wheel, as far as I can tell that is not the case. Not once while I have talked to them has that come up at all, they haven’t sent an adjuster to look at the car so they are taking the body shop’s word that the wheel is safe, I think if they were worried about my safety they would have sent someone to look at it, this has all been about “betterment.”

While my car is sitting at the body shop almost done they are paying $34.24 a day for a rental for me, 2016 Nissan Frontier, for those who are curious. Also they are spending an extra $640 which isn’t necessary, I know I shouldn’t care about “their” money but it really makes me question how often they just waste money like this and how it effects their customers (my) rates. I think it might be time for me to start shopping around for new insurance.

Don’t get me wrong I am pretty happy that I am getting a new wheel and that my car is sitting indoors at the body shop while the paint finishes curing but, it’s not necessary and I could have had my car back by now.

One more bitching on my part, this one isn’t insurance related. I rented the truck so I could haul a bunch of my old Army gear to a surplus store and sell it, thereby freeing up room in our garage . I called the nearest surplus store a couple of days ago and they aren’t buying anything until the fall/hunting season. So my garage still has a bunch of old Army gear in it. Dammit.

FoilyDoily > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 16:34

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For what it’s worth, I think it’s pretty rare that insurance companies lay out even more than a penny than necessary. During my last accident, my carrier was arguing with the shop over something like $50. It was absurd and holding everything up.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 16:39

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When I got in a crash 2 years ago Insurance was taking forever to get back to me, then I found out why. The tow truck drivers did something wrong, making insurance take forever.

blacktruck18 > FoilyDoily 07/17/2016 at 16:41

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Ya, that has been my experience in the past too, however, they are probably going to end up laying out an extra $1000 because this didn’t want to spend $300. It seems pretty ridiculous.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 16:42

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I’ve heard many bad anecdotes about Fate Charm. All I know is insurance is kind of hilarious. The best insurance coverage is the one you’ll never have to use.

blacktruck18 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/17/2016 at 17:00

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We have had them forever and we have a bunch of stuff with them. Rental for the house here, homeowners for the house in Tacoma and all 3 cars I would expect a certain level of let’s keep this person that has been with us almost 20 years (damn I am getting old) happy. It is kind of a weird concept, handy when you need it though.

Steve > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 17:06

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My brother had problems when his deceased wife’s kids called my brothers car insurance provider (same one) and added themselves to his insurance. They refused to remove the kids even though they never contacted him before adding them, didn’t find out until he got the bill. They said if they removed them they wouldn’t have insurance! And that’s his problem, how?

Needless to say he has his car insurance though another provider now.

smobgirl > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 17:24

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They have been wonderful for me, both for hail repair (house and car) and car being hit by a snowplow driver who offered to pay but not pay the full damage (just the estimate before they removed the bumper cover to see the full damage). I do seem to remember there was some issue when my hatch needed replaced because the racing stripes are custom, not a dealer option, and they didn’t seem to understand how to make that repair. I don’t think it was a money issue, just confusion, but the snowplow repair ended up taking something like 6 weeks.

I will say that when the person who ran into my rental car had Geico they were the easiest in the world to deal with. Just called me up the day after, admitted their client was fully at fault, offered to pay everything - done. And probably dropped her the next day.

1111111111111111111111 > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 17:52

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Weak. I’ve been with gecko for years, and all my claims (none at my fault) were delt with in like a day or two. In fact I kept the dents in a couple of the cars and paid them off. My rates have only gone down too.

wafflesnfalafel > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 18:05

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There is nothing wrong with tactfully leaning on them a bit too. It’s a human decision and if you can convince them to see things your way, more power to you. Not sure if it will make you feel better, but there are a lot worse folks than Late Arm at adjusting claims... and some of it is just the luck of the draw if you get a decent claims adjuster person or not. That whole thing with the wheel seems just goofy...

shop-teacher > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 18:29

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I went to grad school in the town where abate charm has it’s headquarters, so I know/knew several people who work there. Their bureaucracy is very ... Cumbersome. So much so that they publish a dictionary of internal terms. Terms that aren’t used anywhere else in any industry for anything.

blacktruck18 > smobgirl 07/17/2016 at 18:50

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We have had 2 claims with them since probably 2006 (Mrs blackcar got hit and run I had one accident that ended up being 50/50) and they were super easy both times I don’t know why they are being a pain this time.

I think the easiest I ever dealt with USAA, they were kind of bitchy about a rental car when I got hit once. Once I reminded them I am a member of theirs they chilled out.

blacktruck18 > shop-teacher 07/17/2016 at 18:53

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Bloomington? That is possibly the coolest city in IL. Small enough to feel small but, big enough to have stuff to do.

And that dictionary thing is completely regoddamdiculous.

blacktruck18 > wafflesnfalafel 07/17/2016 at 19:40

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That’s what I don’t get my tactical leaning would be convincing them to get my car back to me as quickly and in turn as cheaply as possible. Which for some reason they don’t want to do.

shop-teacher > blacktruck18 07/17/2016 at 19:40

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Yeah, I liked Bloomington. I could’ve been happy staying there. Wasn’t in the cards though.

The dictionary thing spoke volumes to me about the company.