Joe...I recently came to learn that our insurance company was taking advantage of us in a big way. As a result, I learned that there are many, many people being taken advantage of in the same way and the Insurance companies are making millions from it statewide.
We removed one of our children (18 year old) from our policy because she was able to find a less expensive one with another company. When we contacted our insurance company to have our childs vehicle removed, our agent asked us "OK what vehicle do you want us to list her with as a secondary driver?" I said "none - she has her own vehicle and she doesn't drive any of ours." Our agent told us that our daughter has to be listed on our policy as well because she still lived in our house. I told the agent that when our insurance company pays my mortgage, they can determine who I have living at my house that I wish to have operating my cars. The insurance agent told me that the company believes that since someone lives at my house they would possibly operate my vehicle so they must be listed as an operator of at least one of my vehicles. I told the agent that either my daughter would be completely removed from my policy or I would be insuring my vehicles with someone else. Then I spoke with a supervisor who informed me that insurance companies can require this as a matter of law....but she would see what she could do to have my daughter removed completely from the policy. This was an option. At that point I went back to look at another policy from which we had removed another daughter and a son (both under 22 years old) some months previously for the same reason and learned that they too were listed on our policy even though they now had their own.
This is a big deal. We have now had two drivers completely removed from our policy who have their own with another company and have saved almost $1000 a year on premiums - in addition to the cost of the vehicles removed from the policy. The Agent was Avery Hall Insurance. The Company was Peninsula Insurance. Anyone in a similar situation would do well to check into this as they will NOT tell you about this law and you will meet resistance when you try to have people removed from your policy who live in the same house.
We removed one of our children (18 year old) from our policy because she was able to find a less expensive one with another company. When we contacted our insurance company to have our childs vehicle removed, our agent asked us "OK what vehicle do you want us to list her with as a secondary driver?" I said "none - she has her own vehicle and she doesn't drive any of ours." Our agent told us that our daughter has to be listed on our policy as well because she still lived in our house. I told the agent that when our insurance company pays my mortgage, they can determine who I have living at my house that I wish to have operating my cars. The insurance agent told me that the company believes that since someone lives at my house they would possibly operate my vehicle so they must be listed as an operator of at least one of my vehicles. I told the agent that either my daughter would be completely removed from my policy or I would be insuring my vehicles with someone else. Then I spoke with a supervisor who informed me that insurance companies can require this as a matter of law....but she would see what she could do to have my daughter removed completely from the policy. This was an option. At that point I went back to look at another policy from which we had removed another daughter and a son (both under 22 years old) some months previously for the same reason and learned that they too were listed on our policy even though they now had their own.
This is a big deal. We have now had two drivers completely removed from our policy who have their own with another company and have saved almost $1000 a year on premiums - in addition to the cost of the vehicles removed from the policy. The Agent was Avery Hall Insurance. The Company was Peninsula Insurance. Anyone in a similar situation would do well to check into this as they will NOT tell you about this law and you will meet resistance when you try to have people removed from your policy who live in the same house.
Nothing makes me feel more ripped off than insurance companies! I feel your frustration. If they don't remove your daughter I would shop around and not even mention to the other companies that you have an 18 year old living in your house. IT IS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS!
ReplyDeleteIs it just me or is this post confusing?
ReplyDeleteAvery hall pulled the same scam on my family. Saved thousands a year by cutting out the middle man and going to a national insurance company.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think that this is a case of the insurance company trying to take adavantage of you. The individual agent may have dropped the ball in not processing your request when they were supposed to, but they did take the drivers off and you did get credited for it. I happen to know for a fact that Peninsula has no problem taking drivers off if they are insured elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThis is NOT a common practice Joe. Yes the insurance company does have a right to say who they do and do not want to insure (so, too does a bar have the right to decide who they want to serve). It is the company's descretion. A majority of the companies only care the the other party in your household is insured by SOMEBODY. I do not have my insurance with Peninsula so do not know all of their regulations, but remember, you have the right to go wherever you want. I hope this helps.
ReplyDeletePeninsula Insurance is the worst company I've ever dealt with. Beware of them.
ReplyDeleteGet over it. It has been that way forever. I think they are in every way right to have that policy. Say you daughters car breaks down. Then what when she needs to run up the road. Bet it's your car she asks to use!
ReplyDelete10:48 AM
ReplyDeleteAbout time to get that wool trimmed isn't it?
When I lived in VA, I had a major battle with Progressive Insurance over this same kind of rule. I lost the battle. I had moved to MD and cancelled the policy, they didn't care. I had to pay, as it was written into the policy that I had agreed to. By the way, I now use Avery Hall, and you won't find nicer people, or better service.
ReplyDelete10:32 .........It's you
ReplyDeleteInsurance Co's, Pharmaceutical Co's,
ReplyDeleteElectric Co's, etc., etc. They are all Corrupt!
I have Nationwide. His car was originally in my husband's name and insured under our name, with my son being considered a full time driver as we had 3 cars and 3 drivers. When we signed the car over to him, my son got his own policy through Progressive and was completely taken off my Nationwide policy, even though he still lives at home.
ReplyDeleteNationwide does the same thing. This is I believe the policy of ALL insurance companies.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the Agent's fault, they are there to follow the insurance company's guidelines.
11:42 AM
ReplyDeleteThanks for that late response.
Don't forget to add gas stations to the corrupt list. They can change the price per gallon without even getting a delivery.
ReplyDeleteSame thing happened to me with State Farm. Tried to take my daughter off our plan when she went away to college. They asked me if she would occasionally be coming back home. I said ya, at Christmas. They wouldn't take her off until I told them we would never ever be seeing her again. Like they thought I was going to pay a year's worth of insurance for someone who might be living in my house for 1 week out of the year.
ReplyDelete12:58 PM
ReplyDeleteCalled free enterprise isn't it?
The pursuit of money is the root of all evil.
ReplyDeleteIf they won't be driving your car then have them "Excluded" from your vehicles. That is always an option and hopefully they never borrow your vehicle and have an accident because it's on you then.
ReplyDeleteHaving to carry Insurance is a joke we should be like england and only be insured as the operator and not the vehicle which makes way more sense..... But wouldnt happen here because Insurance companys here would lose money
ReplyDeleteMy insurance company says that my home has a pre-existing condition and no one wants to cover it. Do you think Obama care would cover waterfront property?
ReplyDeleteHey 8:42am...
ReplyDeleteI see the mistake you made. You put the words "Obama" and "care" together like he actually does care. Yep, I think that is the problem indeed.