MY BOAT INSURANCEPOLICY JUST GOT CANCELLED THANKS GEICO-Sea-Safe

[Bobby Uhrig]

Just got a letter in the mail saying non-renewal- So I says HMMMMM -Let me call - My 2005 triton 21x had a MegaStrike wrap on it - policy was about $670 a year. I sold that one to a prostaffer of mine -My 2006 does not have a wrap on it- I went through the BS of talking to people then they said "you were dropped because you have a business decal on your boat" I said what does that mean. They said" we believe you are using it commercially". I said no -it is owned by me privately. They said we believe you are using it commercially- I said just because you use a decal or wrap dosent mean that--I asked to be sent to the person in charge -she said hold on and then disconnected--I called back and said that person isnt in right now and will call me back-so far no call- I just guess i will give someone else my money-The next time I see a Gecko- your getting sqwashed LOL

[George Welcome]

Bobby,

Gecko, GEICO is notoriously high priced. Try either Boat US or Progressive for non-commercial use. A not-for-hire boat is just that regardless of how many decals are displayed.

If you did need commercial this is who I use: http://www.charterlakes.com/

[powerman970]

Check with AllState.  I moved all my insurance to them about a year ago and have been really happy with the premiums as well as the customer service.  No claims (knock on wood) so I don't know how they are in that department.

[George Welcome]

Some years back I had a total loss: New boat stolen. Allstate covered the contents and were fantastic. However, for my new boat they wouldn't cover me because of the total loss. Both Boat US and Progressive would

[Popeye]

I prefer Allstate too. Everything I own is insured with them. Isn't a Gecko somekind of new lizard bait?? Probably produce more bass than happy insurance customers:o)

[IDbasser]

The last insurance company I was with refused to cover my boat because they said the motor was too big for the boat.  150hp, 18 ft bass boat.  My new insurance (Farm Bureau) had no problem at all covering it.

[hawgchaser]

Stay away from Safeco. My boat was stolen and partially sunk 10 months ago. I still haven't seen a dime..... The claims lady assigned to me is rude and uninterested in helping me.

I will be taking my business elsewhere. Until then i will continue to call and send emails. >

[bipr8]

Bobby, I use Campisano out of Pt Pleasant NJ.  Good people, good prices.  Check them out...

http://www.campisanomarine.com/

[Tin]

Wow, I click to read and there is a Geico ad on the left side of the screen. ;D

[fishfordollars]

Stay away from Safeco. My boat was stolen and partially sunk 10 months ago. I still haven't seen a dime..... The claims lady assigned to me is rude and uninterested in helping me.

I will be taking my business elsewhere. Until then i will continue to call and send emails. >

The one you need to call is a good lawyer. I had a claim in 2002 with Statefarm that they denied. I blasted a stump in the boat lane on Toledo and destroted a prop, lower unit, and the transom. I hired an attorney and the insurance company held out and finally sent a check to the attorney's office the day before we were filing suit.

[senile1]

For you guys that are using Allstate, they have really received some bad press over the last year or so.  Have you guys heard about their Powerpoint training slide entitled, "From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves?"  There is enough smoke to believe there is a fire somewhere.  Check out the links below.  The second link is a site for Allstate agents and almost every listing on the site is for some legal issue they are experiencing.  Most of the complaints begin when you have to file a claim with them.  

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5174420.html

http://www.napaausa.org/news.asp

[Way2slow]

For five years my daughter was one of those claims representatives you spoke to on the phone when you called GIECO. Trust me, I've heard enough stories about them, they couldn't even pay me to carry their insurance.

[Micro]

If you qualify, USAA is the only way to go.  Best customer service in the industry.  Best customer service - period.

#1 Customer Service - Business Week

[Sam]

F. Lee Bailey once said, "Insurance companies pay the claims they shouldn't and don't pay the claims they should."

Bailey was a very well known attorney in the 60s and 70s and he handle and won many high profile cases.

Now, insurance companies have to hire who they can to be first line adjusters.  In fact, the individuals handling your claims may not understand how insurance works.

They are there to 1) accept your call and claim; 2) pass it along to someone in the company who knows what is going on; and 3) stall you for as long as possible.

We are not talking about a dedicated insurance professional.  We are talking about someone that the insurance company needs to handle the first reports and followups.  In many instances, these individuals have no authority to settle a claim, unless it is under a specific amount, like $500.

May I suggest that anyone having any claims problems contact their state's Bureau of Insurance for assistance.

Bureaus of Insurance do not fool around and if your claim has merit the Bureau will have the claim processed and paid ASAP.  An insurance company does not want to tangle with a Bureau of Insurance investigator.

Also, you can always ask for additional damages under your state's Unfair Claims Practices Act.

You can put a lot of pressure on an insurance company via your Bureau of Insurance and the Unfair Claims Practices Act.

Just remember, insurance is not gambling.  All you can do is lose, not win.  You are purchasing an unilateral contract of adhesion that is written by attorneys.

What you pay the carrier (premium) does not balance with their payment (claim) to you based on your insuring agreement, exclusions, deductibles, terms and conditions so it is not gambling.  You can only lose. Not win.

So all the carrier has to do is to put you in the same position one second prior to the loss, meaning they will take depreciation to reduce the claim payment or find you another boat and motor of like kind and quality.

One other thing, insurance companies file with their state's Bureau of Insurance a "filing" that describes what they can and cannot do and the reinsurance they need to pruchase, etc. to be solvent and to meet individual state requirements.

If the "filing" states that they will not insure any commercial boats then they cannot insure any commercial boats.  The insurance company's definition of a commercial boat is going to differ from your definition.

So to be on the safe side and not get into trouble, underwriters will not provide any insurance coverage on any watercraft deemed to be a "commercial" craft even if the watercraft is not used as a commercial craft.

And one last item to ponder, if you get paid by a nonboater in a tournament be sure the amount is not excessive.  If so, an insurance company can claim you are using your boat for a "profit" making it a commercial boat and they will decline your claim. (Same thing holds true if you charge others in a car pool situation.  If you make a profit you are a livery vehicle and you do not have any personal insurance. Speak with your agent about this.)

As for GEICO, "Run Forest, Run."  There are many other insurance companies out there that are user friendly. GEICO is a pain to deal with regarding third-party liability claims and after reading the posts I now understand that they may be difficult to deal with on first party claims.

And regarding USAA, you had to be either an officer (and a gentleman) or a NCO in the military to qualify for membership and you have only one year after active duty discharge to join USAA.

USAA is a Reciprocal Insurance Company and you will receive a check once a year from your savings account.  

This is MY MONEY.  My wife has no idea we receive it.  I use it for LSU football games or fishing tackle.  It is a nice "surprise" to receive each year.

So, for all of your NCOs and officers, please, please, please, place all of your insurance coverages with USAA as Micro suggests.

OK, Insurance 101 is over. Now bend over and smile!!!! ;D

[Top]

I have all 4 of my vehicles insured with USAA as well I have renter's insurance thru them too... full coverage on the new vehicles and comp on the other two... I pay about 160 a month and that INCLUDES the renter's insurance... not too bad considering one of the cars is a convertible.

AL

[senile1]

I have my house, cars, and boat all covered by American Family.  The prices are competitive and every claim we've ever made has been handled nicely.  (Example:  Two years ago, hail damaged our roof, which wasn't obvious to anyone unless you climbed up and took a close look.  We received a complete roof replacement with no problems.  My next door neighbor uses State Farm and they only approved minor repairs to his roof.)  Our auto claims have been handled nicely as well.  I have never had any boat problems to make a claim on.

That's not to say that American Family is perfect.  I would bet that all of the insurance companies turn into enemies when you have a situation that includes large medical claims, long-term disability, or death and dismemberment.  But for the regular stuff, American Family has served me well for 27 years.

[njpaulc]

I read the link in alarchar post.  I believe the word "progressive" was used as a discriptive adjective instead of the name of the company.

[rondef]

The funny thing is they sponsor the Elite Series and I have seen the boat, it is located in Western, VA and has been out on the Potomac River numerous times.  They sponsor Christiana Bradley, she is the neighbor of my wife's supervisor.

[fishingfourfun]

Anyone know about Boat US insurance? Is it any good?