Hit a deer with my car and I now find out that my insurance co will not pay for original parts they will only pay for Off Shore parts. We pay these guys a lot of money and when its time to pay us they will only pay for cheap parts.
FishHawk

I feel your pain...for 35 years I have been paying insurance and ***never*** made a claim on any policy. Was dropped from my homeowner’s policy because I "live near the water” I am at 68' above sea level and a good walk to the water from my house. No way could I get wet and they said they are dropping everyone that lives within 2 miles of the coast because of the losses they have taken in fla. My agent says she is getting 60 drops per month and she is having trouble finding coverage.

My question is what about the YEARS AND YEARS of payments they had been receiving in which they had few losses? I think they lost a ton of cash in the market dive, pay their execs WAY too much and now it is compounded by some serious claims and they are taking it out on us. I had a lot of trouble getting new homeowners almost had to get picked up by the state. My current policy forced me to take a 20K wind damage deductable to get it. WTF? Why even have it?

INS companies suck and have been ripping us off for years whether it be healthcare, homeowners or auto. We are stuck with them :mad:

Costs me $15 in INS more a year to get OEM parts for the trucks.
It sucks but you have to ask before you buy the policy.

Geez, who on the Vineyard doesn't live within 2 miles of some coast or another? And, my understanding is, that unless you have a flood rider, they wouldn't have to pay if your house was washed away anyway.

One company dropped me because my front steps---all two of them :rollem:----don't have a railing. There isn't a single house on my block with railings on their front steps. None of them have more than 4 steps.

My question is what about the YEARS AND YEARS of payments they had been receiving in which they had few losses?

INS companies suck and have been ripping us off for years whether it be healthcare, homeowners or auto. We are stuck with them :mad:

So using that logic, if you take a policy out and have a claim the first few years, the insurance comp. shouldn't have to pay your claim.

Your not stuck with them, if you think they are ripping you off, don't use any elective insurance.

Good Tip from Mike, worth the extra 15 bucks to get the coverage for the OEM parts...
I wonder if any of the body guys could chime in, pros and cons.... my bud in the business, he was telling me sometimes he puts in a supplemental for the extra labor to "fit" the aftermarket crap.. he also said he had one panel that was so far out, he called the adjuster, asked him to come to the shop, (he knew the guy was a former body man), said look, I can fit that but I'm gonna need X amount of hours to fit, or we can get an OEM part, (which he already had, for show), and it will just fit... what do you guys want to pay for?.. guy made a call or two, and the OEM panel went on.

Ins. co. do suck, but what are you going to do?.. they have a lock. I got my home owners cancelled last year, for the simple reason I live in Barnstable county.. agent says you will go in the "pool" your rate will be almost triple.. I shopped around, found a company that would take me, for 3 hundred bucks less than the pool, had to move my car insurance over, but that rate is set by the state, so that stayed the same... for now.

My insurance company dumped me because 1. I have a trampoline in the back yard and 2. Because I have a German Shepard.

Now I pay out the arse for home owners insurance, What the F !@!%%
VB


ps. they did drop me :hang:

[QUOTE=Karl F]Good Tip from Mike, worth the extra 15 bucks to get the coverage for the OEM parts...
I wonder if any of the body guys could chime in, pros and cons.... my bud in the business, he was telling me sometimes he puts in a supplemental for the extra labor to "fit" the aftermarket crap.. he also said he had one panel that was so far out, he called the adjuster, asked him to come to the shop, (he knew the guy was a former body man), said look, I can fit that but I'm gonna need X amount of hours to fit, or we can get an OEM part, (which he already had, for show), and it will just fit... what do you guys want to pay for?.. guy made a call or two, and the OEM panel went on.


Every job is a battle!!!
Though aftermarket parts have come a long way from years ago as far as fit and finish
They are still junk compared to oem!!! weather it is a fit problem or assemble problem, as in aftermarket lamps that fill with water within 6 months!!!
Big part of the problem is for every 1 shop who cares about doing quality work, there are 10 hack shops who only care about making the quick buck and will put aftermarket parks on a job when getting paid for oem!!!
Then there is allways the customer who wants their deductable saved!!!

So using that logic, if you take a policy out and have a claim the first few years, the insurance comp. shouldn't have to pay your claim.

Your not stuck with them, if you think they are ripping you off, don't use any elective insurance.


No, they are not just insuring the newbie it is a gazillion people some new some like me that have put in for years without claim! You see insurance companies have been culling out higher risk people for years this is a step in that direction. I don't think I am at higher rish then those in FLA though? Moreover this culling shows what dirtbags they really are. I use to run a small company and negoationed and paid the health preimums. Most companies are sleezy and will try to get exclusions for some people with conditions that are not even "pre-exisiting" just higher risk ( something running in the family). I saw this first hand and later watched a good friend who later died of breast cancer and my best friend foot the bill personally because the insurance company balked at anything to do with her. It was a nightmare and almost wiped him out. I have also seen in from the other side (wife is a doctor) and watched over the collections. Let me tell you they are they don't pay out jacksh*t to docs and hospitals...I have seen collections in some cases to .20 on the 1.00. These dirtbags take their cut first. Their profits were insane in the 90's and they didn't bank it for the rainy day they lost it...I hope they take it in the rear, they suck.

Also you ARE stuck with them! You mortgage requires it! You can't go alone.

MikeP: I asked the same question to my agent....Most waterfront and large homes on the vineyard were paid in cash and don't have insurance. (they self insure...most multi millionairs do but may have some liability coverage)

:hidin:

here's the deal.
it's in your policy. they can, and do, write for aftermarket parts.
some companies it 1 year or 12,000 miles.

years ago we'd rather put aftermarket then dodge parts on. because dodge parts sucked. they used to dip there parts so hoods would have five foot runs in them all over them.
aftermarket sheetmetal ain't that bad.
it's up to the bodyshop to fit it right, rustproof it right, and paint it right.
there's good parts and bad parts.
we don't use aftermarket chrome because it will rust out within a year.
an aftermarket bumper cover on a five year old camry is ok. it's up to the shop to make it presentable.
like karlf said, if i paint it, put it on and it fits like crap, and is completely un-acceptable,,, they'll pay me to do it over with oem parts.{plus the aftermarket supplier will pay us too}

your insurance company has to restore your car to " PRE-LOSS" condition.
as in,,,, the split second before it was hit....
not restore it to it's former glory.

if it's a junk box? they treat it like one.
if it's mint and well cared for? they treat it like that.

find a good shop that will gaurantee there work for life, and leave it in there hands.

don't get in the middle between the shop and the insurance company.
find a place that will do quality work and leave it in there hands :kewl:






ohh, and NEVER !!!!
piss off the painter :devil:

WOW TFF..I couldnt have said it better....Most companies now dont use aftermarket sheet metal until the car has at least 40000 miles and 4 years old..They use aftermarket plastic parts (bumper covers,headlamps,a/c ,radiators) after the vehicle is 1 year old...Always the 1st choice LKQ (Like,kind and Quality)..Basically a used part..But that used part has to be off the same year,same mileage or better and same condition..The insurance companys are mandated by the state by these regulations..Also if the insurance company uses aftermarket parts they will give the same warranty as o.e.m..Its mostly on a car by car basis...Depending on the cars condition...
And like TFF said "read your policy"..It is all stated in there...

That's how it works at my shop, too. Most of the time the offshore parts fit just fine, the only ones that really give me heartburn is the composite headlamps. Don't fit and the adjusters are junk. I've noticed that a lot of OEM parts are (I suspect) rejects from the assembly line. Dings and repairs galore. Sometimes they're welded together wrong. Remember '80s Malibu fenders FFreak? Cut the front spotweld and repositioned about 100 of those. It's the shop that makes the repair. And knows how to deal with your insurer.

BBJ...Dont forget about using alignment shims... :hee:

"someone" should start an islanders\fishermans insurance company.

No, they are not just insuring the newbie it is a gazillion people some new some like me that have put in for years without claim! You see insurance companies have been culling out higher risk people for years this is a step in that direction. I don't think I am at higher rish then those in FLA though? Moreover this culling shows what dirtbags they really are. I use to run a small company and negoationed and paid the health preimums. Most companies are sleezy and will try to get exclusions for some people with conditions that are not even "pre-exisiting" just higher risk ( something running in the family). I saw this first hand and later watched a good friend who later died of breast cancer and my best friend foot the bill personally because the insurance company balked at anything to do with her. It was a nightmare and almost wiped him out. I have also seen in from the other side (wife is a doctor) and watched over the collections. Let me tell you they are they don't pay out jacksh*t to docs and hospitals...I have seen collections in some cases to .20 on the 1.00. These dirtbags take their cut first. Their profits were insane in the 90's and they didn't bank it for the rainy day they lost it...I hope they take it in the rear, they suck.

Also you ARE stuck with them! You mortgage requires it! You can't go alone.



Sounds like you didn't read your policy cause if they denied a claim for something that was in the policy you'd certainly have a winable suit. Your also saying that they should be forced to take what they consider to be bad risks - what other professions is required to take business that they will loose money on. Ask a dr. to do something for free and you can laugh your way to the funeral home. Since your such an expert you should start a classless action suit. As I said before, if you don't like insurance, drop all of your elective coverage. Your the one who sounds like a dirtback with the language you use.

I agree with Sandman, in regard to his assertion that because insurance companies have a couple of bad years why should the insured suffer. The insurance business is as big a gamble as a ponzi scheme for the companies themselves. They take in x amount of dollars in hopes that thier actuaries extimate dorrectly that they will only pay out x amount of money, and will have money left over. Mr. Ponzi kept taking in more money than he took in which allowed him to profit handsomely until mre people asked for money than what he had on hand. A few bad storms later and we are all paying more. As long as they can control the bleeding in the short term then they stay in business. But if thier wounds are great in the short term then the company bleeds out. That shouldn't be allowed to happen. I believe that they should be made to have in escrow sufficient capital to cover a total loss on every insured property in thier portfolio. Then after those funds are secured whatever is leftover at the end of the year is profit. But they dont have to have all those funds put away. They get to insure property with funds they dont have based on the gamble they take by accepting to insure your property. The most important points in an insurance policy are printed with the smallest font possible allowing for the greatest discrepancies involving claims.

FishHawk, were you surcharged?

Sounds like you didn't read your policy cause if they denied a claim for something that was in the policy you'd certainly have a winable suit. Your also saying that they should be forced to take what they consider to be bad risks - what other professions is required to take business that they will loose money on. Ask a dr. to do something for free and you can laugh your way to the funeral home. Since your such an expert you should start a classless action suit. As I said before, if you don't like insurance, drop all of your elective coverage. Your the one who sounds like a dirtback with the language you use.


OK, this was my first look-see and post in the grumpy ol pharts board and will be my last. This is not the place for me, I'll stick to fishing subjects. Without getting too raunchy let me first apologize in advance to de-railing the topic at hand…

I don't know if you ever read a full company health plan but there is a lot of "grey" area and much of it is subjective interpretation by the ins. Co’s. themselves. Slick lawyers wrote it and slicker salesmen pitch it. Anyway, how come when it comes to insurance companies, it always has to come down to law suits and legal threats to receive payment? Herein lies a part of the problem.

As to your comment about Dr's.... Now YOU are taking out of your backside. You are talking to the wrong guy cause I have enough free-care tails to overflow this machine. The amount of "free" or "unpaid" care hospitals and docs perform is mind-boggling. You have no idea. When was the last time you saw a hospital kick a pregnant mother with problems who is in labor out into the street and say sorry, your on your own, you have no insurance? Its almost funny how an illegal alien and their family with no cash and no insurance gets treatment when they walk in the ER door at any hospial. Who eats that? Certainly not the insurance company. Non-payers probably will not get an elective boob job but I bet a heart, cancer or spinal chord operation will be “absorbed by the system” somehow when they get in a car crash and walk in the ER. The first words illegals learn to speak when they walk into a hospital is "free care". When was the last time an insurance company gave you a free policy? Yeah you give to some charities and golf tourneys but in general the word “free” and insurance don’t go together.
I've seen docs and hospitals rally behind some amazing cases where insurance companies bailed on the patient. How about a young pregnant woman with 2 young kids and is diagnosed with very serious breast cancer and needs chemo right way, the mother will probably die and the unborn baby is in trouble. A lot of medical care has to be done just to keep anyone alive. Her husband who just lost his job is stunned with what is happening to his life what is happening to his wife and all the insurance company can do is heap on more problems for this poor guy and his family. There was a meeting and the hospital and docs ate all the costs. It was big bucks and lots of time. I have a hundreds of stories like this. I repeat, insurance companies suck because they are suppose to insure EVERYONE not skim off the problem cases and only take the low riskers, EVERYONE needs to be in the pool.
Fact is, Insurance payments to docs and hospitals over the years have been getting smaller and smaller and smaller and have fallen back to gov't minimums in most cases. You have culled out the higher risk and left them to “the system”, while you skim the cream off the top of the paying pool. Further, the approach most ins companies seem to take is to deny everything, let them fight for it and only pay the outright minimum only when forced to after long battles. Let them sue us is the common tone I hear, even you echoed that. They muscle docs and hospitals to sign one sided payment agreements or they don’t deal with them. Hospitals and docs have little choice. Get something or be faced with eating it all because you can’t turn them away by law.
Businesses are faced with a 20%+ increases in health insurance premiums year after year...and a take it or leave it attitude from the insurance companies. Many large businesses have decided to self insure and cut them out all together and just pay the health care costs for their employees, can’t blame them but it is further putting more pressure on the small business owner. The way I see it, the system is designed so that insurance companies set their premiums, set the amount they pay back to the health care providers and let the system (other people) do as much cost shifting as possible to minimize their end. They control all ends with few limits. I use to live next to a fellow who had a real monster of a house and he and his wife both drove a new Benz and lived a pretty sweet life, he sold health care insurance to companies. I ask you, does this seem right? Is selling insurance that profitable where the salesmen live like that? (Granted that was RI and he probably had was running an insurance scam of some kind.)
My point is, talk to any family who has suffered the loss of a loved one with a serious illness and had to deal with the red tape, fine print and interpretation hassles of the policy by insurance co at a time when they really don’t need more hassles and have the company turn around and say...if you don't like it sue us. People dread having to deal with them yet we are forced to deal with you. Ins companies know most people don't have the resources, time or desire to sue a big company, they just want prompt full payment for their incurred costs with a little compassion. Those who do sue, even if they win, incur large legal fees and although paid for by the insurance company, the whole thing results in yet larger premiums for the end user. It is a no win situation for the payee.
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a small partial payment made by the ins co and the doc or hospital cannot bill for the remainder, because under their agreement they can’t. Who eats that? If they didn’t sign the agreement they got nothing. What kind of business can operate like that? Or, some element of the paperwork is quietly missing and payment gets delayed beyond the 3-month window you have to collect, and they get nothing. There are a million games insurance companies play you can't keep up with them. You need an entire trained office staff just to collect some fee from insurance companies… Even further rising the cost to the end user.
I think in my lifetime we will see a complete implosion in the current insurance business, as soon as enough people get thoroughly disgusted….we are getting closer every year…a few more terrorist attacks, hurricanes and a national health crisis should do it . Ever wonder how much money ins co's spend just in TV ads to boost their failing public image?

End of insurance rant I got to get back to work.

BTW what is a "dirtback"?

Happy Holidays

might be this....

a dirtback is a derivitive or variation of the term known as "wetback"

where an illegal alien had to swim the river to get into the united states

still had the wet shirt on their back while seeking work....

and became known as a wetback...

a dirt back was the same guy ...that would always have dirt on his back

(of his shirt) because he was always goofing off ...sleeping on the job

somewhere on the ground . I met one and saw it first hand everyday.

Good rant. He doesn't know how close you are to what you wrote about.

Insurance companys do have a "slush" fund set aside for losses...This year of course it was not nearly enough...Plus health insurance is a lot different than aout insurance...