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SAFECO Corp Complaint - Auto insurance a license to steal
Complaint
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON -- In the state of Minnesota there is a law that requires drivers to have auto insurance. While having auto insurance is a good idea it gives the auto insurance companies the power to extort money. I recently bought an auto insurance policyfrom Safeco because they quoted a low rate. Shortly after I paid in full for six months of coverage Safeco "discovered" what it said was an at fault accident on my driving record. For that Safeco was going to charge me another $100. Then Safco found another reason to double my rates.
All payments to Safeco must be made with an automatic withdrawal from your bank account. I don't like to do business that way and tried to stop the automatic withdrawal from my bank account. I could not get in touch with a human being when I tried to talk with Safeco about it. To stop the automatic withdrawal I put a stop payment on any withdrawals by Safeco from my account. This caused my insurance to be cancelled. Now after a full payment for six months of coverage, at the originally quoted price, but only having coverage for three months Safeco sent me a bill for $25!
Rather I owning Safeco $25 it is Safeco that owes me money. Safeco cancelled my insurance after three months when I had paid for six months. Safeco owes me for the three months I paid for but Safeco has decided not to provide coverage for. Will I ever get a refund from Safeco? I doubt it.
All payments to Safeco must be made with an automatic withdrawal from your bank account. I don't like to do business that way and tried to stop the automatic withdrawal from my bank account. I could not get in touch with a human being when I tried to talk with Safeco about it. To stop the automatic withdrawal I put a stop payment on any withdrawals by Safeco from my account. This caused my insurance to be cancelled. Now after a full payment for six months of coverage, at the originally quoted price, but only having coverage for three months Safeco sent me a bill for $25!
Rather I owning Safeco $25 it is Safeco that owes me money. Safeco cancelled my insurance after three months when I had paid for six months. Safeco owes me for the three months I paid for but Safeco has decided not to provide coverage for. Will I ever get a refund from Safeco? I doubt it.
Comments:
Posted by Starlord on 2009-06-12:
Lesson, if you buy insurance, tell them the truth about your driving record. To quote the German officer in many WWII movies, "Ve haff vays of findink oudt." SAFECO is a company that sells minimum coverage insurance to people who cannot get insurance anywhere else. They will even sell insurance to people who cannot quallify for SR 22 filing. It allows people who can't drive to remain on the streets, endagering everyone else.
Posted by madconsumer on 2009-06-12:
they have the right to change your coverages once all the background checks are complete. specially if you failed to mention the accident in the first place.
Posted by Ponie on 2009-06-12:
'In the state of Minnesota there is a law that requires drivers to have auto insurance.' Doesn't this apply to *all* states? If it doesn't, I haven't heard of it, but I suppose I could be mistaken. Yep--a bad driving record will getcha every time!
Posted by leopard on 2009-06-19:
Ponie, you are correct. EVERY state requires by law that you have auto insurance.
Posted by MSCANTBEWRONG on 2009-06-19:
I don't believe New Hampshire or Wisconsin requires you to have insurance however they do require you meet financial responsibility to operate a vehicle on the roadway through some type of bond or someother way to show you are able to pay if you cause damages to another person or property in an automobile accident. The rules may have changed but that's the last I recall.
Posted by Ponie on 2009-06-19:
MS, you're right about those two backward states. However that 'bond' that is required is (IMHO) another name for 'insurance.' Just having a large bank account doesn't cut it. That could be depleted in a heart beat by a large withdrawal.
Posted by MSCANTBEWRONG on 2009-06-19:
Yeah, you can look at it that way Ponie...I guess it is a type of insurance. Thanks for the confirm...
Posted by Ponie on 2009-06-19:
Right, MS. Frankly, I was surprised to find any state that did not require sutomobile insurance. After reading up on it, I saw their requirements for not doing so and even though I hate to pay it, I think auto insurance is cheaper and more dependable in the long run. Just MHO...
Posted by Nohandle on 2009-06-19:
I'm late getting in on this one but Sen are you stating you did NOT have an at fault accident on your driving record and Safeco was in error? If so that is an entirely different ballgame. If you elected to conveniently not mention that little error in judgement in reporting your past record it will catch up with you. Might take several months, depending on how up to date your particular state records are.
In my state auto insurance is required but unfortunately not enforced, thus my added premium cost for "uninsured motorist" tacked onto every semi annual bill I receive. I know very little about insurance but for some reason thought it was not required in a state that was a "no fault" state and it simply meant basically every guy for himself. Again, I didn't know it was required by every state or a bond in place.
In my state auto insurance is required but unfortunately not enforced, thus my added premium cost for "uninsured motorist" tacked onto every semi annual bill I receive. I know very little about insurance but for some reason thought it was not required in a state that was a "no fault" state and it simply meant basically every guy for himself. Again, I didn't know it was required by every state or a bond in place.
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