Experience with State Farm?

[wyecrabber1]

About 5 years ago my wife and I moved from Md to Fla. We had Erie auto insurance in MD and they do not write policies in Fla. Landed with State Farm. Last August, my wife and I flew from Jacksonville to Dallas to pick-up a golden doodle 14 week rescue. She was too big to take on the plane so we rented a car and headed east. Outide of Mobile we were rearend by a F350 going closed to 50 mph. Car was totaled, I was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for neck, back and leg pain.

Filed a claim with my agent and he said no problem we've got you covered. Two day later, regional office calls stating my accident is not covered. Due to the fact I was in a rental and the purpose was for pleasure. If the rental was due to service and repair of my car/truck -- that would be covered. I said WTF, called my agent back and he again said, no, you have coverage.

Corporate said no you don't. This accident has been a freckin nightmare. I've hired an attorney to deal with the issues.

I feel like SF turned their backs and walked away. There's no f-ing way, I'd do business with SF.

I hate insurance companies more than lawyers.

 

[youbet]

About 5 years ago my wife and I moved from Md to Fla. We had Erie auto insurance in MD and they do not write policies in Fla. Landed with State Farm. Last August, my wife and I flew from Jacksonville to Dallas to pick-up a golden doodle 14 week rescue. She was too big to take on the plane so we rented a car and headed east. Outide of Mobile we were rearend by a F350 going closed to 50 mph. Car was totaled, I was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for neck, back and leg pain.

Filed a claim with my agent and he said no problem we've got you covered. Two day later, regional office calls stating my accident is not covered. Due to the fact I was in a rental and the purpose was for pleasure. If the rental was due to service and repair of my car/truck -- that would be covered. I said WTF, called my agent back and he again said, no, you have coverage.

Corporate said no you don't. This accident has been a freckin nightmare. I've hired an attorney to deal with the issues.

I feel like SF turned their backs and walked away. There's no f-ing way, I'd do business with SF.

I hate insurance companies more than lawyers.

So who finally paid for the totaled rental car? You? The driver/insurance of the F350?

 

[athena53]

So who finally paid for the totaled rental car? You? The driver/insurance of the F350?

What a horror story. In most rear-ending accidents it's a slam-dunk that the person in the back is at fault. Did the F-350 driver have no insurance, insufficient insurance or did the driver flee the scene? Even then, if you had physical damage coverage on your own vehicle and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists coverage, a rental vehicle should have been covered. What did the policy wording say?

 

[Retch The Grate]

I've used State Farm for car insurance for decades and still like them a lot. They've always been fast and efficient getting me my money when I've needed to make a claim. I added home and umbrella insurance back in dec 2020 when we bought the house and that has been straightforward, though we've not needed to make a claim so I can't say how good they are in that case.

 

[euro]

Ok, here's the story for those that want details. If anyone here attempted to replace the under hood wiring harness on a newer vehicle, they'd understand the work and expense involved.

Sister's Lexus RX350 check engine light appeared. Dealer diagnosis was that a mouse or rat chewed the under hood wiring harness and it needed to be replaced and supplied pictures of the damage. They couldn't see the whole harness without major disassembly and suspect additional damage on the areas they can't see based on past similar repairs on other vehicles.

She had AAA insurance in the past and had a similar claim at a similar cost back in 2016 and AAA paid the $10,000 no questions asked. She was surprised the cost wasn't more due to inflation since 2016.

She recently switched to Snake Farm because AAA would no longer insure her southern California house, due to mudslide and wildfire concerns, and she wanted to bundle the home and auto insurance. Snake Farm gave her the lowest quote and now she's stuck and may as well not even be paying for comprehensive insurance, because there's no value in insurance from an insurer that refuses to pay out legitimate claims. She asked Snake Farm who they'd recommend to replace the harness that would do it for $350 and they had no clue. Queue Snake Farm jingle.... "Like a good neighbor".........lol......

OK but the fact that she paid 10 grand for a similar repair doesn't really prove anything. It could also be that she got fleeced by the other dealer and that time, the insurance just paid up. I have not replaced a harness myself, so I have no firsthand knowledge but surely, for 10 grand they could remove the entire engine to make ample space for the wiring and still make an amazing profit. And, maybe that's what they need to do...

 

[Closet_Gamer]

Thanks everyone for all the insights and experiences.

We're going to meet with the agent face-to-face on Tuesday and really ensure everyone understands the needs and various structure, particularly for the LLC. For what its worth, but my attorney and the guy who sells us the rest of our commercial insurance thought the combined umbrella policy was a win-win.

We will see what the agent thinks when we hammer home that its a vacation rental.

 

[freedomatlast]

OK but the fact that she paid 10 grand for a similar repair doesn't really prove anything. It could also be that she got fleeced by the other dealer and that time, the insurance just paid up. I have not replaced a harness myself, so I have no firsthand knowledge but surely, for 10 grand they could remove the entire engine to make ample space for the wiring and still make an amazing profit. And, maybe that's what they need to do...

Euro, you obviously have never done this type of work, probably lack the competency to do it and you have no clue what's involved, but you're sure the dealer is overcharging. You haven't presented any facts, just your baseless opinion. You don't know the retail cost of the harnesses and sub harnesses involved and you have no idea of the hourly rate of the southern California Lexus service department or the hours involved in the job. But you're sure the dealer is overcharging. Yep, based on your noncredible opinion, I'm sure it's a dealer problem rather than a State Farm problem. Ok then.

 

[euro]

Euro, you obviously have never done this type of work, probably lack the competency to do it and you have no clue what's involved, but you're sure the dealer is overcharging. You haven't presented any facts, just your baseless opinion. You don't know the retail cost of the harnesses and sub harnesses involved and you have no idea of the hourly rate of the southern California Lexus service department or the hours involved in the job. But you're sure the dealer is overcharging. Yep, based on your noncredible opinion, I'm sure it's a dealer problem rather than a State Farm problem. Ok then.

Yep, you are absolutely right about me not having done this repair (in fact, I believe I actually said exactly that in my post). It's just my more or less uneducated (and 'noncredible") opinion. No facts.
That said you have actually not presented any FACTS yourself either. All you said was that your wife had previously paid 10k at a dealer for a similar repair. As I pointed out, that doesn't really provide any evidence one way or the other.
Sorry about the thread creep - did not mean to derail the StateFarm discussion...

 

[ychuck46]

Had SF in the past and it was a tremendous office and personnel. Then SF started to raise their rates incredibly high (this was many years ago) even though we NEVER had a claim for anything. Left them and haven't been back after cycling through a few insurance companies. We have been with Allstate for awhile now but once again, we are getting hit with huge increases, and we've Never had a claim with them. So I will be looking to make a change just like yourself.

 

[freedomatlast]

All you said was that your wife had previously paid 10k at a dealer for a similar repair.

You'll need to brush up on your comprehension skills. I never once stated my wife previously paid 10K at a dealer for a similar repair. My wife doesn't even own a Lexus.

All I did was relay the facts on a particular circumstance that had to do with a claim to State Farm and you chose to doubt them with absolutely no evidence, facts or knowledge to support your claim.

Let's try to stay on track and discuss experiences, both positive and negative, with State Farm and not automatically jump to conclusions about claims being invalid when they don't support your view on the subject.

 

[Global Wizzo]

We have had SF for house and one car for 35 years. Total claims for hurricanes and one major water leak were under 20K over the 35 years. Last year they tried to cancel for “excessive” claims. The agent got that squashed. Their adjusters and claims folks have always been good. Only car claims were other drivers fault and not major.

Get a good local agent you can work with.

 

[msanniee]

Read the policy very, very carefully. I had State Farm, but the terms were somewhat unsettling. Clearly not in my best interest.

I now use Auto Owners for auto. No “got ya” terms in the policy. Best of all, the rate was significantly less than State Farm.

 

[LadyIJ]

Word of caution

They put wrong model of car down I didn’t notice because off a letter. So I was charged more for 2 years - for a Hybrid. Now May take months to get refund.

 

[nubill]

I have had State Farm since 1992 for homeowners, auto and umbrella. When I moved to FL, I added golf cart insurance. I had a water leak which damaged some engineered hardwood flooring. I called my local agent about it and found out the deductible and paid for the repair without filing without filing a claim. I do price shopping every year and found out from another insurer that said I had water damage that was not repaired. I called the agent and they said they have to report damages even though claims were not filed and it was repaired. I fired the local agent but could not find a lower priced bundle. So I still have SF with another agency. My 6 month auto insurance premium went up 14% on my 10 year old SUV. My only recourse is to pay the premium with my Amex card. Hopefully Amex charges them 3%.

 

[LadyIJ]

They did this to me too

I have had State Farm since 1992 for homeowners, auto and umbrella. When I moved to FL, I added golf cart insurance. I had a water leak which damaged some engineered hardwood flooring. I called my local agent about it and found out the deductible and paid for the repair without filing without filing a claim. I do price shopping every year and found out from another insurer that said I had water damage that was not repaired. I called the agent and they said they have to report damages even though claims were not filed and it was repaired. I fired the local agent but could not find a lower priced bundle. So I still have SF with another agency. My 6 month auto insurance premium went up 14% on my 10 year old SUV. My only recourse is to pay the premium with my Amex card. Hopefully Amex charges them 3%.

They did something similar to me as well. We had hailstorm and roofers made their rounds. We started to file claim then roofer said not enough damage - retracted claim never had SF come out yet they are considering it a claim.

 

[ychuck46]

They did something similar to me as well. We had hailstorm and roofers made their rounds. We started to file claim then roofer said not enough damage - retracted claim never had SF come out yet they are considering it a claim.

Not unique to SF. I believe all insurance companies do the same thing as far as considering it a claim. And since they all use the same database for most information on customers, customers are screwed no matter who they go with from the aspect of claims history.

 

[Live Large]

Doesn’t sound neighborly

They've earned the nickname "Snake Farm" and it's well deserved. Everything's fine as long as you keep sending them money year after year. Make a claim and it's a whole different story.

Never heard them referred that way, I guess I’m baited by the commercials

 

[ncbill]

My experience with SF was trying to get a house fixed after the owner died and a massive tree branch (think trunk-sized) fell on the front of the house, damaging shingles and the bay window underneath.

Local State Farm agent was great & based on their recommendation I picked a local company for the repairs.

But the State Farm adjuster was a cheapskate...balked at any estimates, even after I pointed out I was using a contractor recommended by the agent's office.

His response was basically "I don't care, their labor rate is too high" but he couldn't recommend anyone else.

Finally told the adjuster he had to work directly with the contractor since I was tired of being the middleman while also busy settling the estate.

Fortunately they worked it out since at that time the home was already listed for sale...sold a few months later.

 

[Koolau]

My recent accident in our parking structure is being well handled by SF. Estimate got started yesterday. I'll likely owe the $1000 deductible and about $5/day for a rental car. Very smooth process without a lot of headaches. YMMV

 

[EastWest Gal]

We've had State Farm since we got married in 1984. I was covered under my dad through SF since I can remember before then. DD's agent was a very good friend and I babysat his kids.

Never had a problem. Had a couple of flood claims due to AC freezing up in the basement and a couple of car accidents, including hitting a deer on a mountain road. All covered. No increase in our rate. We go every few years for a sitdown to review rates for car, home, and umbrella insurance.

 

[Koolau]

We've had State Farm since we got married in 1984. I was covered under my dad through SF since I can remember before then. DD's agent was a very good friend and I babysat his kids.

Never had a problem. Had a couple of flood claims due to AC freezing up in the basement and a couple of car accidents, including hitting a deer on a mountain road. All covered. No increase in our rate. We go every few years for a sitdown to review rates for car, home, and umbrella insurance.

Ah, yes, "water" claims:

I mentioned early on that a good relationship with the agent was important (with SF and probably most other insurance companies.) We had one claim on our home owners policy when DW lost the diamond from her engagement ring. My agent (who was my cousin back then) strongly suggested that this be the LAST time such a claim was filed. He said that "water" claims and jewelry claims were the claims that SF tended to cancel for. DW spent the claim money for a "cheap" replacement (zirconia or some such) so we'd never worry about its loss again.

I mention this because my cousin was always looking out for us in this manner. When my dad had a couple of quick accidents near the end of his life, my cousin went to bat for him to keep his insurance, though the accidents were my dad's fault. The agent can be the key though YMMV.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

Hi all.

After all the helpful info, I thought I would let you know that we did go with State Farm.

Ultimately, what got them the win was their ability to write a very large umbrella policy and good options on higher deductibles for home and auto. We're at a stage where I'm not worried about insuring small issues but am worried about anything that could do real financial harm. A lawsuit from our beach house rental is upper most in my mind.

We went with a $10K deductible on our house , $2K deductible on cars along with stacked full tort, and a $15M umbrella policy that covers our usual umbrella topics as well as excess liability from our beach house LLC and an LLC I've established for consulting. The policy names the LLCs themselves but would also cover liability to us personally if someone piereces the LLC.

Net of it all, including being able to drop a beach house LLC-specific umbrella policy and adding an base liability policy for my new LLC, we are saving about $700/year. I traded higher deductibles for a lower premium and a massively improved liability protection. Previously I had $3M personal and a $3M umbrella for the beach house LLC.

Good work by State Farm except for two topics:

1 - They wouldn't fully underwrite/approve the umbrella until the home/auto policies were in place. This meant I had to leave my existing insurance in place for a two week overlap while State Farm finished their underwriting.

2 - After we got it all set up, State Farm "beacons" for our cars showed up in the mail. They came with directions that we had to install them in all our cars and turn on these phone apps to track everything with did. I called our agent and went ballistic, thinking that the quotes she gave me required us to do this. She explained that actually State Farm added a safe driver discount based on our driving record and then sent these out which would lower our bill even more. I didn't have to use them and my auto rates were now lower than she quoted anyway. I had her remove the beacons from the account and she told me to toss the beacons in the trash.

So, overall, they get a very high grade for what I could buy but a low grade for process.

 

[ychuck46]

After all the helpful info, I thought I would let you know that we did go with State Farm.

Well done. I just made a switch myself from Allstate starting May 1st to Progressive. We have had no claims for our 45 year marriage on our auto, home and umbrella policies, and just got tired of the routine high increases year after year (in fairness we were with Allstate only the last 13 years, and some other time in the distant past). There is much to be said for shopping ones insurance on a regular basis so that you aren't being hosed by companies that figure you are too lazy to make a change.

The only thing that bothered me about the change is that with Allstate I was able to conclude all policies with one agent. With Progressive I have to make a separate call on the umbrella policy since they shop that out to others. Lastly, I tried State Farm but their premiums were higher than even my Allstate policies, again, for people who never made a claim in their lives and live in a very safe area. Best wishes to you.

 

[mathjak107]

called state farm yesterday to get a price on all my insurance needs .

been with geico 50 years and wanted to check rates .

i pay 2300 a year for our 2023 lexus rx500h , an 80k car in queens in nyc

no tickets no accidents two drivers .

they quoted me 6k ….we didn’t go any further

 

[ychuck46]

When I was doing my research on alternative insurance providers, I used their websites to get the results of their pricing. One is particular was much higher than I was already paying so they were immediately crossed off my list. Later one of their agents sent me a message to call them because they could lower the rates. Sorry, I don't play that game. Give me your best shot up front or I'm moving on, period. Besides their quote was so much higher that even trying to nickel and dime it down, likely lowering my coverage, wasn't going to help me in the least.