It's EXTORTION, plain and simple!!!

[overturfa]

Farmer?s Insurance Company can go to hell, hell, and hell!!!

The background:

I?m in the military serving in the lovely Middle-Eastern country of Qatar where I?ve been stationed for the past six months. Over here I don?t get my stateside mail. I pay my bills either on line, or by mailing checks back to the States. The mail takes about two weeks to travel around the world, and I?m doing my best to keep up with things. Unfortunately I don?t have any friends that I trust with a power of attorney to take care of these things for me.
Back in January I remembered that my insurance premium was coming due so I called my insurance writer in the states to find out how much it would be for 6 months. (Needless to say I?m paying insurance on a parked car.) I wanted to pay a check by phone or with my debit card, but Farmer?s isn?t set up to handle those types of transactions leaving me no choice but to use the mail system. I wrote a check for the amount and sent it out the very next day.

Fast forward to four days ago:

I received e-mail from my agent saying that she got my check, but since it arrived 8 days after the policy on my parked car expired, Farmer?s now considers me a high-risk client. (Mind you I?ve had zero blemishes on my driving record since 1997 and I?ve been with this company since I got my license.) However, because of the short lapse in coverage, the underwriters refuse to re-insure me in the same group. Now they expect me to pay almost double what my premium was! I have since offered so send them a copy of my orders to verify that I?m out of country, but they don?t seem to care. They see an opportunity to screw me over for an extra buck and that?s the bottom line! What a way for an American business to show their support for their military customers. Greedy A$$HOLE$!!! :|:|:|

Word to the wise:

If any of you reading this are currently Farmer?s Insurance customers who are either on active duty or in the guard or reserve, I would seriously consider switching companies unless you enjoy taking it up the back side! If you?re a Farmer?s employee reading this then WHAT THE F*CK?OVER?!?


BTW, if anyone knows of a GOOD insurance company with reasonable rates, let me know...

AO..

 

[compudog]

That sucks! Hope you get home soon so you can kick some a** here too.

 

[IGBT]

I fired allstate over a 50% rate increase because I was rezoned and included in a higher geographic risk area..no movers for nearly 20 years..no claims ever. So I'am with Century 21 and they gave me my old allstate rate. You might give them a shot..

 

[ys]

I've been with Progressive since I got my license, and it is a little cheaper than other big name ins. co. I've filed the first claim last week for a car break-in. The claim process was quick and I got a check the same afternoon.

However, I don't know if my rate will go up when it's time to renew.

Good luck.

 

[UltraQuiet]

Why aren't you getting your mail?

Try USAA.

 

[TSDible]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer
Why aren't you getting your mail?

Try USAA.

I completely agree...

My wife is active military and we are stationed overseas. USAA is the best thing that ever happened to us. We now have all of our insurance, main checking/savings, IRAs, and auto loans through them.

They bend over backwards to work for you in my opinion. And switching everything when you move (fairly often in the military) is as simple as a phone call.

Just my $0.02

 

[overturfa]

Oh, Farmer's is so fired when I get back! I'm not playing their game. Some one out there is bound to give me a better rate than 840.00 every six months for a Ford Escort 4 door!

 

[overturfa]

I'm probably going to switch to USAA. I thought about it a while back, but at the time Farmer's had the better rate. My mail on the other had is a little different story. I didn't know exactly where I was going until I got here. I filled out a change of address form when I got here, but because of some SNAFU the post office can't figure out, I've never gotten my mail. I'm not the only one who has had trouble getting their mail forwarded to this location either. One of the other guys in my shop, who has also been here almost 6 months, has yet to receive an LES.

 

[TSDible]

Sign up to get your LES online too...

although I forget where...

Wife says you can do it on the DFAS homepage.

Best of luck to you.

Here is a link...

DFAS homepage

 

[overturfa]

Thanks for that link.
It'll be nice to see how much leave I've got and if I'm actually getting my CZTE pay!

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: overturfa
better rate than 840.00 every six months for a Ford Escort 4 door!

:Q
i wish i had that 'horrible' rate... i pay $1200 every 6 months for my Toyota.

 

[overturfa]

Considering that I was paying $496.00 every 6 months, $840.00 is an extreme jump. Plus I drive a car that doesn't even have enough power to go 0-60 in a week.

 

[Sundog]

I would also say USAA.

 

[Double Trouble]

Also, fire off a letter to one of those "help get things solved" folks on TV in your home town -- I'm sure that given the current state with a lot of men and women out there to defend freedom, they would be more than happy to lend a hand and contact the insurance company for you. I'm guessing Farmers will not want that kind of negative publicity ("Farmers hurts our fighting men and women? News at 11")

 

[her209]

21st century.

 

[BDawg]

If you're in the military, I can't see a reason not to use USAA.

 

[Kevin]

Aren't there laws against this since you are a member of the military?

I know its kind of unrelated, but I saw on the news that this woman's son was called into active duty and his landlord wouldn't let me out of his lease 3 months early. Then I remember hearing that here are laws protecting servicemen in these kinds of situations...

 

[Sketcher]

Yep USAA.

I experienced a very similar situation. Not only Insurance, but a car payment were both delayed when I transferred ships and had been sending payments via mail (Soon after, I set up DirDep).

Bottom line, though it is unfortunate is that it is your responsibility. That said... Farmers Insurance is being unreasonable, even if they are not obligated to act in your favor. I would recommend contacting your personnel department and have them represent your case with your insurance company if you want to continue on with them. I had my Personnel Division Officer contact the Insurance CO and Loan office on my behalf and they cleared my delinquent status and reversed the "High Risk" status of my policy.

Something else to consider is wire transfer and Bank issued checking. I was able to set up my Military Credit Union account with all institutions I might need to send payment to and the standard payment amounts - then was able to have them disburse a check to any of the listed accounts as long as I was calling from a location that could receive a return verification call (and this was in 1990 - so there are probably better ways to do this now).

I'd seriously check with your personnel department and give them the low down, see what they can do for you. Though the responsibility for personal effects lies on your shoulders - there is much that your base/unit can do for you. If an department head or similar handles the correspondence on your behalf - you have a greater chance of having your insurance company recognize your situation. There actually are DOD regulations for business transactions which protect the interest of the U.S. Service member. You just might need your Legal/Personnel department to get involved for the Civ's to pay attention to it.