I officially hate State Farm--update first post

[SparklyUnicorn]

I got a letter that they are discontinuing my road side coverage because I used it too much.  I used it 3 times within 6 years of being with them (2 tows and 1 tire change).  And I no longer have the car I used it for (old car that yes was breaking down).

 

----

 

Ok, this might not be as awful as I first thought.  The roadside cost us $4.10 per month for 2 cars.  So I got my money's worth for sure on that, and I get why that's not so interesting for them to keep us on.  I read that some of these companies jack up your rates overall when you make claims on your roadside.  They have not done that at least.

 

I looked at the various roadside things out there.  For what they charge, it would probably be cheaper for us to just pay for it as it is needed because they also limit number of tows.  If we traveled a lot, lived in the middle of nowhere, or something like that it might be more interesting.  Looking at tow rates they run about $50 for 10 miles.  We have a zillion auto places around so there is never a need to travel far for that.  Stuff like running out of gas or battery issues, it would be more than easy for DH to drive that over to me or the other way around. 

Only thing is I don't have a spare tire.  So I'm going to buy one.  Last time I had a tire issue they had to tow my car.  I am sure it is cheaper to call someone to put on a spare than to have it towed.

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2016 by SparklyUnicorn

[heartlikealion]

Uggh!!

 

Ironically we were just discussing this the other day. Dh says if I ever need a tow I should call them but it would require me to pay up front and get reimbursed. Meanwhile, my parents keep sending me AAA cards lol. I told them they don't need to do that and they said it's no extra charge to them and if I need help I won't have to front the money. After reading this I'm definitely keeping my AAA card. I'm so sorry that happened!! I wonder if it varies from office to office how they handle that.

[Journey]

wow.  that's wrong.  I would call them and ask what is going on.  I work for an insurance company a big one like them and that's not something we would do.

[marbel]

Wow, that surprises me.  We have always gotten great service from State Farm (though we don't use their roadside service).

 

 

[Slache]

If you decide to switch I suggest Gieco. When I was volunteering in Louisiana after Katrina they were the only company to pay without a lawsuit, and they paid out quickly. I think that really said something about the company. Also, my husband has been with them for over 10 years and we have no complaints.

[Carol in Cal.]

So glad I have AAA for roadside, although I have car insurance with someone else because AAA auto coverage is so expensive.

 

What AAA does is send you a letter saying they will only do one more tow before the end of your roadside coverage year, if you use it excessively.  They don't cancel your coverage.  We have gotten that letter twice in the 25 or so years we had them, and both times it was when we had old cars breaking down repeatedly.

 

I even bought the extended distance coverage from them--it's not much more expensive, and being able to be towed home or to your favorite shop instead of the closest one is really helpful, especially since we go on localish road trips pretty often.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Carol in Cal.

[SparklyUnicorn]

If you decide to switch I suggest Gieco. When I was volunteering in Louisiana after Katrina they were the only company to pay without a lawsuit, and they paid out quickly. I think that really said something about the company. Also, my husband has been with them for over 10 years and we have no complaints.

 

We used to have Geico and I really liked them.  Only reason we went with State Farm was that the rate for bundling home and auto turned out to be really good.  BUT...emphasis on BUT, the woman who quoted me that input less coverage than we had and claimed it was the same.  My fault for not making sure of that when I got the documents, but I did notice it a few months later.  I still have not been able to get rates that good elsewhere.  And I check once a year.

 

But seriously this makes me so mad I have a good mind to change anyway and pay more.

 

When I talked to the local guy about how the woman on the phone lied to me he made some comment about how he has been good to me.  Yeah dude..in what way?  That guy is such an arse. 

[Slache]

We used to have Geico and I really liked them. Only reason we went with State Farm was that the rate for bundling home and auto turned out to be really good. BUT...emphasis on BUT, the woman who quoted me that input less coverage than we had and claimed it was the same. My fault for not making sure of that when I got the documents, but I did notice it a few months later. I still have not been able to get rates that good elsewhere. And I check once a year.

 

But seriously this makes me so mad I have a good mind to change anyway and pay more.

 

When I talked to the local guy about how the woman on the phone lied to me he made some comment about how he has been good to me. Yeah dude..in what way? That guy is such an arse.

This is crap. I hope it isn't common. You should get the same coverage at the price she quoted.

[happi duck]

That is so stupid!

[kewb]

State Farm used to be who we got our homeowners from. After Hurricane Irene they dropped us for costing them too much.  They were great when we filed the claim.  And they paid quickly.  6 months later they dropped us.  They are not my first pick.

 

We have been with Geico for years.  Very happy with them.

Edited May 9, 2016 by kewb

[TranquilMind]

I got a letter that they are discontinuing my road side coverage because I used it too much.  I used it 3 times within 6 years of being with them (2 tows and 1 tire change).  And I no longer have the car I used it for (old car that yes was breaking down).

 

Wow, seriously?  You paid for a service that you actually used and they canceled you?  Sounds about right for money-grubbing insurance companies.  We need to eliminate them. 

 

[ScoutTN]

Shop your insurance and drop SF. Insurance is competitive; no reason to have such bad service.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Shop your insurance and drop SF. Insurance is competitive; no reason to have such bad service.

 

Yes I am definitely going to be looking (despite what I wrote in my update).  I severely dislike this company.  I hate our agent.  I literally got into a yelling match on the phone with him one time.  When they were redoing our rate when I bought a new car it took them over a month to give me the rate.  I called to ask for it and he was like why do you need to know..don't worry it will be a good rate.  I said I'd like to comparison shop.  He asked but why would I want to do that.  Because I want to know if I'm getting a freaking good deal you weirdo.  What the hell.  I get he's a sale's guy, but I'm not a moron.

[Katy]

Have you tried calling your agent to complain?  We've used RA much more than you and never had a letter like that. Perhaps there is some identity theft going on, or someone mixed up your account and someone else's, or a towing company billed them repeatedly even when you didn't use the service.

[Guest]

We have had State Farm for years and zero issues, including paying out on a substantial valuables policy. They've been excellent for us and I'm sorry you had a bad experience with them :(

Edited May 9, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[kroe1]

State Farm has been with me through 3 totaled vehicles, one 14 year old driver, two homes in hurricane zones, several in flood zones, and one stolen vehicle. I have been with them for over 30 years. I have never had a problem.

 

It is the big claims that would matter to me.

[Murphy101]

We have AAA for regular house and vehicle insurance.

 

We also have a separate AAA roadside coverage for all of us. Worth every penny and really isn't that much for all it covers.

[TechWife]

I've heard from several people that State Farm cancels policies after claims are made. Not right away, but by the next renewal period. 

 

We've had Allstate for years, have had several claims and never an issue. 

 

We used to have roadside assistance through one of our credit cards, but it was hard to use because they had a limited network, so we cancelled it. 

 

I keep thinking we should get roadside assistance for ds, but we never have. 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I've heard from several people that State Farm cancels policies after claims are made. Not right away, but by the next renewal period. 

 

We've had Allstate for years, have had several claims and never an issue. 

 

We used to have roadside assistance through one of our credit cards, but it was hard to use because they had a limited network, so we cancelled it. 

 

I keep thinking we should get roadside assistance for ds, but we never have. 

 

This is very lousy.  I am definitely going to shop around. 

[ChocolateReignRemix]

I've heard from several people that State Farm cancels policies after claims are made. Not right away, but by the next renewal period.

 

We have had State Farm for 20+ years and have never had an issue with this.

[TrulySusan]

We got dropped by them after 2 claims. Both involved damage to our cars but once someone hit our parked car and the other another person was driving for my injured dh and had a small fender bender. We switched to Progressive and will never go back to State Farm.

[itsheresomewhere]

If I am remembering correctly, you are in the NE area. They have been canceling a lot of policies lately in this area.

[Pegasus]

Sounds like your problem is mostly with your agent, not the insurance company.  We have State Farm (~30 years and counting) and have made both vehicle and home claims.  They have paid out the claims fast without hassle.  It pays to have a good agent.  They will manage your account with the insurance headquarters.  I disagreed one time with how they were filing an auto claim and all it took was a simple call to my agent and they changed it, to my benefit.

 

Around here, if you don't like your State Farm agent, there is often another one right across the street!  There is no reason to stay with an agent that is not giving good service.

[kiana]

I had State Farm roadside for years and lost it due to the same thing. Admittedly I do drive junkers.

 

I paid for AAA premium and so far it has been worth every penny. My junker blew the engine out of state and they paid for a one-way rental to get me home under the trip interruption coverage. I did have to pay upfront but they sent a check for the refund quickly.

 

 

 

Sparkly, if you have the space in the car I would make sure to get a full size spare rather than a donut. It is SO. NICE. to be able to swap out the tire and just keep driving rather than having to get to a tire shop within 50 miles. It always happens to me when I'm late somewhere.

Edited May 10, 2016 by kiana

[SquirrellyMama]

We used to have a roadside coverage from Sears. We got a letter like that one year. We ended up cancelling, and getting AAA. I think we've been ok since then. I think the year we had Sears there was a huge deer population around here.

 

Kelly

[BlsdMama]

I got a letter that they are discontinuing my road side coverage because I used it too much.  I used it 3 times within 6 years of being with them (2 tows and 1 tire change).  And I no longer have the car I used it for (old car that yes was breaking down).

 

----

 

Ok, this might not be as awful as I first thought.  The roadside cost us $4.10 per month for 2 cars.  So I got my money's worth for sure on that, and I get why that's not so interesting for them to keep us on.  I read that some of these companies jack up your rates overall when you make claims on your roadside.  They have not done that at least.

 

I looked at the various roadside things out there.  For what they charge, it would probably be cheaper for us to just pay for it as it is needed because they also limit number of tows.  If we traveled a lot, lived in the middle of nowhere, or something like that it might be more interesting.  Looking at tow rates they run about $50 for 10 miles.  We have a zillion auto places around so there is never a need to travel far for that.  Stuff like running out of gas or battery issues, it would be more than easy for DH to drive that over to me or the other way around. 

Only thing is I don't have a spare tire.  So I'm going to buy one.  Last time I had a tire issue they had to tow my car.  I am sure it is cheaper to call someone to put on a spare than to have it towed.

 

 

We've had State Farm our entire lives - DH started with them on his parent's insurance 27 years ago.  We switched this week. :(

 

I love my local office - the woman there is the warmest, most lovely gal.  DD had two accidents this year - one her fault and one not.  They are dropping her - and she'll be excluded on all of our vehicles.  I could understand if both were her fault, but the police report was very clear in that she tried to avoid another driver as per another witness (a fire chief in another city witnessed it.)

 

The local person said this was ridiculous and that their underwriters are evaluating more and more harshly.  She said there used to be a regional person who knew their area very well and made these decisions and now it is more centrally located.  

 

We weren't very happy.  On the good side, we did save a rather lot (went USAA) on car insurance.  We're paying more for homeowner's *but* it evens out and we had not updated the homeowner's since finishing the basement so that was going to increase our premiums anyway.

[SparklyUnicorn]

We've had State Farm our entire lives - DH started with them on his parent's insurance 27 years ago.  We switched this week. :(

 

I love my local office - the woman there is the warmest, most lovely gal.  DD had two accidents this year - one her fault and one not.  They are dropping her - and she'll be excluded on all of our vehicles.  I could understand if both were her fault, but the police report was very clear in that she tried to avoid another driver as per another witness (a fire chief in another city witnessed it.)

 

The local person said this was ridiculous and that their underwriters are evaluating more and more harshly.  She said there used to be a regional person who knew their area very well and made these decisions and now it is more centrally located.  

 

We weren't very happy.  On the good side, we did save a rather lot (went USAA) on car insurance.  We're paying more for homeowner's *but* it evens out and we had not updated the homeowner's since finishing the basement so that was going to increase our premiums anyway.

 

This is pretty sucky.  What is the point of insurance if they drop you after a claim or two?!  Good grief. 

 

I think my local guy is a big fat jerk on top of it.  So I'm definitely going to look around. 

[JFSinIL]

I agree, call and talk to your agent. Can't hurt. And if yoiur folks send you AAA cards, bear in mind you need to be registered with AAA, we use it and have paid more to add our kids on, so mom may be mistaken when she sends you a card saying it is free.