#1. If your agent is unable to solve your problem, get the name and phone number of your insurance companies Claims Department. Its usually an 800 number. Call and ask if they have a Consumer Complaint Department? Most do. If so, talk to them because they may be able to help you. Dont hang up until you get the specific name of the person with whom you spoke. (Make a note of the person you talked with and hold onto that until youve finished with your dispute).
#2. Be ready to support your case by sending a covering letter (to that individual whom you spoke with) which contains all the documents you have to back up your position.
#3. All insurance companies have either an Appraisal Service or Arbitration Service to help settle differences and/or disputes. Your policy should explain these options.(If you cant find either of these ask your agent to find them for you)!
#4. If youve followed their rules for resolving your dispute, and youre still not satisfied, your own states insurance department should be able to help you.
#5. If, after hearing from your own insurance companys people (your confident that youve not been handled properly) you should call 1 800 942-4242 ( a toll-free Consumer Information Service) sponsored by the insurance industry.
Trained personnel are available to assist consumers who have complaints. THIS HELP LINE OPERATES ON EASTERN TIME, MONDAY THRU FRIDAY, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
#6. ALSO: An Independent Arbitrator, who allegedly has experience in insurance problems, can decide if what youve been told (or offered to settle your claim) is fair. You can get to them by calling THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION 1 212 484-4000 or they can be contacted (via the internet) at .
#7. MEDIATION: More often than not the Mediator does not have the authority to make a binding decision or issue an award to either party. The mediator only recommends a solution.
Mediation is a solid first step because it can negate the need for further expense on both sides. The first thing you should do is check the language in your auto insurance policy where it will spell out who will mediate (and/or arbitrate) a claim. You should submit a DEMAND FOR ARBITRATION FORM to whoever is listed in your policy. On that Demand for Arbitration Form you can specify whether you want MEDIATION or ARBITRATION.
DEMAND FOR ARBITRATION FORMS are available from your states Department Of Insurance, or you can print a copy of a Demand Form from the American Arbitration Associations web site – – which can be found (as Ive listed above in Number #6) at .
AS YOU MOVE ALONG WITH THE ABOVE YOU MUST NEVER FORGET THESE TWO FOLLOWING (A & B = Below) CRUCIAL FACTS:
A. Mediation is much less expensive than Arbitration.
B. The Mediation Decisions are only considered to be advisory. However, The Arbitration Rulings are absolutely binding!
In todays world auto insurance is a necessity for any one with a car. I believe you will agree with me when saying that having a car is an expense on its own. Not to mention the
Fuel prices these days. So what actually can be done to cut costs from your car payments?
One of the easiest, quickest, safest and cost efficient ways to save money is getting cheap auto insurance rates. Some will say that their insurance payments are relatively low. That may be true but keep in mind that over 35% of auto insurance policy holders are overpaying their insurance and dont even know about it.
The competition among insurance companies these days is huge due to a simple fact; the amount of cars in the world is constantly growing, meaning more insurance is needed. Some people insure 2 or even 3 cars through the same insurance company and arent aware that if they demand an additional discount they will easily get it and even if they dont, no worries, there are lots of other reliable companies that will give them a better rate.
There are plenty of ways of saving hundreds of dollars from your annual premium. The first step is getting a quote. Filling out a quote should be done correctly and the cheapest and fastest way to get free quotes is online. Correct comparison is the key to great rates and its needless to say you should compare quotes from at least 3 different companies (the more the better). There are organizations which provide unbiased services helping you compare 1000 of bids from different auto insurance companies with filling out just one form. These systems can come in handy and save hours of quote comparison.
Ways To Save
The following are a few tested strategies you can apply for saving $300 – $500 from your premium. The more tips you apply the more you can save, believe it or not saving couldnt be easier.
-> Raise your deductibles
-> Reduce coverage on older cars
-> Compare male and female as main drivers
-> If you havent had an accident negotiate a discount
-> Take a defensive driving course and let the insurance company know that you have
-> Install anti theft devices
-> Ask for a discount if you have more than one type of insurance from the same company
-> Check for low mileage discounts
All in all it is important to understand that there are more than enough ways to save money, all you need to do is get started and it doesnt require much effort or time. If you take a close look at what your payments are all about you will see that you could cut costs daily if you just give it a bit of time and correct calculation.