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An old friend of mine used to say "wouldn't you love to live forever?" when something utterly inconceivable occurred.
Yesterday evening, my better half happened to wonder how long it had been since we paid the car insurance.
When we discovered that the answer was "November 19, 2010," we began to freak out.
We never got a bill. We had no indication from the company that they noticed that we should re-up. We just ... WERE UNINSURED. AND OUR 23-YR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS AT WORK UNTIL MIDNIGHT. AND THE RAIN WAS TURNING TO ICE AND SNOW.
Our insurance was through one of those broker companies who are supposed to hook you up to the best insurance company for you.
Last night we tried going straight to the insurance company with our WTF?????????
But the only person reachable at the emergency number was set up to handle claims, only, and was unable to connect us to any person at the insurance company who could HELP.
You can imagine the level of freaking-out that was occuring.
Then we went to the broker people, and, again, the only person we could reach could handle claims, and had no contact for anyone who could HELP.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Around this time it occurred to my better half that these #*$&&% idiot companies were not the only show in town. We read JDPower's assessment of car insurance companies, and then we read Consumer Reports' assessment. We got in touch with Amica (very highly rated by both), who WAS available, and who DID HELP, and who, at the end of the process, emailed us proof-of-insurance.
Whew.
This morning, eventually, someone from our EX insurance company called. He assured me that it was "a computer glitch" and that we'd really been insured properly right along.
(Yeah, right. I'm sure that they would have happily paid any claim we might have needed to file during that ten days we were uninsured! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
He stated that a bill had been sent out to us yesterday. (Really? Someone NOTICED that they'd totally screwed up, and didn't have the courtesy to call us and let us know everything was ok? To email us proof-of-insurance? Sounds like a company I personally would love to deal with -- NOT!!!!!!!)
So the moral is -- apparently it's up to the consumer to make sure that insurance is up to date. Companies can apparently not be relied upon to let people know it's time to pay (or how much, or anything else). !!!!!!!!!!!!! (One of the people I talked to last night told me it was our responsibility to pay, even if we didn't get a bill. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
It wasn't how we thought we'd spend yesterday evening, and it probably took a year off each of our lives.
Good grief. Still dumbfounded that neither the insurance company nor the broker company had anyone available to help in this sort of emergency. !!!!!
Anyway -- if there's any shadow of a doubt in your mind -- go check on your insurance and make sure it is comfortably current!
Sheesh.
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2 comments:
How bizarre. Just yesterday, Don found out that his health insurance had lapsed. (He's a veteran and has Tricare... and despite the fact that the premiums had still been automatically deducted from his retirement pay, his insurance had been cancelled). LONG story, completely NOT Don's fault, but talk about FREAKING out!!! The only reason he found out is that I insisted he call to make an appointment to see a doctor (he's been sick with a cold for three weeks)... only to find out, no insurance because of a ridiculous glitch on Tricare's part. :(
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yikes! Lapsed health insurance even worse than car insurance, on the freak-out-o-meter!
How dare they continue to take money, but say he's not covered!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrr!!!!!
Surely hoping all is straightened out now?
And that Don is on the road to feeling all better?
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