Safe Auto Insurance: Great Company or Rip Off Artists?

Angela Russell, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Apr 12, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Safe Auto Insurance advertises minimum coverage for minimum prices. If you live in the south you have, no doubt, been exposed to their television commercials. They have a catchy jingle that incorporates the company's telephone number. They advertise low price insurance and their motto is: "We keep you legal for less"

In February I decided to swap my auto insurance and called Safe Auto for a quote. The customer service representative was very personable and seemed to know her job well. She asked the required questions about my husband and my driving records and put me on hold while she prepared the quote. When she returned to the line she gave me a price that was less than others that I had been quoted, with a down payment that wasn't outrageous and the monthly payments were very affordable.

My policy began on February 18, 2007. I was asked questions by Safe Auto that I was not asked by other insurance agencies. Questions like, "Do you or your spouse take any medications daily?" When I responded that my husband did have a prescription medication that he took once per day, she informed me that this medication was on her "list" and that we would need to obtain a statement from his doctor stating that he was fit to drive. The required paperwork was to be sent to me and then, according to her, faxed to our physician to be filled out. We received the paperwork, which I promptly forwarded to my husbands physician. We received a response that if we wanted this paperwork filled out that we would need to make an appointment to see the doctor. This was a little irritating to my husband, as he would have to take a day off of work, make an appointment with the doctor, pay for a doctor's visit, not to mention sitting in that waiting room. It seemed that this insurance company that promised lower prices was going to end up costing us money. The receptionist for our physician set up the earliest possible appointment, which was a month away.

During the interim, I received a statement from Safe Auto saying my premium had been raised nearly $100.00 per month because of something on my driving record. It did not state what that something was, so I made a phone call to inquire what could have raised my payment that much. The representative seemed perplexed after I asked her what could cause my rate to increase so much, she informed me that an accident that I had in 2004 had actually happened on March 13^th, on the paperwork, it stated March 1^st. I informed the representative that when these questions were asked I could not remember the exact date of the accident and that the person taking my information took it upon herself to enter a date of the 1^st. Even if it were 12 days after the entered date, is that a reason to raise my premium nearly $100.00? Looking at the information, I asked the representative how long incidents remained on a driving record, her answer, three years. So, this accident that happened three years prior, minus a few days, would be removed from my driving record completely with-in a thirty day period. I asked her if 12 days made that much of a difference, how much difference would it make when it was removed altogether. She couldn't answer the question, but said that the 12 day date difference should not have caused that much of a rate increase. She stated that most people didn't remember the exact dates they had accidents or received citations. She said she would be forwarding my information to another department for review, and assured me that my rate would drop to what I had originally been quoted.

While I was on the phone with her, I informed her that the physician's statement would be sent in after the doctors appointment, but that it would be nearly a month before he could get in to see the doctor. She said she would note my account with that information and that I didn't need to be concerned with cancellation.

Not long after this, I received a cancellation notice in the mail. My policy was to be canceled because they had not received the physician's notification of fitness. I had 7 days from the date of the letter to get the statement faxed to them. My husband's appointment was two days before the cancellation date luckily.

Once we had the physician's statement I called them to request their fax number. While on the phone I questioned my rate reduction. The representative acted as if I were from another planet. She had no idea of what I was talking about. I explained it all to her again. By this date, the incident on my record should have been removed completely. She curtly advised me that they would only run my driving record every six months and that I would be required to pay the increased rate until they ran the record again.

Sometimes it's really difficult to hold your tongue. You have to remember that these people you are speaking to are, in fact people, they are not the company. I wanted to scream, yell, and stomp my feet, but I got the distinct impression that it would have done no good. I am canceling my policy and will be going with another company, a local company, so that if I have an issue, I can march right into their office, speak my peace, and have them look me in the eye to tell me I need to pay $100.00 more per month because of a date error.

Safe Auto Insurance Company should be ashamed of itself. This is a crooked practice. I certainly hope that no one else has been scammed by these people. I will be checking with the Better Business Bureau to find out what my options are. People cannot allow themselves to be taken advantage of.

Published by Angela Russell

Angela was born and raised in Middle Tennessee. She married her high school sweetheart and has two teenage children. Angela currently provides bookkeeping and accounting services for nearly one hundred sm... View profile

How To Get An Auto Insurance Quo...

Yahoo! Voices

Safe Auto Insurance: Great Company or Rip Off Artists?

13 Comments

Yahoo! Voices

Also on Yahoo!

Yahoo! Contributor Network