State Farm Local Agent Has Beat Our Current HDT Insurance Policy

Does anyone use State Farm? good? bad?

I am not going to change anything until I get a toter usage description in writing or E-mail from the agent, but I am happy with what I'm hearing so far.  This all started this week as a result of our decision to dump all our USAA accounts i.e.: auto and homeowner's.  While we were at it, I decided to ask about getting the WIA under the same policy and the local State Farm agent said no problem.  (All we use Progressive for is the bikes and the WIA)

Later edit: It doesn't look like Progressive is working in Canada yet.

State Farm tied the HDT & 5er together and their price was still 4x greater than Progressive.  After 2 days and several calls State Farm finally got the price to only 2x greater but still was restricted to HDT & 5er together.  This was after they finally called the HDT a "toter".

Progressive quoted the HDT & 5er separately.  The price for the HDT was the same thru Progressive even if they did not insure my 5er.

In the end I went with Progressive for the HDT and also moved the 5er to Progressive.

The most recent claim, which we are STILL dealing with, is simple property replacement due to a Public Storage unit's leaking roof soaking about 2 pallets of household goods.  The claim was filed over a month ago, they have still failed to accept or deny coverage on it.  We've had several storms since we moved to Shreveport.  This is an Air Force town, there is no reason for them to not date mark the claim to other members in the near vicinity.  This was not flood damage, this was vertical rain coming through a tin roof.  A simple yes or no answer on their part is all we asked for.

Shortly after we first moved to Shreveport, my F250 had an oil pressure sending unit fail on it.  (Again, in a military town).  Roadside assistance which is contracted out by USAA called a wrecker from Texas over 60 miles away.  We were 11 miles from base.  After 2.5 hours and darkness closing in, I ended up paying a local shop out of pocket to just get it off the road.

Do you remember my Grand Marquis that was totaled out by a 17 year old?  Our car was parked in front of our house on Thanksgiving night, she hit it at 70 mph.  USAA offered me $3,000 for full loss as their final offer, Allstate which was the girl's insurance came back with over $7,000 as their first.  USAA dragged this out for over a month because they were in the "holidays", yet they refused to cover the rental car due to their lack of action any further.  Allstate took the bill for the rental without issue.

I can give you several other incidents in their customer service department itself that is just unacceptable to us.  They claim themselves to be a service member's based agency.  Both of our last transfers, they have screwed up our coverages when switching to the new state.  I am not a 19 year E-1, I've been around long enough to hold them accountable, which is the part that infuriates me the most.  Young troops will just accept this crap USAA has pulled and walk away from it, that is unacceptable to me and I'm not supporting them in anyway whatsoever from now on.  If I'm going to get shafted by an insurance agency, it is not going to be by a Service member's group who knows they have a more accountable type of client then the open market.

Progressive is now affiliated with USAA, they handle all their RV and motorcycle policies now.  I didn't like Progressive for a while due to their contradictory policies on HDT's, now with that & USAA teamed up with them, they are out for us.  I am not interested in hearing how either of these companies offer cheaper rates, USAA has proven you get what you pay for and the uncertainty of Progressive's stand on our Volvo is far too risky to worry about the premium difference.  I want to know I am covered no matter what I do with our WIA in a private use situation like we have.

The only area State Farm has been noticeably higher is our property insurance.  Between my evil guns, tools, Christina's jewelry and musical instruments we're looking at a few hundred more per year.  We'll see how it works out.  I've got quotes in with several others, the local State Farm agent is the most appealing to me by personality though.

Bottom line,
I'm sick of dealing with a indifference, which is only made worse when I can't get the same person to follow up with.  I want an agent I can stand in front of and stand over if necessary to get things handled.

Progressive was out for me as a fulltimer and HDT owner.  I could NEVER get a straight answer as to how I could use my truck.  Ron sent me correspondence that indicated that as a fulltimer I could NOT use it without the trailer, I was told directly by Progressive (2 times) that I could NOT drive it without the trailer, and I was told by Poliseek that I COULD drive it any way I wanted.  I gave up.

I went with Farm & City after calling around.  They at least understands our trucks, and were CLEAR about any restrictions.  I doubt the restrictions would work for some of the posters here (I can NOT tow other peoples property, and I can NOT live in the truck as an RV), but it works for me.  And at LEAST I understand them. I can otherwise use the truck any way I want.

The only company or service organization I have remained with since I first joined the military is Navy Federal Credit Union.  To this day, they have never let me down or anyone I know.  Somehow, I think they are one of the few who stand above the rest in loyalty to their members.  I've been with them for nearly 17 years now.  I have used nearly every service they offer multiple times over that period, not one time was there anything but excellent follow through, including when we extended my membership eligibility to Christina's family in Germany.

Nolan, on Mar 30 2010, 12:07 PM, said:
When we were going to go full-time RVing.  State farm said they won't cover us.  They didn't go full-time policies. Has that changed?

That is also what State farm told us in 2007.  As long as we spent less than 180 days a year in the RV, State Farm would cover us.  More than 180 days, no coverage.

At this time, we only had the F550, not an HDT, but either way 180 days was the limit.
Doug

Give the family our regards -- we're still shopping FT policies.

National Interstate (thru Explorer) is the winner (so far).  Progressive was ok insuring the HDT before, but our FT situation is somewhat "unique" with the LLC (it's spared me Calif. citations twice, so far) and eventual/new mailing address (SKP).
Don

State Farm went into effect this past Thursday, the rates for our vehicles as a whole are slightly higher, (within $200 a year).  The Volvo itself is lower than Progressive at $458.00 a year for full coverage.  Our big Wabash trailer is also including in our auto policy as a cargo trailer for around $150 a year.  Overall I am very happy with the what the local agent was able to do for us.  We rolled over properties in Montana to State Farm from USAA, along with our upcoming home here in LAS, so the multiple policy discounts helped us a small amount, but not much.

I asked about full timer coverage for State Farm and our agent is going to check to make sure there are no restrictions on it, she did not want to say yes or no until she had everything on this available, should have an answer back after this weekend.

Anyway, an agent that has your best interests at heart is worth their weight in gold.  Agents are paid to be sale persons but they know the rules.  So when they talk to the "company" their questions tend to have more impact simply the agent knows how to phrase the question in your best interest.  Remember, these business's are highly regulated by state governments.

That said, here is my State Farm story.  My dad was a very intelligent man, with NO education.  He was functionally illiterate in four languages.  But his State Farm agent respected him and treated him and us more than fair.

In my early twenties, a middle-aged woman with another insurance company hit my car.  The run around and lies were unbelievable.  Finally, the State Farm agent said "you can make a claim against us."  The settlement was more than fair.  I mentioned it to him and he said "they won't pay you, but they will pay us without question".

A year or so later I moved to Idaho.  The agent there was incredulous.  "How did you get into the mutual company at your age?"  I asked him what the mutual company was.  He said "low rates."  My fathers agent never mentioned it to me.  Just did it on my driving record.

I have never had an agent quite like him since.  But stayed with the company for thirty years based on the service I received in my 20's.

No matter what company if you have an agent that has your best interests at heart.  Pay the money.  You will end up more than ahead in the long run.

PS if State Farm will write it great.  They are a great company.  Unfortunately the local State Farm agent in my area did not how to spell HDT.  Not that my spelling is any better.