A longstanding complaint against auto insurance is that it sometimes lumps in drivers based on things — like location, type of car, and age — that may have little-to-nothing to do with a particular driver’s behavior or history. In recent years, some insurers have begun offering drivers a way to get more personalized rates by allowing the insurance company to track their vehicular movements, but many American consumers simply aren’t willing to share that information. [More]
allstate
Read The Fine Print: Allstate Safe Driving Bonus Checks Aren’t Available In All States
By 11.9.15 — Updated: 6.1.17
Sometimes, it’s annoying to watch television and see ads for businesses or products that don’t exist in your area, like the Sonic ads on cable that taunted us here in the Northeast for years. In a series of Allstate ads that air nationwide, the insurer talks about a biannual bonus check that customers who don’t get in accidents receive. “Where’s my check?” asked one Allstate customer who hasn’t had an accident in decades. Where, indeed? [More]
As The Auto Insurance Industry Spends Billions, Fewer Drivers Switching Insurers
By 1.30.13
All those ads trying to wheedle, cajole, convince and otherwise get drivers to switch car insurers add up to billions of dollars for insurance companies. But a new study says that even with all that financial heft, fewer drivers are deciding to take the plunge and go elsewhere. That sound you hear is money sliding down the drain. [More]
Consumer Group: The Rich May Pay Less For Car Insurance Even If They’re Not Safe Drivers
By 1.28.13
Driving safely and avoiding accidents isn’t just common sense — injuries hurt, car wrecks are bad — but also a way to make sure drivers keep their auto insurance premiums down. But according to figures released by a consumer group recently, insurance companies are in the habit of charging higher premium to safe, low- or moderate-income drivers than to richer people who were at fault for an accident. [More]
Allstate Realizes It Should’ve Asked First, Pulls Image Of Sandy-Ravaged Home From Ad
By 1.7.13
Although Allstate originally maintained that it hadn’t done anything wrong by using the image of a home ravaged by Sandy in an ad without obtaining permission from the couple who owned it, the insurance company says it’ll pull the image of that house. Besides the fact that the couple had no idea their home was in the commercial —which touts Allstate’s great customer service — they say Allstate is low-balling them on their insurance claim. [More]
Couple Says Allstate Low-Balled Them On Sandy Insurance Claim, Then Used Their Home In An Ad
By 1.4.13 — Updated: 1.7.13
A Staten Island couple is already having more than a rough go of it after their house was devastated during Hurricane Sandy. But as they’re trying to pick up the pieces, they say their insurance company, Allstate, is not only low-balling their claim, but had the nerve to use their home in a TV ad bragging about its customer service. Oof. [More]
Allstate Won’t Cover My Stolen Instrument Because Sometimes I Get Paid To Play Music
By 10.10.12
Jonathan is an amateur musician, but not so amateur that he doesn’t play the occasional gig for pay. He didn’t think that this should matter if anything happened to his instrument, and Allstate didn’t say anything when he took out an additional rider on it as part of his renter’s insurance, with theft protection. When his car was stolen, he recovered the car but not the instrument. In theory, it should have been covered. Jonathan says that they refuse to pay because he does play for compensation on occasion, and the company refuses to budge. [More]
