<Story time>
For over 4 years, I was a MetLife customer for home and auto insurance. I can’t recall exactly how many years I was with them, but it was probably closer to 10 than 5. They got bought out by Farmers last year.
This year, Farmers quoted me a 71% increase in auto rates and 41% increase in homeowners. TBH, we added a vehicle this year and removed one, but still.
So, I started shopping for a replacement and got a quote from Allstate in April. The local agent’s lackey called me and walked me through the numbers which were fairly competitive and close to my 2022 rates.
Enter the Milewise scam.
Guy said they would put these devices in each of our cars to track driving patterns. I asked him point blank, on multiple occasions, what Allstate would be doing with the data they were gathering. He told me it would be used to see if I qualified for additional, safe driving, discounts.
And I asked in no uncertain terms, “Is the quote you’re giving me today subject to change based on my mileage estimates and driving patterns?” He said no. The data would be used for my renewal pricing after my term was up.
So, I cancel my Farmers policies, sign up with Allstate, and set up a monthly auto debit from my checking for the cars. Home is escrowed.
Well, one month goes by and the charge goes through. A few weeks later, I get an email saying that my “balance” is running low and another charge would be made in a few days. And sure enough, another charge appears in less than a month. So I call Allstate.
They tell me that I was driving more mileage than my allotment and so when my balance for allowable miles gets low, they automatically charge my card to replenish my balance.
I complained that this was exactly what I didn’t want to sign up for, a variable-rate insurance policy. But the customer service person couldn’t do anything about it.
So, I called my local agent, Carla Endres of Indian Land, and explained the situation. She told me that she listened to the recordings with me and her troll and sure enough, he gave me bad information.
In other words, he flat-out lied to me.
But Carla was sticking to her guns and claimed I esigned the 100-page documents online describing our agreement to take out a variable insurance policy. And that she couldn’t do anything about her employee’s lie.
So of course, me being me, I immediately file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and start shopping for Allstate’s replacement.
And now we are at Liberty Mutual for both home and auto. My coverage is about the same as Farmers and Allstate and I’m now back under my 2022 rates for both.
The thing is, Allstate Corporate called me when I filed the BBB report. Guess that caught their attention. When I recounted all that took place, they stood by Carla’s assessment of the situation. Yes, her employee lied to me. But no, they wouldn’t make it right.
He tried to tell me they could quote me a “traditional” fixed rate policy to see if Allstate could salvage the relationship, but I made it very clear to him. It’s no longer about the money. It didn’t matter if Allstate’s traditional quote was half the price of my previous quotes. I don’t do business with liars and people that I can’t trust.
What happens when I actually need to file a claim or have questions about coverage? There’s no trust anymore. There’s no basis to believe Allstate would honor anything that wasn’t signed and notarized by a legal team.
People forget that business isn’t just about the money because we live in a global, anonymous economy. Goods and services have become commoditized and disposable. The real companies that stand out build a brand of service or quality. Everyone else is racing to the bottom of the lowest effort, highest margin of return.
txfatherofseven 