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I'm Really PO'd - Just Venting

capecodcapecod Member Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited February 2004 in General Discussion
Last July I adopted a 1/2 German Shepherd - 1/2 Husky from the local Humane Society. I notified my Homeowners Insurance Company that I aquired a dog - told them the breed and the fact that he is kept in our home 90% of the time and when I leave him outside for a few minutes to take care of business - he is on a 15' chain and when I walk him he's on a leash. I wanted to be honest with the insurance company and I anticipated an increase in my premium but that's not what happened.
After several years of being insured by this company with absolutely no claims - I receive a letter yesterday telling me that they will not renew my Home Owners Insurance this year and get this - "Due to an unacceptable breed of dog".
I have until 3/27/04 to obtain new coverage and I have my agent working on it now. But the audacity and greed of these insurance companies is unbelievable - I've paid a hefty yearly premium always well in advance of the due date but that apparently doesn't matter.
Well so be it - I just wanted to get my frustration off my chest.
John



My Prayer: Dear Lord, Please let me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.........
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Comments

  • trooperchintrooperchin Member Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Forgive me if I sound dumb, as I am ignorant when it comes to insurance companies and the such: Why did you bother telling them?

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    Go Army Beat Navy
    IF you wanna have fun join the cavalry
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  • capecodcapecod Member Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a bad habit - I'm honest. I forget who it is on this Board who has the tag line "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" and you can see what the results of being honest are!
    John

    My Prayer: Dear Lord, Please let me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.........
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  • bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    If you don't tell them you are not covered should your animal hurt someone. I always listed my dogs as mixed breed, family, indoor pets. Says just that on the rabies vaccination sheet. I made them a copy of that sheet and that was it. Don't know if I was covered when Luther the boar got loose and terrorized the neighborhood for two weeks. Forgot to mention to them I had a 350lb four tusker running around.OOPS.

    040103cowboy_shooting_one_gun_md_clr_prv.gifBig Daddy my heros have always been cowboys,they still are it seems
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  • capecodcapecod Member Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I never thought of simply telling them my dog was a Mixed Breed - I'll know better nest time. I did consider the liability factor when I notified the insurance company but I never expected them to take such drastic action.
    I don't know if there is such a thing as "Boar Insurance" but I'm sure it would give the underwriters one heck of a headache trying to figure what your premium should be! :)
    John

    My Prayer: Dear Lord, Please let me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.........
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  • crosshaircrosshair Member Posts: 635 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    These insurance companies don't care about us or anybody else. Why did they go so long to tell you that! They can do anything they want and there isn't a thing we can do about it after paying them a nice chunk for years!

    Believe nothing that you hear and only one half of what you see!!

    I'm Just One Man Talking!
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  • bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    Well as it turns out old Luther and I had a parting of ways soon after his romp through the neighborhood. Can only be one Bigdaddy on the place. One of the most exciting things you can experience is being charged by a angry old boar ,hellbent on freedom, with those four curved tusks slashing at your crotch. Talk about good old country entertainment!

    040103cowboy_shooting_one_gun_md_clr_prv.gifBig Daddy my heros have always been cowboys,they still are it seems
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  • leadlead Member Posts: 2,311 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Some neighbors of mine have two kids and bought one of those big trampolines. They told me yesterday that the insurance company told them they had to get a full enclosure for it or their insurance would be cancelled. The enclosure costs twice what they paid for the trampoline. I wonder when someone in the insurance industry will refuse to cover us because we have guns in the house.

    Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
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  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I hear you, capecod. I've had policies canceled because I made claims for things like tree roots busting septic lines and flooding the basement with "stuff."

    But most of the problem stems from the "U O Me" mentality of much of society and its exploitation by the tort bar. If you look at the P&L statements of most insurers, they don't make particularly high returns on their revenues while a significant part of their payments go to BS (or outright fraudulent) claims inflated by the greedy tort lawyers of ATLA. Many years ago, I had an individual inquire about purchasing a choice piece of land. It wasn't for sale at the time, but I took his name "against the day" because I knew it would come. When I contacted him, he made it clear he would have the money "shortly, when the defendant pays" (the verdict had been rendered and there were no appeals). I said "Oh, you must be a tort attorney." "Oh, yeah, that's where the money is." "Good for you! The offer is withdrawn and don't bother to call me back." Click. People like this are why I decided I didn't want to practice law even after going to law school.

    OK, back to the issue . . . all the green eye shade types see is the potential downside *if* Bowser should bite someone. Not, as it would have been in the old days, the cost of medical bills, but "pain and suffering" with a healthy amount tacked on to line the pockets of the lawyers. The idiots who keep pit bulls, encourage them to be vicious, and then allow them to run loose add to the problem on the other side.

    I don't love the insurance companies by any means, but most of the problem lies in our litigious culture of greed than with this subspecies of organism.

    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the French." (Mark Twain) ". . . And DemoCraps" (me)
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  • competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,696 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dear [CEO's name here]:

    I have had a homeowner's policy with you for x years ([your account # here]), during which time I have never had a claim.

    I have always paid my premiums on time.

    My policy has now been cancelled.

    The reason given for cancellation is ridiculous.

    I will take every opportunity I can find to tell others how poorly XYZ Insurance Company has treated me.


    Sincerely,

    [Your name, address and phone here along with the policy number again.]

    __________________________________

    Do not add anything else or attempt to describe the details of your cancellation.

    Then do what you say. Making sure you mention the name of the company. (You can start by posting the name here.)
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  • 358 WINCHESTER358 WINCHESTER Member Posts: 1,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used almost the same letter that competentone sent you and within a week my homeowners insurance was reinstated even got a small discount because the fire dept. had put in a new hyd on the edge of my property.
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  • competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,696 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Iconoclast
    all the green eye shade types see is the potential downside *if* Bowser should bite someone. Not, as it would have been in the old days, the cost of medical bills, but "pain and suffering" with a healthy amount tacked on to line the pockets of the lawyers. ...


    Yes, the dog will represent additional exposure for the insurance company--the change would justify a higher premium.

    The "ridiculousness" is to cancel the policy of a customer with a good track record in both payment and safety--such people do not keep dangerous animals.

    What has happened is that the (idiot) "bean counters" have taken away control of the company from the marketing/sales staff. If the CEO is a "bean counter" my suggested letter will have no effect; if he/she understands marketing/advertising--and is reasonable--he/she will consider the potential negative effects the "vocal, poorly-treated customer" can have on the business.
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  • boogerbooger Member Posts: 1,463 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Huh? I've always had dogs coming and going. I've never heard of telling the insurance mofos about anything. Knock on my wooden head for continued good luck.

    Them ducks is wary.
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  • fishermanbenfishermanben Member Posts: 15,370
    edited November -1
    I am an Insurance Agent in the State of Illinois. And, let me tell you, the restricted dog breeds list has saved them money. The restricted breeds are Shar-Pei, Pit-bull/American Staffordshire terrier, chow, presa canario, akita, and any wolf mix. What people don't realize is that through the 1990s for every $1 dollar Illinois companies took in in premiums, they paid out $1.11. It didn't matter though because they were investing their premiums in the stock market and hedging their losses by earning a 20% return in that investment. Well they can't get that kind of return right now so they are raising premiums, and developing more restrictive underwriting practices.

    Insurance companies would be elated if they could break even on losses paid to premiums earned or even more happy if they could actually achieve profitability.

    So my advice to you guys, don't turn in any claims less than $1,000 on your home owners policies. Don't tell your agent you have a restricted dog breed/don't get any breed that is restricted. And if you ever have a question, come on here and ask me, or ask your agent. The Insurance Market has dramatically changed in the past 3 years. Listen to your agent, shop around, eliminate small claims, and stay with your long time carriers and you should get your insurance as cheap as possible.
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  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007 ✭
    edited November -1
    After reading this thread, I called my agent to find out about the effect on me of owning dogs. Zip.. didn't care, don't need to notify them, no adjustment of premium.

    We live in the sticks and have 3 dogs - American Eskimo and Siberian Husky, outside - Rhodesian Ridgeback/mix inside. Also some horses and variuos other critters, none of which impact our rate.

    Guess I'm lucky.

    God Bless America and...
    NEVER Forget WACO
    NEVER, EVER Forget 911
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  • fishermanbenfishermanben Member Posts: 15,370
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
    After reading this thread, I called my agent to find out about the effect on me of owning dogs. Zip.. didn't care, don't need to notify them, no adjustment of premium.

    Having animals will not raise or lower your premium, it can only disqualify you for insurance with particular companies. Call him and tell him you have 2 unfenced pit-bulls for guard dogs and see what he says, I'm sure his reaction would be different.
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