fueliemike

1963-64 BEWARE of this insurance company



Just want to pass this along to everyone who may use this insurance company. I have been with American Collectors Insurance as a customer for 38 years, had 15 Corvette's insured by them. I had a front engine harness fire two weeks ago, because of a battery short out, they sent TWO adjusters to look at the damage, both saw the wires burnt. I waited one week to hear back from them never received a call so I called them only to find out I was NOT covered because it was a electrical fire (NO FLAMES). This company are crooks, I paid them on time for 38 years, never put in a claim. Please anyone who has this company please beware!!!! I know that they have a ad in our NCRS Driveline just be careful. PS my car is fixed and just as good as new again, out of my pocket.

hedgehead

rfn026

Oh Oh I have 4 cars insured with them.

Richard Newton

rahaul

fueliemike, it seems to be a trend that has taken over the country. I'm hearing more and more of this. The ins companies are playing the odds that it will be more trouble for you to "stand your ground" so to speak than pursue it. I ran into the same thing with another carrier when I hit a deer last Sept. They told me I had to put my car in a shop of my choice to get final payment. They were holding out $1,000 on a $8,000 claim. I told them I had no idea if I was repairing it myself or hiring it done but it might be a year before I decide and I wasn't going to wait a year to settle. We went back and forth. I took it to small claims and beat them. In fact I did better than that. Since they could not show me in the policy that I had to put the car in a shop for final payment I reminded them that this was now breach of contract/ bad faith. I refiled and changed the amount to $27,000. I got their attention and I had them by the you-know-what. I agreed to settle for $3,300 more than I was originally asking and I can guarantee you that they got off easy. I think I could have tore them up in court but the wife said enough with the head games already.

Small claims is easy but they will usually have their lawyer move it to civil like they did mine. My attorney did not get in the middle. I only asked him for advice. If it goes to civil you either have to know your stuff or have an attorney who can guide you. In an attorney

I would get your policy out and take a closer look.

Vic in Arkansas

MarkC

You should have received a denial letter from them with the exact reason for the denial. This would have been a comphrensive claim and they probably denied the claim under an exclusion. You can file an Insurance Comminisior complaint with the state of CT and have them review the claim and the insurance company's handling. Most states allow complaints on line. Good luck.

Mike Ward

As posted on the NCRS board, and electrical short is a component failure. Not an insurable risk. Not much different than a dropped valve.

Pilot Dan

My premiums went up quite a bit over the last few years even though I never had a claim, so I left this year and got much better coverage for less money elsewhere. Even though technically not covered, giving you a few hundred bucks for a new harness would have been good PR for them after 38 years of paying in. Glad I left after hearing this.

Mike Ward

Paying this claim would open the floodgates to demands that they pay everybody else's wiring issues or mechanical issues or, or, or. The money to do this would come from premiums payed by other customers and in the end raise the rates for all. No thanks.

I was an insurance broker back in the dark ages ('70s) and had to field all sorts of calls from customers that hadn't really read their policy to learn what was and was not covered.