YOUI Insurance

Baz, if you read the feedback on Product Review, there's a lot more than 2% unhappy customers when dealing with insurance companies and claims. It's not just rejected claims.

All too often, the insurance companies select the shonky repairer of their choice - that they pay well below industry rates to, to do repair work.

Then they insist on using scabby secondhand panels, and refuse to replace items that should be replaced.

In many cases, claims are paid out, but customers are extremely unhappy with the company performance.

Claims times dragged out interminably - inability to speak to anyone with any "clout" in the company - sometimes even an inability to speak to anyone in the company - along with repairs that are drawn out and barely meet the acceptance of the owner - these are all listed regularly in the "gripes" in the company performance feedback.

You can dismiss a few complainers as "sour grapes", and a few people as impossible to satisfy - but even taking those types out, still leaves a big number of unhappy insurance company clients.

Cheers, Ron.

G'day Ron, does sound like a fairy tale doesn't it lol. I must admit that any claim I have made over the years with other insurers has always been fairly smooth. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

We've changed all our insurances to NRMA in the last few years.
Their prices were better and their service has been really good with two claims we've had to make.

Having said that, we check to see if we are getting good value whenever our policies are due for renewal.
Many financial institutions take advantage of customers that are loyal.

It's good to have positive feedback on anything, eh.

Steve.

Well, my H&C policy fell due today, so I spent most of yesterday sorting the wheat from the chaff. What a job!

The average score level of insurance companies on Product Review is around 1.5 out of 5. What does that tell you? Horror story after horror story.

However, I do think a lot of people are their own worst enemy, by not being careful and thorough, when taking out policies, and when making claims.

The people who practised great attention to detail on all their policies and claims seemed to have the greatest success - but nearly all of those also related what a stressful exercise it was.

One bloke outlined how he kept a detailed photographic and written record of everything in his house and outbuildings - and then took detailed photos after the event so that no arguments against any claim could be produced by the insurance company. He spoke of what an important factor that was.

So, working on the basis of the devil you know is better than the devil you don't (and seeing the number of insurance companies that have been merged, taken over, or carried out other corporate stunts that generally means the shareholders and directors assume greater priority than customers) - I got on the blower and started negotiating with my current insurer over the major ramp-up in the H&C renewal premium.

I pointed out that their requested premium for the renewal, was a massive increase over any CPI, interest rate, pay or pension increase rate.
I pointed out how their renewal figure ($910) was around $100-140 dearer than the quotes from any other insurer of reasonable reputation - and what could they do, to adjust their renewal figure?

Not unsurprisingly, they immediately dropped $100 off the renewal figure, to match the highest of the other quotes.
It was done without even presenting too much of an argument, on their behalf.

I have little doubt that they add $100 to every renewal notice today, on the basis that half the population will pay it with grumbles - and the other half will buck, whereby they can cheerfully knock off the added extra amount, to bring it back to what they really only wanted, anyway.
It's like bargaining at a Middle Eastern market, with insurance today.

I also wanted a substantial increase in the insured value of the contents (as we've just done a detailed stocktake and costing, and realised we were actually under-insured on contents value) - and they cheerfully agreed to that, for just another $25 - without even requesting amended valuations, lists, or anything else.

So I get the impression our contents valuation is still probably a lot less than the average.

End result, we're still insured with the insurer with the bright red webpages and documents, and they still rate amongst the highest insurance score levels on Product Review, with a huge 1.8 out of 5.

They've paid out on a couple of our (relatively minor) car insurance claims without too many problems, so I'm trusting they will continue to do the right thing.

A broker told me many years ago, dealing with insurance companies is essentially a "good faith" act.
They rely on you providing all the required information truthfully and correctly, in good faith - and you rely on them doing the right thing, in good faith, when it comes to a payout.

The problem, it seems, in todays world, there's not too much of that "good faith", on many insurance companies part.

Cheers, Ron.

The old bloke shouldn't have been standing behind you! Sounds like contributory negligence ;-)

Echucan Bob - I understand your post was in jest - but - reversing accidents are a serious subject.

"Reversing without due care", is the standard terminology for the charge resulting, when you back into something/someone.

The onus is always on the person backing up, to take every care to ensure that no-one/no vehicle, is behind them.
Although, occasionally of course, something or someone, does hide in a spot that can't be readily or easily seen.

Reversing cameras are a godsend, and should be standard on every vehicle.

Small children are the greatest concern when reversing vehicles, and one has to ensure that they are ALWAYS located, and restrained by an adult if necessary, to prevent them being run over.

Cheers, Ron.

Ron,
How many time have you patiently waited for traffic to clear, you start your reversing manoeuvre an then some johny-come-lately fwit come up and stops you "because he has right of way". Forget friggin courtesy.

I swear, I'm going to get arear bar and keep going.

Grrrrrrrr

I guess you never know what to expect when you insure with any of these mobs. I guess I can only go on how my claim was actioned so they passed their first test. Just hope the van now comes back all pristine from the Manufacturer.

.
Hi MH, There can be a problem with Insurance Brokers too.
Some years ago I had business insurance via a broker. One day I got a letter from the contracted Insurer to tell me that the broker had gone out of business and that the remaining 8 months of my policy was unpaid (even though I had paid the full 12 months to the broker.
It seems that in this instance and maybe many or all cases, the broker obtains the full 12 months premium from the client but pays the insurer monthly.
Of course I had to pay the outstanding 8 months premiums directly to the insurer to remain insured.

MH - Are you sure you can still utilise a broker, as a private individual?

I thought that brokers would only deal with registered businesses, and only those with substantial assets to insure.

I know I used a broker for many years when I had my business, but I never imagined I'd still be able to use one as a private individual, and with only a minimal amount of insurance.

Cheers, Ron.

Not sure on that one Ron :O. We have our private and business insurance with them.

Don't a lot of people insure through Ken Tame & Assoc.? They are brokers.

Cheap is not always best...interesting article!

Cheer,s Baz

Yes, I read that in today's Sun-Herald. Interestingly, its not in the electronic edition. Glad you had a link, Scott.

I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole now.

Cheers

This stunt of getting CC details immediately you make an enquiry, get a quote, or sign up for a "free offer", is the biggest stinking business fraud around.

It's an American business setup, driven by American corporate crooks - who are without doubt, some of the most unethical and utterly immoral people on the planet.

These are the same type of people who drove the Enron scam, the GFC financial frauds, the LIBOR interest rate scam. They should all be in jail.

The stunt is simple. You make an enquiry, get a quote, or take up a free offer - and they require your CC details, "to verify your ID".
What a lot of hogwash. CC details are not needed for a free offer or inquiry or quote - and neither is ID verification.

The aim is, to get you to inadvertently sign up for something a lot more expensive hidden in fine print - or hidden via a ticked box way down the bottom of a great big long webpage.
You have to untick the box to "opt out of the deal" - that you didn't even realise you were signing up for.

Ancestry.com caught me on a similar stunt. I "signed up" for a "free 14-day offer" to look at some of their info - but they required my CC details to do so.
However, hidden in the "free offer sign-up", was a deal to start paying them $149.90 every quarter - if I didn't cancel the "free offer sign-up", in writing, within the 14 days.

Naturally, that info was easily missed - and I only wanted to look at what they had on offer.
Next thing I've had $149.90 ripped out of my CC.

Then came the fight to cancel the "annual subscription" that they claimed I'd signed up for. What a bunch of bloody scammers.
I refuse to deal with Ancestry.com in any form or manner, and I advise all others to avoid them like the plague. They are simply corporate scammers, just like this Youi mob.

Cheers, Ron.