Recently a reader sent me a copy of a letter that he had sent to his car insurance company in New Jersey. We’ve all seen the Geico gecko commercials, and the average person might think that Geico is some cheapo company, but actually, it’s been around since 1936 and it’s a very solid company. Your solid as a rock insurance carrier might have you believe that Geico is a “fly by night” company — and while there certainly are “fly by night” companies — Geico is not one of them. Sometimes you hear the names of iconic insurance companies and assume that they are great companies — wrong. Here is a letter from a reader — use your own judgement.
Dear Plymouth Rock:
You may have noticed that I recently switched to another insurance carrier — why did I do this? My intention is not to insult your company, but rather, it’s more of a primer about how you should treat your customers. Primarily, over the 13 years I was a client — first you were Prudential (my piece of the rock) but then I suddenly found myself insured by High Point. Isn’t that a state park in New Jersey? Then, a few years later my new policy said I was insured by Plymouth Rock. Who the heck is that? What happened to Prudential?
I often asked your reps why I was paying so much more than my friends and acquaintances. I had a flawless driving record whereas many of my friends had tickets and wrecks. For several years I had a car that was paid in full and I dropped collision and other side-dishes, but still I was paying more than friends who had fancy new cars with FULL coverage. I asked a hundred times, “Why?”
The reps were always polite but they never really answered the question. I was twice told that I was free to shop around for a better deal, and finally, after a lot of high-paying years, I did.
I’m glad I did because now, with the same exact coverage, I am paying LESS than half of what I was paying Plymouth Rock aka High Point aka Prudential.
The thing that pushed me over the edge was a call I made to Plymouth Rock not too long ago — another call where I asked about my high rates and cheaper rates I was quoted by other companies. The answer I got from a very pleasant rep was disturbing. It was suggested that other companies were “fly by night.” — One rep said, “What if you get in an accident and spend months in the hospital and were paralyzed, or what if you were to run over a kid on a bicycle?”
That was very unpleasant to hear, and that silly remark notwithstanding, if you’re going to call another company “fly by night” how do you explain that while I was with you, I never really knew who my insurance company really was? Like I said, one year it was Prudential and then a few years later it was High Point and then more recently it was Plymouth Rock. I never received any information or notification of these changes.
The company I switched to has had the same name for over 75 years. So, aside from the extreme savings for the same coverage, I simply did not like the way my business was simply “taken” — I figured that I was overcharged by about $15,000 since 1999. Sincerely **** ********.
TheDamienZone wonders if this company will respond. Please note that not everyone is happy with Geico, but I am not happy with my local wine shop, so it’s all relative. Not everyone saves money by switchin to Geico, but this guy did, and he did a great job of telling his story.
If a rep from Plymouth Rock wants to know who sent me this, I have their permission to tell you.
