Posted on March 21st, 2010 in auto insurance | Comments Off
In the good old days, people were trapped in their employment. The lyrics of the classic song, “Sixteen Tons” say it all: “Another day older and deeper in debt… I owe my soul to the company store.” The company paid, but the only place to buy food and the other necessities of life was the company store. With the prices set unaffordably high, people had to go into debt to put food on their tables. In accounting terms, they never ever paid off that debt. It’s a strange reflection on those times – that employers felt their labor would never willingly stay loyal. Today, people are more free to sell their labor and, if the job is not good for some reason, they can move on to try somewhere else. To that extent, employers have to build up a relationship with their employees. Trust and loyalty must be encouraged on both sides. It’s the same with those who sell goods and services. There are vast numbers of potential customers “out there”. How do you convert “potential” into “actual” and then keep those customers loyal? Well, Toyota seemed to have the answer to the question and then, as it slowly forgot about the need to maintain their customers’ good opinions, lost their brand image for safety and reliability. What price loyalty from Toyota customers?
Moving to the insurance industry, we find the same “for profit” attitude that has just driven Toyota into a wall. Insurers should be looking after their customers, ensuring they always have a good experience, particularly when making a claim. Instead, the insurers have this remarkable reputation for trying to weasel out of paying the full value of every claim made. It seems the words, “small print”, were invented just to let them off the hook. Why, then, has the free market not operated to drive them out of business? Ah, the wonders of capitalism do not apply to the insurance industry. We get caught in so many different ways. First off, all but three US states make it mandatory for us to have auto insurance. That forces us to look for the product. Then we run into the insurers’ exemption from the antitrust laws. Sadly, in 1944, the federal government thought it would be a good idea if the insurers did not have to compete with each other and no administration has had the political will to repeal that law. So we get prosecuted if we drive uninsured, but have to pay whatever premiums the insurance companies feel like asking. Life is just not fair. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on January 31st, 2010 in auto insurance | Comments Off
The weather conditions should not affect anything. Of course, it is clear to everybody that in winter accidents are more frequent, but you also have to remember that avoiding an accident is much more valuable than knowing how to recover from it. But in case you did end up in an accident please know what to do. Let us try to explain everything you will require to understand while finding yourself a victim on the road. Here are a few very strong advices that will definitely help you to get through a difficult time of your life.
We would want you to read these points carefully and if you have an opportunity to print the information given below please do and make sure you keep it not to far away.
First of all it is important to take a deep breath and not to panic. Analyze the situation and determine the equivalent of losses. The damage can be significant or slightly important. In any case you have to consider that it is easy to make the situation even worse than it is. In any case, what you must know is that sometimes medical assistance is what you need to think of in the first place. Smallest details count.
You have to know to report police about any accidents you find yourself in. It has to be legal so there is a way to deal with the situation. Do not try to escape from the scene or arrange anything without police knowing about it. This will get you into more trouble. Police will make a full report of everything that happen and conclude with the verdict.
Do not let anybody get you blinded. Talk only with policemen about the accident. We know sometimes it is difficult to keep it quiet about what happened but take a look at it from a different point of view. While in panic people let themselves go, not realizing what it can get themselves into. Limit all of the conversations about the accident on the road and do not confess anything. The only two people that should know all honesty are the policeman and insurance company person.
Remember to make notes. People are so shocked and nervous after the accident that they forget the most important part – to write down names, addresses, phone contacts of those who were involved in the car accident with them. But you have to ask your insurance company’s advice while you are waiting for police to arrive. The insurance company guy will definitely tell you to recollect the name of the insurance company the others are dealing with plus their car’s identification number.
You should call your insurance company or your insurance agent as soon as you found yourself in the accident. He must know it before anybody. Please inform him about the smallest details and don’t be afraid to speak the truth even if you were the one responsible for the accident. Read the rest of this entry »