Just like non insurance companies the better the financial year in profit/loss terms, the more there is to pay a dividend. Futhermore, since AMICA is a direct writer, they do not have producer fees (agent commissions) to pay as additional overhead. This also helps you as a customer.

 

I had Amica for 12 years. They were always the cheapest by far. UNfortunately, the proof is in the pudding and when I needed them they were a big disappointment. In FL auto accident fraud is huge!

Some old guy hit me while I was 3/4's merged into his lane at a red light. When I say hit he idled into my fender and scraped it. Damage was a new fender (not a mustang) and headlight. He sued for $300,000 negotiated down to $30,000. Bottom line is that they straight up knew it was fraud but bent over. Then they raised my rates even though the cop gave the other guy the ticket!!!! (Fought it to no avail). Then when the shop I went (per their referral) to did a less than stellar job they did nothing to help me with that. Oh, they also insisted that only used aftermarket parts were used for replacements. That's one reason I found they are cheap.

When I added the mustang (3rd car) they wanted another 1/3 in premium. I called liberty mutual and got the same full coverages for all 3 cars for the price I was paying Amica for two.

For those that love amica, I can tell you that 3 years ago I felt the same. I sent them a ton of customers over the years. However, I ultimately pay premiums every month for protection in an accident and a quality repair. I got neither. All that great CS meant squat. Amica scores high with JD Power, great, but in my personal experience, when they are needed to come up to the plate, what you pay them for, they strike out.

 

Don't always go where the cheapest rate is. Customer service and how they handle your claims is much more important. You can disagree but when they take forever to evaluate or pay your claims, don't come crying.

Like said above, some companies (especially the larger ones) don't take care of you like they should.

 

You are always going to have outliers who feel aggrieved by their carriers. You have to look at the averages for satisfaction across the Board. I have seen many unwarranted denials of liability by Liberty Mutual over the last 35 years.

Now in your particular case we will never know the facts except as you have stated them. Most likely, the other party stated a different view of the facts.

I also note that it is a common misconception that the fact that a party was issued a ticket is admissible on the issue of liability in tort. In many, if not most states, the person receiving the ticket would have to plead guilty in order for the ticket to be admissible.

Under the terms of your policy, and the one you have with Liberty, you pay the premiums and the carriers adjust and pay the claims in their sole discretion. Their view of how the facts may play out, if litigated, versus the cost benefit ratio will understandably not always dovetail with the insured's.

I will give you an example wherein this happens all the time. A person pulls into a parking space while a person existing the car in the next spice is opening his door. The fender on one auto collides with the door of the other. Very often both feel they were in the right and the other was in the wrong. Carriers just settle these claims or send them to binding arbiration. It is a common risk analysis move made by all carriers, including Liberty. And after having a lot of experience with claims issues involving both carriers, AMICA is my pick hands down over Liberty.

 

I work at Geico (not in sales or underwriting) and this is surprising to me. All I know is that if you want to insure the mods, your premium will be more. I've never heard of any carrier researching mods and dropping policies. Did you have any kind of recent violation?

 

Ultimately I changed so I could add the mustang. Even dropping the coverage completely down on my other car that's paid off it was still more than LM. Even though Amica dropped the ball more than once, I stayed for 3 years after the event bc I am loyal. Even though their rates were jumping 10-15% a year (even before any accidents, tickets, etc). To be fair, FL auto ins is on its own planet. You can't listen to the radio for 5 minutes without hearing about an auto accident referral company or lawyer. And they are all extremely "urban" in tone and style (aka annoying).

In my case Amica knew full well what happened. The cop made a full report saying who was at fault. They also had proof that he was lying and the x-rays were bogus. But they settled to keep it out of court. A decision I hated but was thankful for. When the underwriters raised rates bc they have no insight into claims investigations is what made me really mad.

I'm a lot more confident in my agent with LM that I will get better one on one if/when I need it.

And just to add. Although I had what I would call outstanding customer service with Amica for all 12 years, one guy in particular sat for 1 hours on the phone helping me get the right coverages on home owners since they wouldn't write in FL. Once claims entered the picture, the CS went WAY down hill. The guy was lazy, had zero follow through and would never return calls.

 

Generally, the investigating officer does not witness the event while it is occurring. An investigating officer is not competent to testify regarding fault. His report is not admissible except to show his observations of the scene after the fact or admissions of a party.


Insurance agents are not there to be your advocate when a claim is made. He is an agent for the carrier. It would be a conflict of interest for him to be an agent for both you and the carrier. At the end of the year they may be paid a spiff by the carrier for the performance of the book of business they placed with the carrier. Relatively speaking, your piece is small spuds. It is true that In case of large accounts, a thumb may be placed on the scales.

 

Agreed. All I meant was that they decided to settle even though they knew it was fraud. Keep in mind that is different than an innocent accident where they have to make a decision. It was fraud. With LM what I was saying is that I have an agent that I can go meet and talk to face to face. She also has a monetary interest in me being happy and staying. Whereas a direct company like Amica couldn't care less about little old me and my 3 cars, I could be a little chunk to my agent.

CS will always be better with commission based jobs. When I worked in commission I was darn well sure my people were happy. Bc if they returned in 30 days I lost money. And that one little sale could move multipliers that add hundreds of dollars. You always are acutely aware of the little guys adding up. This is the advantage of agents vs direct.

 

No, I just had my windshield replaced tho. I got a letter confirming that I was dropped for "unacceptable modifications".

 

There's a reason GEICO stands for "Government Employees Insurance Company"... :|

(In all seriousness, I had no idea that's what it stood for until they emailed me a quote with the full signature. And now I keep getting spam from them)

 

Maybe they did not know, so they were calling your bluff. The fact that you did not argue (or politly discuss) with them that you did not have any mods made them the winner of the discussion.

Seems like shady business to me. Perhaps you want to report this to your states insurance commisioner.