A warning about full time insurance

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Ladybiker

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Joined
Feb 17, 2011
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8
We have full time insurance and personal effects coverage for $15K from Progressive.  Last week someone got into our rear storage compartment using either that C751 key or by picking the lock.  They took our tools, every last one.  The list is quite long and runs about $2k for replacement.  Who woulda thought tools could cost so much.

We thought we would be covered.  But it turns out that in most full time personal effects insurance plans there's a clause that says in effect you get zero coverage if there is no "evidence of forcible entry".  So if the locks had been broken out we would have been covered for both the tools and the repair.  Since there was no damage, we get nada.

Yes we understand that it's written this way in the insurance contract and yes the insurance company has the right to refuse the claim.  But you'd think they'd be more interested in keeping a steady client by making at least some sort of offer than losing a client all together.  But that's not their way.  So we're off to find a new company.

So as a warning to all full timers, if someone gets into your RV make sure there's some sort of evidence of a break-in and make sure you replace all those C751 locks.
 
Isn't that interesting. Amazing all the games you have to play in order to get something you have been paying for all along.
I just switched to Progressive, thanks very much for the tip.
 
and I just switched away from Progressive last year. 

I love their TV ads but nothing else.  They broke a number of promises they made and have a very deceptive structure where you can access Progressive through an agency, or deal directly with no agent middlemen.  And you are not allowed to switch from agency to direct unless you give up the replacement value clause in your policy.  And they love to bring in new customers at a low price and then begin a program of big rate increases year after year.

We switched to GEICO and cut our bill in half (about where it was when we signed up for Progressive 5 years ago).  In our second year we actually received a small decrease in our rate.

I have heard many people say its best to shop around and switch companies from time to time to keep rates competitive.  So far we have not had to do that with GEICO, but we stand ready to switch again if they think they have imprisoned our wallets. 

Smoky
 
I am reluctant to add more to the story, but I know there are a lot of full-timers out there who have Progressive Insurance.  I feel I should expand on this warning a bit.

First, Mavarick, we experienced your same fate.  We've had Progressive for only 3 years and in that time they increased their premium by 50%.  We're wondering if they have a new policy teaser rate.

Regarding this particular claim, when we started it everything seemed fine.  The claims adjuster told us he was waiting for policy information from our state, in the meantime we needed to fill out the missing tools list.  This took several days to complete.  We sent it in and within just a few hours he called back with the denial.  Here's the worst part.  We were just a bit upset, as you can expect.  But as the conversation went along the claims adjuster seemed to be treating it as a joke and acting very unprofessional. 

Now, missing a bunch of tools isn't the end of the world.  We'll just have to gradually replace over time as we did when first married 25 years ago.  But imagine if the situation had been more serious.  Just imaging calling about an accident or injury claim and then having the adjuster laugh when he issues his judgement.

In talking with new insurance companies we have since learned that this type of clause is in virtually all full-timers personal effects policies.  Adjusters know this right off the bat.  He must have known this right off the bat.  We have the feeling he was just waiting for our amount to determine if it was worth it for the company to keep us as clients or let us go.  Can't prove it.  But that's what we feel.

Three years ago we switched from GMAC (which was an excellent company for claims) because we needed different liability amounts for bodily injury versus full timers.  We reviewed Progressive's on-line customer reviews and found they were not well rated.  But we had hoped this was due to a) mostly folks with negative feedback post reviews and b) people were being unreasonable in their claims.  Now we know that Progressive's poor ratings are earned.

Wish we'd stayed at GMAC.
 
Sorry for your loss, but no evidence of forcible entry has typically been a non-coverage clause in home onwers insurance policies ever since I can remember (and that's some time back).  I've not really investigated my MH insurance policy for this, but I would not be surprised or even disappointed if that were the case.
 
Our son is an adjuster for a major insurance company.  According to him the forced entry thing is pretty well standard with all insurance companies.  In a discussion similar to this I asked how they handle "gray" areas.  He said that several adjusters and mgt. set down and talk through it.  I would have guessed that in these discussion they would be looking for a way to deny the claim.  Not true; they actually look for a way to pay the claim.

Recently I was talking with a fellow wintering here who was an agent for a major insurance company.  I was telling him this and he said they did the same. 

Our son also states that agents are not always knowledgeable about polices and frequently miss lead clients about coverage.
 
George,

My wife is an EX-adjuster for a major insurance company, my daughter was both an agent for a company and a Compliance Officer for a state Insurance Commission and both agree completely with your comments.  I have been hearing this story for years and it never changes.    :)
 
One other thing I learned is that when I went to Progressive's website for a direct quote it was higher than I would pay through an agent. The reason I switched was because AAA gave such a good discount using Progressive. I will watch the cost and when it starts getting jacked up I will move again. It seems you have to switch app. every 3-5 years to stay competitive. I have worked with some really good agents over the years who have also understood about the crazy pricing structure, must make their job tough.
Lots of good lessons learned here, no use all of us finding out the hard way!
 
Molaker said:
Sorry for your loss, but no evidence of forcible entry has typically been a non-coverage clause in home onwers insurance policies ever ....
So the lesson is if you notice something taken with no signs of forced entry you then take the largest screwdrive you have to the lock and damage it.    :p
 
I have an extra set of bolt cutters that I will sell cheap......... ;D

Although the compartments require a key I would guess that it wouldn't take a lot of force to open a locked compartment and I would suspect a significant amount of damage to the latching mechanism afterwards.
 
Tony_Alberta said:
So the lesson is if you notice something taken with no signs of forced entry you then take the largest screwdrive you have to the lock and damage it.    :p
Just make sure you don't leave the screwdriver laying on the kitchen counter. ;D
 
Many years ago I had a number of items stolen from inside my car with no obvious signs of a break in except that a vent window (remember them?) was open that I knew had been latched. It was fairly easy to slip a coat hanger in the edge of the vent though, to unlatch it. When I called my insurance agent, he said he would have an adjuster contact me for an inspection, but before the adjuster arrived, I should check again for signs of damage. He said he was sure that they must have tapped the vent glass with a hammer and broke it to get in, and I should be sure the adjuster saw that when he got there.  ::)
 
It is rather ironic that if you're honest and don't damage something you get screwed.  We have since replaced all the locks on the three compartments.  You can buy  cam locks that fit at either Home Depot or Lowes and these have unique keys.  We're now buying new tools and a tool box plus we're locking them inside the compartment using a cable lock plus a couple locks to keep the box closed.  In addition, with the rising cost of gas, we bought a locking gas cap and we've now locked our solar panel on with a cable.  So at least if the panel gets lifted there would have to be a cut cable as proof.  Having a theft sure makes you look at your security a little closer.  Does anyone have any ideas how to secure the front doors of a class C?  It'd be so easy to use locksmith tools to unlock them again leaving no damage.

For those of you with Class A's with those basement storage compartments, we were told that it's easy for thieves to reach under the compartment door and simply unlatch them to open them.  You may want to take a look underneath to see if there is a way to keep fingers away from the latches.

We've been getting quotes for new insurance.  We're finding National Interstate has cheaper prices and we hear they're a pretty good company when it comes to claims.  Anyone have any experience with them?

On Progressive, we wonder if their disappearing deductible is the reason the rates keep going up so much.
 
I recently purchased insurance sith state farm 15,000.00 policy for 150.00 per year not sure about the coverage but my agent has always been good to me.  tom from cambridge maryland
 
tommyanderson said:
I recently purchased insurance sith state farm 15,000.00 policy for 150.00 per year not sure about the coverage but my agent has always been good to me.  tom from cambridge maryland

Welcome to the forum Tom.  What do you mean by a "15,000.00 policy"?

Rick
 
People LISTEN UP,  as an agent I tell my clients to call me FIRST when they
have a claim,  before they call the cops,

when it is in writing well end of story, am I telling them to lie?  Nope.....

BUT  PEOPLE, READ THE BACK OF THE POLICY, THE SMALL PRINT,  large
print is coverage, small print is where they take it away,  READ
THE EXCLUSIONS GEFORE CALL THE INS CO.

Phelpo
 
Smoky said:
and I just switched away from Progressive last year. 

I love their TV ads but nothing else.  They broke a number of promises they made and have a very deceptive structure where you can access Progressive through an agency, or deal directly with no agent middlemen.  And you are not allowed to switch from agency to direct unless you give up the replacement value clause in your policy.  And they love to bring in new customers at a low price and then begin a program of big rate increases year after year.

We switched to GEICO and cut our bill in half (about where it was when we signed up for Progressive 5 years ago).  In our second year we actually received a small decrease in our rate.

I have heard many people say its best to shop around and switch companies from time to time to keep rates competitive.  So far we have not had to do that with GEICO, but we stand ready to switch again if they think they have imprisoned our wallets. 

Smoky




The reason that GEICO rates are low is because they keep their payouts low. And that's why they can afford to flood the TV with ads. An example, if you think that you're gonna get the KBB or the NADA value for your stolen car you're in for a most unwelcome surprise. This I know from experience after paying them premiums for twenty years and NEVER filing a claim.
I know this thread is about RV insurance but I would think they screw you there as well as in auto insurance. I'm not planning on finding out. A fair warning!!!! 
 
I wonder if one should choose an insurance company the way I tell people to choose lawyers,, NOTE THAT THIS IS A JOKE.

I tell them to open the yellow pages to the proper heading (Attornies in my case, Incurance companies in this case) and then turn on the TV, and Radio and pick up the news paper

When you hear an ad for a lawyer (insurance company) take a big  black marker and cross it out.

Then, when all done, choose from the two remaining.

The theory being those adds are being paid for with teh client's money.
 

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