Is it Just Me?

You know, I suppose I must look at the world in a way that 99.99% of the world doesn't, because things that seem just flat out common sense or even just good business practice to me just somehow doesn't to others.

I have learned my lesson about mentioning company names on my blog, so I will not tell you who my insurance carrier is. I will tell you that they have been my auto insurance carrier since I was 16 years old (24 years now -- yes, do the math, I'm 40) and that we (hubby and I) have three vehicles covered and our house with this same insurance carrier.

Back in June while I was out working I backed over someone's brick mailbox. It leveled the thing (unbelievable, really) and did damage to my bumper. I called while there and filed the claim so that the other person could get their mailbox fixed. I did not however, move forward right away with getting my car fixed until just recently.

So, I call them and they send a guy out to do a claim on the damage and he does his thing and comes to the door and tells me that while he was out there he had to do a PRIOR DAMAGE report on the bumper because of some prior damage to it. I told him that yes, there was a small area of paint missing on the other side of the bumper. Likely I scraped it on something (I'm a horrible backer, apparently). He said that claims would have to make a decision on what to do about that. Huh? I said ok and he said they would call me. This was on a Friday morning. By yesterday when I had not heard from them, I called them. I was "on his list" to call that day (right).

He proceeds to tell me that they will be deducting $329 from my estimate due to the PRIOR DAMAGE to the bumper. What??? I asked him to please explain to me why he would be deducting money from the estimate when he was going to have to replace the bumper no matter what condition it was in. We went over and over and over this. He got very snitty with me and I finally told him that I was not going to talk to him any more about this that he would need to deal with my husband about it. I got his number and hung up.

I called my agent who called me back today and gave me the same story about how they were replacing a bumper that was not worth the full value when it was damaged. Well, it will still cost me the full price when I replace it, won't it? He said, "Well, you wouldn't expect to pay full price for a refrigerator that had a dent would you?" I told him that No, I certainly wouldn't, but that I wouldn't have paid 24 years of premiums on that refrigerator either and that the reason I allowed them to debit my account each month was in case something like this happened they would pay for it. I told him he was comparing apples and oranges. I also told him I didn't call and complain when my rates went up, I paid it and that I expected them to pay for my damage if I had an accident and that my bumper is damaged and I would like to have it replaced.

Can ANYONE make me understand why a bumper that HAS to be replaced is worth $300 less because there is a 1/2" paint scratch on the other side of it????? So, this has now been turned over to Kevin because I'm just not in a happy place to deal with it.