55 replies to this topic

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Apologies in advance for this lengthy response. It’s sort of cathartic. 😂

 

I have never reported our experience with USAA because of the loyalty factor so many have for this company, and that’s great. But you asked, so…ours was horrible. We initially went with them due to price; with a California home and two teenage drivers they had the lowest rates.

 

First issue: a wooden fence blew down during a freak wind event. Called and they told me what they would pay. I had to do all of the leg work. Find fence contractors, get estimates, schedule the work, etc. Other than sending a check to me, they didn’t really do anything. I wasn’t really upset at the time, just sort of disappointed. But hey, saving money!
 

Second, and biggest, issue: our youngest began delivering pizzas with his car. My wife and I called (using speakerphone) to make sure he would be covered. A very nice young man wrote an endorsement for, if I remember correctly, other uses. Cost us less than $100. Great, or so I thought. Several months later USAA sent us a check for around $70 with the notation refund, no other detail. OK, very nice, these people are great. Saving money!

 

Well…when a rock sent flying from a dump truck shattered his windshield, he called us. We were up in OR so I had him call USAA to set up an appointment. When he told me it would take 9 days to get it fixed I found that strange. So I called. Why should this take so long and btw, he needs his car for work. Oh, what does he do? He delivers pizzas. At this point, the lady on the phone literally begins screaming at me. “WE DON’T COVER FOR PIZZA DELIVERY. HE CAN’T DO THAT. HE’S JEOPARDIZING YOUR ENTIRE POLICY.” When I calmly asked her to check for the additional endorsement we paid for over a year ago she told me no such endorsement existed and they would never write such an endorsement. We went back and forth with her and a supervisor with their claims about never writing that endorsement until they backtracked several times and finally admitted that they had received money for an additional endorsement (unspecified), had canceled that endorsement without informing us, had refunded us a portion of that canceled endorsement (remember that refund check?), and that our youngest had been driving, essentially, uninsured during his delivery times. And no, they will not cover him in the future. Spent an entire day, remotely, finding other insurance. 
 

So…based on what others have reported and our experience, I would be very wary of insuring with USAA without something in writing. As always, YMMV. 

[longhorn1]

I spent hours on the phone, and spoke to numerous people, including underwriters, and no one could give me an answer. Not only that, it was never listed on my policy, probably because "it is insured as part of the truck", but for what value? They had the camper showing on their computer but no place I could see. It took a fellow WTW member and FWC Facebook members Roger Redmond to look at this differently. I chose not to risk my investment and consulted Progressive. I also prepared a list of sold FWC Hawks and Grandby's with their sold prices as backup.

[Ronin]

My 2cents. If you want physical damage coverage for your camper - comprehensive & collision- your policy should have it listed on the policy declarations along with your other vehicles or in some cases the insurer will issue a stand alone rv/camper policy stating your deductibles and $cost. There is no such thing as free insurance. It's true that your camper is covered for liability while attached to your truck. Liability covers bodily injury and property damage to the other party if you are at fault in an accident. It does not cover physical damage to your camper.

 

When you inquire about coverage for your camper it's important to be very specific about what you want. Ask specifically if your camper is covered for comprehensive and collision. If you're told that it's covered and there's no additional cost there's something obviously wrong. Why would an insurance company not charge you for a camper worth $25K - $100k.  When you call your insurance company you're probably talking to someone at a call center that was given 2 weeks of training, mainly to obtain their insurance license and how to use the computer systems. Call center reps are good at making changes to your policy like changing vehicles or coverages but not about the intricate and legal aspects of your policy language and claims practices. Have you ever tried reading and understanding your policy. It's all legalese, not many people can make heads or tails of it.

 

Best bet is to talk to your actual agent, not a call center!! Whatever your agent tells you is an expressed warrantee, which means that whatever he tells you is part of the policy, whether it is or it isn't.  Again, get it in writing or follow up your understanding with him via e-mail. He is only the agent, not the insurance company. The company can still decline coverage for something he said was covered which is why agents have to carry "errors and ommisions" insurance to cover his errors. Then you'd have to make the claim against your agents insurance.

 

Confused? It is very complex and varies from state to state and insurance companies. Don't depend on a call center to give you correct information. Also, don't depend on what people tell you, including me. Don't take the path of least resistance on this, call your agent and get things in writing!! You've spent a lot of hard earned money on your rig!!

 

I don't have USAA so my apologies for veering off the original posting. 

Edited by Ronin, 27 June 2021 - 05:06 PM.

[Wallowa]

Thanks for the stories folks...for what it is worth...Farmers also insures our Hawk as an addition/part of the Tundra truck it is mount in...what the value of the truck and or Hawk is if destroyed today, I have no idea...like most insurance, I assume it is current value of item lost, not new value or replacement cost, but current value considering the age, model, etc.....yes, our Hawk is on our Farmers policy along with the Tundra and not a separate policy.

 

So, as I hear it feed back as to "how much will you pay if there is a loss" is the primary issue and honestly this is an issue with any insurance...I freely admit that I just pay premiums and expect a reasonable settlement if there is a loss and claim....nailing down the actual $$$ amount prior to a claim at best would be very difficult...

 

Still Monday I will try to get some clarification from both Farmers and USAA insurance companies pertaining to how much would we receive if the Hawk is totaled, and for that matter, the Tundra ... will report back.

 

 

Thanks again for the input..

 

Phil

[Wildcat]

Most insurance policies are for "actual cash value", or ACV. If you want replacement value, there's usually an endorsement for that. ACV almost always is a low price offset by depreciation based on age. As Ronin said, it's complicated and confusing. And the bottom line is that policies are legal documents that bind the insurance company. If it's not in writing, they won't pay out. That's why a good agent is worth their weight in gold. They are not trying to sell you a higher price policy to get a larger commission. They should be able to clearly explain the options available choices vs premiums and let you make the decisions, with no pressure. And call centers are not good at doing that.

Wallowa, if you are trying to understand what your payout would be, you won't get an exact price from the insurance company but you should get a clear understanding of the methodology they use. The adjusters and claims department follow a procedure and don't just wing it based upon a claim. Ask to talk to a person in the claims department who will bring up your policy on their screen and explain how a claim would be settled. Do they only used KBB or other pricing guides? Would they accept examples of recent advertisements in your area (unlikely)? Do they adjust for depreciation and wear based on age?

This is a tough subject as we all hope we never have to make a claim and we don't like to spend money on premiums for something we hope to never need. Let us know what you find out about USAA.

[Wallowa]

Wildcat....clear explanation and thanks...yes, I will delve into this tomorrow and report back...hopefully with concise information from both my current insurance company, Farmers, and the company I am considering changing to, USAA.

 

A question however.  You said this about an agent "They are not trying to sell you a higher price policy to get a larger commission."; so the agent does not receive an increased income from writing policies and the cost of those policies?  Then how do they increase their income?

 

Thanks...Phil

[DavidGraves]

Most of us have had less than good experience with insurance...even though it is an important part of our lives.

 

We have to pay an extra premium for our FWC with Sublimity Ins. ( I think owned by United Heritage )

The agent asked me to declare value when writing the extra coverage...so I hope that is what settlement would be in a totaled claim.

 

A small sporty car was totaled recently while parked on a city street.

 

The adjuster who called me took more than two weeks to propose a settlement value so I finally presented the adjuster with Web based advertisements  for the like model, year and mileage.

 

Adjuster averaged the three I had sent them and sent me a check overnight.

 

I was happy with the settlement but still sad at the loss of vehicle...I cannot REALLY go out and find one just like what we lost......and all the shopping and shipping and bother will be on me.

 

David Graves

[Wallowa]

David,

 

I understand what you posted, and, I could be wrong, but "even though it is an important part of our lives." referring to insurance made me reflect....I am old enough to remember when insurance was not considered a necessity but a luxury and most folks with finite incomes [then more than now and that was most of us...] viewed the assumption of risk as a real option as opposed to insurance...most of us lived without 'safety nets'....

 

I know I am off the topic and in the weeds....today, I like so many protect our hard earned assets by insuring against loss.  All the while trying to unscramble the tangled layers of the insurance jargon and intricate policies.   

 

It has seemed like the prudent effort to make....any more I just do know if it is....

 

Fearing loss, especially under the illusion that what we have can be protected by insuring assets....seems like a "Catch-22"  stance that erodes self-reliance and instead places us in reliance on a Strawman promising to protect what we value.

 

"News @ 11"...tomorrow will report back...on what specifics I can glean from Farmers and USAA.

 

Phil

[larryqp]

I have Foremost on my 2019 Hawk, and Farmers on my F150. Foremost is a subsidiary of Farmers and specializes in RV insurance. The Hawk policy is a separate policy and has a "replacement" value clause, I think it costs me around $300 a year. Having had a previous total loss with my Ranger/FWC Eagle in 2019, and excellent payout, I wouldn't want to trust an insurance company on verbal coverage as part of the truck. Just my opinion. My vehicles are registered in TX, and vehicle insurance is regulated by states, so others may have different experiences, but you can also call Good Sam as a starting point to ask about RV insurance on your camper, if you decide to seek something other that USAA.

 

Insurance companies don't always understand what a truck camper is. case in point, my agent added towing coverage to both my Truck and camper policy, I tried to explain that you can't tow one without the other. Finally, I had the agent remove the roadside assistance and towing from my insurance and bought a separate RV roadside assistance policy through the Escapees Club for $109/ year. Last winter while in Big Bend NP, I had to be towed to Fort Stockton, TX to a Ford dealer. My Roadside assistance covered the bill which was over $1000. I doubt my insurance policy would have.

 

Anyway, each of us has a different comfort level, and I hope you never need to use your insurance, but I sleep better with everything in writing.

[Ronin]

Wildcat....clear explanation and thanks...yes, I will delve into this tomorrow and report back...hopefully with concise information from both my current insurance company, Farmers, and the company I am considering changing to, USAA.

 

A question however.  You said this about an agent "They are not trying to sell you a higher price policy to get a larger commission."; so the agent does not receive an increased income from writing policies and the cost of those policies?  Then how do they increase their income?

 

Thanks...Phil

It's true that the agent will receive an additional commission for selling you additional coverage or policy. The agent is aware of what is not covered on your auto or homeowners policy and is doing their job by pointing out the holes in your coverage and how to fill them. You are not forced to buy additional coverage but at least you can make an informed decision on whether you want to or not. You are getting free advice from your agent. If you buy additional insurance why shouldn't the agent make additional income for doing their job? Besides, if you don't see a broker fee attached to your policy statement, the company is paying the agent not you.

Edited by Ronin, 28 June 2021 - 04:00 PM.