Complaint Review: Mercury Insurance Company

At age 75, partially disabled, where's my income entirely from Social Security, I reluctantly left my previous insurance company (Safeco), seeking one with the most inexpensive coverage.  When I began with Mercury insurance in July, 2009, I was driving a 2003 Ford Sport Explorer which had been bought new on a seven year loan.

In October, 2009 on the first rainy day in the Los Angeles area I totaled my SUV after hydroplaning on a wet road and crashing into a freeway retaining wall.  I called Mercury who rapidly determined that the car was a total loss, and responded with what I felt was a fair settlement check for approximately $10,000.  They were cooperative in providing me with a referral to a company which searched for a replacement vehicle, and met their obligations for payoff to the lien holder and the rental car agency, as well as issuing me the balance after payoff.

At this point, readers will be wondering what possible complaint I could have with the company.  In California, insurance companies are expected to file a notice with the DMV, once a customer has purchased a policy meeting state insurance requirements.  Mercury never did this.  As a consequence, I cannot access online renewal of my vehicle registration, and I additionally recently received notice that my registration will soon be suspended, until a long process of proving Proof of Insurance is submitted and accepted. This problem never occurred in the thirty years, during which I had been I had been a Safeco customer.  For those never having had the misfortune of having to deal with the California DMV, I can only tell you that having a root canal performed is vastly preferable.

There is a second problem, as well. When recently renewing my policy, I directed my agent to remove collision coverage and reduce liability since the likelihood of another at-fault accident is very low, considering I drive less than 5,000 miles per year and that this was my first at-fault accident in nearly 60 years driving exprience. I was given a monthly rate I found acceptable, and directed him to change the upcoming policy. Upon receipt of the new policy, I found a $31.00 increase between the rate quoted to my agent, and the amount deducted from my bank account.

For those earning a regular income, and in good health, I can easily see how these complaints would indeed, seem trivial and not worth the time spent writing about them. But I can assure you, that for those in my situation, these problems make life substantially more difficult.