Need help with home insurance (lost wind coverage)

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Hi,

I had Allstate for a few years. They have bad reputation and are a big hassle when filing a claim (I had one totaled car claim), but cheap.

Now, Allstate dropped my wind coverage (I'm in gulf area, AL, and they did that statewide) and and looking for different insurance. I used the http://www.viewpoints.com/Home-Insurance website for insurance rating and sent a number of requests for quotes between yesterday and today. Nothing came back yet and looks like all insurance agents are closed on weekends. That sucks!

One additional insurance co doing business locally is GARRISON INSURANCE. I have no idea how reliable they are. Anyone familiar with GARRISON INSURANCE?

Anyone else in gulf area (AL or similar) with similar issues with canceled wind insurance? How did you deal with it?
 
Hey, you're in good hands with Allsnake!!!

If there is any silver at all in the lining of the experiences we Gulf Coast folks have endured in the last decade, it's that our wonderful insurance companies are finally laying their true colors out for everyone to see. For decades, they've painted "trial lawyers" as THE fundamental evil eroding the foundation of our civilization. Meanwhile, they happily demand (and collect) grossly inflated premiums, and then, when there's a big storm (or any other cataclysmic disaster, or even threat thereof), they hide their profits and run for cover, claiming they're in danger of insolvency.

On a side note, I would emphasize that there would be no market at all for "sleazy lawyers" if insurance companies paid half the value of half of their claims on a regular basis. If they did so, "trial lawyers" would be forced to go do real estate closings...

Anyway, at least in FL, we have the state-mandated windstorm coverage to protect us after ALL the "free market" insurers abandoned us. Given Bad Bob's outlook (you know who I'm talking about), I doubt y'all in AL have any recourse at all. Best of luck when the next 'cane comes through...
 
I'd recommend finding a good, local independent agent who probably has already dealt with the same issue that you have through others who are in the same boat. They likely would have knowledge on who was writing policies including wind coverage for your area.
 
Originally Posted By: willix
Its a perfect scenario for another attempt at govvy insurance takeover.


You mean like subsidized flood coverage for those who CHOOSE to live with an ocean view?
smirk2.gif
 
OK guys, I plead guilty to having taken this thread close to politics. Some subjects, while not in and of themselves "political" are nevertheless, inescapably entwined with politics. Let's stay with the subject matter, if y'all catch my drift.

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: willix
Its a perfect scenario for another attempt at govvy insurance takeover.


You mean like subsidized flood coverage for those who CHOOSE to live with an ocean view?
smirk2.gif



Eljef, no, flood and wind coverage, right or wrong, have evolved into two totally separate things. Wind coverage is what's hard to get down here. Our "good neighbors" have all totally cut out and refuse to write such coverage. The "good hands" display you a single finger (guess which one...) if you ask for wind coverage. In Florida... Yet they remain perfectly happy to take your money for coverages on which they know they can continuously make no-risk, massive profits every year. No, none of them are "on your side," ever, in any way.

Hey, it's really easy to spout platitudes about "government takeovers" when you live in a place where the risk is low, the the insurers are happy to rape you for the coverage, knowing there's virtually no chance they'll ever have to pay a claim. But here in FL (and coastal AL too), all the insurers have turned their back, leaving the State created "Citizens Property" the only game in town.

Interestingly, when all the "usual suspect" insurers cut and ran on us, our premiums dropped by, very roughly, 10%. To get our wind-only supplemental coverage, we usually have to pay about 50% of the premium for what remains of our homeowner's policy.

Please everyone, next time you see one of those wonderful Allsnake TV commercials wherein that African-American guy with the smooth, deep voice tries to convince you of how "good" Allsnake is, don't forget how Allsnake (and its peers) behaves in real life.
 
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Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: willix
Its a perfect scenario for another attempt at govvy insurance takeover.


You mean like subsidized flood coverage for those who CHOOSE to live with an ocean view?
smirk2.gif



For the record, I live almost two miles from the Gulf of Mexico, on a piece of land that GPS reports being at ~100 feet above sea level. No free market, commercial insurer will write wind coverage in our neighborhood.

Let's not be indulging in the fantasy that this is only about rich beach dwellers expecting to receive subsidized insurance. It's most certainly not.
 
come on guys, no matter if it's car insurance, health insurance, or life insurance. They are in business to make $$$.
 
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
come on guys, no matter if it's car insurance, health insurance, or life insurance. They are in business to make $$$.


Of course they are. But that's not what's really the problem here. Study the insurance industry, in depth. The things they are permitted to do in order to make rapacious profits are obscene.

When was the last time you heard of a major insurance company actually going belly up? That will NEVER happen the way things are set up today. Meanwhile if an individual citizen has the gumption to wonder why he can't find wind coverage at a reasonable price (or at all), he is scorned on the premise that he's asking for something for free.
 
Quote:

Its a perfect scenario for another attempt at govvy insurance takeover


I'm not sure what this means. Free market would say he is a bad risk, that means no insurance. In CT, there is a law that prohibits insurance companies from denying shoreline coverage on the basis the owner doesn't have hurricane shutters or tempered glass windows. No one seems to be complaining about this type of government intervention. People who do have the thousands to install these items get discounted rates.
 
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Originally Posted By: simple_gifts

Free market would say he is a bad risk, that means no insurance. In CT, there is a law that prohibits insurance companies from denying shoreline coverage on the basis the owner doesn't have hurricane shutters or tempered glass windows. No one seems to be complaining about this type of government intervention. People who do have the thousands to install these items get discounted rates.


Were you talking about me? I live 20 miles from the coast and during the last 13 years (since the house was built) and countless hurricanes, there was not a single damage or claim.

Allstate and other major carriers canceled wind coverage in large areas of AL and not just "shoreline." They did that because Alabama would allow Allstate to recover some, but not all of the increased reinsurance cost. And that means less profit.

The truth is insurance companies lost lots of money in the cluster of hurricanes and then stock crash and want the policy payers to pay the loses back.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I agree with ekpolk that the major insurance companies are very unethical with handling claims or canceling after first couple claims. Google for "The Ten Worst Insurance Companies In America" report showing their business practices.

Thanks Tdbo for the independent agent idea. I did not know they existed. I managed to find one that answered a call today (Saturday). He will have some quotes hopefully by Monday.
 
Quote:
Our "good neighbors" have all totally cut out and refuse to write such coverage. The "good hands" display you a single finger (guess which one...) if you ask for wind coverage. In Florida... Yet they remain perfectly happy to take your money for coverages on which they know they can continuously make no-risk, massive profits every year. No, none of them are "on your side," ever, in any way.


lol
 
We had a wind/ice storm here in NY that took out a power pole that put a puncture in my dads roof a few years back.

His insurance carrier is Allstate. They had a truck at the house within hours getting the emergency closure place over, then they took care of him properly.

He still has a $100 deductible on his home.

They replaced the entire roof on the house, because it wouldn't match with the old color if they just did the part that was damaged.

They replaced his entire electrical box, that was damaged.

Then they wrote him a check to drywall the inside of the house (he did himself), and they wrote a check for a fence that he didn't even own.

I would say that they did right by him.

This may be different in Florida.

The adjuster that he had was an emergency adjuster who had driven in from Texas, and was doing a bunch of houses that week due to the weather.
 
I had only one claim with Allstate when uninsured driver totaled my wife's car. Even though the driver did not have insurance, drove with suspended license, it was obvious whose fault it was (speeding in a parking lot and cutting through lines), and there were witnesses, Allstate was trying to brainwash my wife to admit that it was her fault. Unfortunately, there was no police report as it was a private property (parking lot). There were so mean that my wife cried a few times after talking to them. At that time, I had no clue what was going on and thought it was bizarre. After reading the The Ten Worst Insurance Companies In America report I understand now that Allstate routinely fights claims to save money.
Now that they canceled the wind insurance, it was the last straw for me. I'm sure there are some positive anecdotes about Allstate as well, otherwise they would go under in no time.
 
Switch to a mutual insurance company. At least in theory their excess profits go back to the dividend holders... the policy holders!
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Google for "The Ten Worst Insurance Companies In America" report showing their business practices.



wow, one of the companies I work for is on that list.
shocked2.gif
 
Quote:
I had only one claim with Allstate when uninsured driver totaled my wife's car. Even though the driver did not have insurance, drove with suspended license, it was obvious whose fault it was (speeding in a parking lot and cutting through lines), and there were witnesses, Allstate was trying to brainwash my wife to admit that it was her fault. Unfortunately, there was no police report as it was a private property (parking lot). There were so mean that my wife cried a few times after talking to them.


Glad I had a better experience the two times that I had to make claims. The first was a hit and run and the second they totaled my car for $8k. Maybe whoever your wife was dealing with was a bit sexist and might not have pulled that if there was a male voice on the other end.
 
OK, a follow up. After a week and hundreds of phone calls, I founds one major carrier still offering wind coverage in my area (Liberty Mutual). I had to pay 40% more and transfer the auto coverage to them. I'm happy as the "beach pool" or one of those "surplus" insurance would cost me over 100% more. And I was paying 50% more than national average already.

Here is the quick guide to the scam played by major insurance cos in Alabama:

They cancel wind coverage for existing policies that are not in high risk areas and offer insurance twice as expensive via their subsidiaries registered as "surplus" insurance with Alabama. They use a loophole in legislation that removes "surplus" (or last resort) insurance from any government rate control.

It is possible though that Liberty will pull that on me in the future as they are also on the worst insurance cos list.
 
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