Andy_LongIsland

So after accepting Geicos considerably lower quote for my wifes insurance on her car, she phoned up her existing insurance company "Travellers" to see if there was anything special she had to do to cancel her's (as they had sent her a bill for her renewal etc)

Now we've both enjoyed the fun of canceling credit cards - where they give you the old "we'll give you a lower rate! pleaseee don't go! we'll be nice!" etc but this place was just funny.

The guy on the phone started by hanging up on my wife when she said she wanted to cancel.

After phoning back he said some sentence that didn't make sence as to the reason why he hung up and then proceeded to name her sister about 4 times - as she had the same maiden name despite my wife repeating her name over and over again.

He then went on to ask why she was canceling. She told them "I just got a lower quote" and off he goes trying to beat the deal. He couldn't do it by far and that's when he got all annoyed and started saying things like "I don't understand why you want to go with them, you don't even know who you are talking to when you phone Geico! Why don't you want to go with a local company!", to which my wife just replied "because Geico are a lot cheaper for the same cover".

He then said "you shouldn't go with Geico as they are getting you to phone up and do their dirty work!". After dragging out the procedure out of him he called my wife "rude" and said again "I don't know why you're changing". So she just hung up on him.

It was like she was stealing his dinner from him, he got a little emotional - we both couldn't belive it! :scared:

Anyone else had just customer service like that?

p.s. they will be getting a complaint letter

NC Penguin

Yup. Been there, done that. If I get an earful of that kind of "customer service", I'd respond, "If the manner you're speaking to me is an indication of customer service, I'm afraid I have no choice but to take my business elsewhere". If you want to drive the point home, say, "I hope this call is being recorded".


NC Penguin

Andy_LongIsland

They won't be getting a bleeding cent of us again, bastards Couldn't belive the cheek of it!

I'll have to have a look at the board of directors list and see if Graham Cospley is on it

scrubbedexpat099

Chances are you spoke to an Agent not an Employee, or the Employee of an Agent.

Usually and like anything in the US it varies State by State, there is actually nothing that he or she could do. Rates are filed with the State Insurance Commissioner, some States require Rates to be pre approved, others are more liberal and you can file and use. But this is of course done on the book of business, not case by case.

Very very different to the UK.

Ray

Did you see the AOL cancellation tape
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xIVZ9b0RgmY

Jerseygirl

If you start to get argumentative with customer services, more often than not they will hang up.

Manc

More a case of insurance person, than insurance people.

Ben

You've got me interested, Andy. did it really make that much difference? We have just renewed with Liberty and have no complaints over their service at all but I keep hearing the Geico commercials for New York.

Maybe next year we should seriously look into changing but I'll get you to talk to our old insurance company

Andy_LongIsland

That was so similar! Thanks for that Ray, I'll show the wife that.. she'll enjoy it

Andy_LongIsland

Yeah was a big difference to switch. We set up the same policy and there was $350 difference in the two (for a 6 month policy). It was only when we phoned up and wanted to cancel the guy brought it down to about $50 difference of the Geico one but it was still cheaper with Geico and by that point she'd had enough with them anyway. I'd certainly give them a call but you can cancel the other yaself

Manc

instead of cancelling, why didn't you just simply not pay the renewal?

Andy_LongIsland

She wanted to check there was anything special we had to do to cancel the policy, didn't want to get further bills etc from them. Turns out she has to take her new policy as proof to thier office, then they'll cancel it

scrubbedexpat099

Duhhh!

Seem to remember $350 is how much Geiko spends on advertising for each new policy they take on.

Andy_LongIsland

Hehe I don't mind so long as we save it

Manc

no offense but that's a crock of shit.

1) It isn't a bill, it's an offer to make a contract. you pay premium for the forthcoming 6 months, not retroactive........hence it isn't a bill as no service has been rendered yet.

they can send you as many renewal notices in the mail as they want, but if you don't pay them, what they gonna do? they can't do sweet FA......as no service has been rendered and it cannot go against credit scoring or anything like that.

2) they want to see your new policy so they can continue to save the business....they want to compare policies to make sure the coverage is the same yadda yadda yadda.


just write to them and tell them you will not be renewing the policy in your letter of complaint as there is nothing in the contract for the prior policy which states that you have to jump through any hoops in order to non renew the policy and if they require such work from yourself, and have to make special trips that you will happily do that at $30 per hour and will invoice them in 30 days.