In 2015 I had my car insured through Heacock Insurance. First time the car had been running in years and first time insured in years. I have never had a claim so I cant say whether they would treat me right if I had a claim. So I just received my policy for the coming year. The cover letter from Heacock states that they are pleased to offer me this "renewal" policy. However, the cover letter from the underwriting company specifically states that what I have received is a "replacement" policy. Looking at the replacement policy, it is not a renewal of my prior policy but a new and now different policy with terms defined differently, different coverage limits, coverages provided differently.
I won't lie, this kind of garbage drives me crazy. Words have meaning and the insurance companies don't change the wording of their policies for nothing. The changes in wording mean something, it means your policy is changing and usually not in the insureds favor but so as to exclude coverage.
In fact, the insurers look to the words in the policy to determine whether you are covered or not in the event of an accident or other loss to figure out a way not to pay on a claim.
So I called the 800 number to ask directly how this occurred and how Heacock managed to send out this contradictory message. I apparently got a local rep who was completely unprepared to answer the questions. In fact, she emphatically claimed that it was her understanding the the policy was the same as the prior policy and all that had changed was the underwriting insurer's system. When I pointed out that that was not the case at all, and pointed her to examples in the policy, her solution was to offer to make whatever changes I wanted to make the "replacement" policy more like a "renewal" policy. In other words, add ons and make the policy more expensive. I could not believe it. Not only did she not understand the policy or the changes, she was unaware of them and her solution was to upsell. What horse manure.
Collector car insurance is relatively expensive per mile. Given the low number of miles I drive my 57 each year, I am like .25 or better per mile. For that kind of money I expect very good coverage and excellent customer service. I am not getting either with this new "replacement" policy or from Heacock, a "replacement" policy that Heacock is apparently "pleased" to offer me. I could scream.
Are you kidding me? The fact that Heacock thought they could just brush my concerns under the rug is concerning. Actually, I am infuriated.
So, is anyone willing to weigh in on Grundy vs. Haggerty and how they have set their own collector car policies up in terms of coverage and coverage limits? Has anyone had to make a claim and did you have a good or bad experience? Any other collector car insurers that might be worth looking at?
Mike
I won't lie, this kind of garbage drives me crazy. Words have meaning and the insurance companies don't change the wording of their policies for nothing. The changes in wording mean something, it means your policy is changing and usually not in the insureds favor but so as to exclude coverage.
In fact, the insurers look to the words in the policy to determine whether you are covered or not in the event of an accident or other loss to figure out a way not to pay on a claim.
So I called the 800 number to ask directly how this occurred and how Heacock managed to send out this contradictory message. I apparently got a local rep who was completely unprepared to answer the questions. In fact, she emphatically claimed that it was her understanding the the policy was the same as the prior policy and all that had changed was the underwriting insurer's system. When I pointed out that that was not the case at all, and pointed her to examples in the policy, her solution was to offer to make whatever changes I wanted to make the "replacement" policy more like a "renewal" policy. In other words, add ons and make the policy more expensive. I could not believe it. Not only did she not understand the policy or the changes, she was unaware of them and her solution was to upsell. What horse manure.
Collector car insurance is relatively expensive per mile. Given the low number of miles I drive my 57 each year, I am like .25 or better per mile. For that kind of money I expect very good coverage and excellent customer service. I am not getting either with this new "replacement" policy or from Heacock, a "replacement" policy that Heacock is apparently "pleased" to offer me. I could scream.
Are you kidding me? The fact that Heacock thought they could just brush my concerns under the rug is concerning. Actually, I am infuriated.
So, is anyone willing to weigh in on Grundy vs. Haggerty and how they have set their own collector car policies up in terms of coverage and coverage limits? Has anyone had to make a claim and did you have a good or bad experience? Any other collector car insurers that might be worth looking at?
Mike
