How good is Safeco for independent agents?

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 04:59 am Post Subject:

I think that you'd love to hear the story form the horses mouth anyone else can only give you only a vague idea. Better if you try it out with someone who is already associated with this particular company. I'm sure you'll come across people who'll say Safeco is good and will definitely find people, who'll comment 'it is bad'. No wonder if you discover another bunch with diplomatic view. Just hang around to see if you get any better response. Good luck!

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 07:39 am Post Subject:

Hey you can check out with their website.

safeco.com/safeco/for_agents/default.asp

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 08:35 am Post Subject:

What I've heard about Safeco that they run their business through their network of independent agents and is associated with around 20,000 such insurance professional. For more intrigue information you have to consult an insider. See ya! :cool:

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 02:19 am Post Subject: The truth of the matter in my opinion

Safeco, Statefarm, Allstate, American Family, Geico, Progressive, Allied, Nationwide, and any other insurer you can list are all cut from the same cookie cutter. They all pretty much have to offer the same coverages based on what the department of insurance requires. They really do not care if you have been insured by them for 15 years and never filed a claim. They insure risk, and they look at you and assess what the risk is to insure you. If you pay for an accident forgiveness policy, you are probably paying higher premiums to cover their risk of having to forgive you once. They have convinced people to take 500 and 1000 dollar deductibles and encourage you to settle small claims on your own. What a deal, we'll sell you a policy, we hope you'll never use, give you a high deductible and penalize you when you use it if you choose to.

If you have a claim, it's going to be the luck of the draw, as to whether you have a good experience or terrible experience. Insurance companies are all in the business to make money. They are not the fuzzy, warm, make you feel good people they purport to be in their commercials. If you have an accident, they are going to use your policy to indemnify or pay your claim based on their investigation and what they believe they owe you. Educate yourself. Do you trust your insurer to pick your personal doctor on your health policy? Research a shop that you might potentially want to use in the event you need to have repairs made. Find one that realizes that you are their customer and not the insurance company. Ask if they have an agreement with your insurer and if they are limited in any way of advising you on your claim and who their true customer is. Do your own research on who you feel most comfortable with when it comes to vehicle repairs before you need them.

The appraisers that you speak with or the adjuster that handles your claim is not a reflection of the entire company. They are trained to settle your claim based on the least cost to the company and on their terms. Adjusters are often rewarded for getting you to accept less than you feel the claim is worth. Their idea of negotiating a settlement is "Here is what we feel we owe, take it or leave it." If you don't agree, sue us or invoke your appraisal clause. In my opinion they are not interested in how vehicle owners feel about how they were treated.

You, as the policy holder, are expected to know everything in your policy and how it affects your claim. You need to study your policy, which is a contract, to see what it promises you in the event you have to make a claim. If you chose a company that doesn't use agents and sells their policies over the internet or through a broker, don't expect much help if you do not understand what is owed to you. Agents use to be able to help you with what you do not understand, but they have been neutered to the point where they just sell policies and give you an 800 number if you have a claim. Don't wait until an accident or claim to decide if you picked the right company.

If you really don't want to become involved with your claim, and if you have to use your coverage, just use a company that takes care of you and handles it. (Consumer beware). If you expect to be fully indemnified , read your policy, if they actually give you one, and ask questions and be prepared to exasperated. You'll be lucky to talk to a human east of the atlantic shore that really cares about helping you.

J.D. Powers and associates says that if you let your insurer handle all your claims issues, you most likely will be disappointed in your expectations.

The best advice I could give you is to ask your friends, people you work with, people you go to church with, people you trust; who will take care of you? Do not take advice from the very people who owe you money.

If everyone shopped their policy around annually, they would be trying to treat you nicer to keep your business. Don't feel you owe them your business, they work for you!

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 06:55 pm Post Subject: Safeco

We used to use Safeco for P&C. They burned us so many times I'll never forget them.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 01:49 am Post Subject: insurance

I was in an accident, back in November. My insurance company ( not sure if I can say the name, but, it IS one that is mentioned above..) was very helpful with my claim and took me through it 'step by step.' Had a good experience with them.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:22 am Post Subject:

sdchargersfan, yes you can mention the name of the company...

It appears Leonard is looking to either becoming an independent or is an independent that is considering selling for safeco...Leonard I have no knowledge about that and would suggest you talk with some agents that do sell safeco I'm sure they would be more than willing to share their experiences both good and bad...Hopefully some agents that contribute here also sell for them and will respond...



Alright Mike, In my opinion you have just crossed a HUGE line...I've not had any problem with our differences of opinions, but you had better have something to back this statement up!

Adjusters are often rewarded for getting you to accept less than you feel the claim is worth

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 09:24 pm Post Subject:

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 09:24 pm Post Subject:

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 09:26 pm Post Subject: I wrote that before I became so darned cute I suppose.

I wrote that almost two weeks ago. But I stand by the premise as it falls under negotiating tactics or skills.

If a person is owed something under a policy and there are no exclusions or exemptions in a policy saying there is a 350 dollar threshold on materials, and a shop has invoices with reasonable markup for 650.00 and the appraiser/ adjuster tells the shop and the vehicle owner "we don't pay above the threshold, or we don't pay for that" (that could be numerous things) and the vehicle owner subsequently pays out of pocket above their deductible, then in my non legal opinion, they have been defrauded of rights under their policy. Just because there is one shop that will accept a cap or will perform certain operations for no charge to the insurer and they are not the shop that performed the repairs, then I believe the vehicle owner is being denied indemnification.

I have spoken to many appraisers for multiple companies that infom me that they routinely recieve bonuses for getting shops not to submit supplements and for getting settlements based on their estimates even if they are incomplete.

I also have somewhere in my possession copies of pages in insurance training manuals of many insurance company estimating guidelines and adjuster negotiating techniques stating things such as never speak to a claimant when they call; always be the party that makes the call when you are most prepared to negotiate. Other tactics are sending a check to an obstinate vehicle owner or claimant with an artificial deadline imposed. Never happens?

I don't know which company you work, for but judging by your responses, you obviously do not operate like this but their are slugs that do.
You also have to know that there are disgruntled insurance employees that share these documents and training guides with people not in the insurance business. I personally have seen many of these documents and guides and have had them in my possession at times.

I have generally always been able to help total loss customers acquire addtional funds on claims that they would not have without my assistance, sometimes for as much as 15 percent more. Now if that claims person had not been called on their failure to offer a fair settlement without me showing the vehicle owner where they may be owed additional sums, then one might come to the conclusion that it could be intentional.