Complaint Review: geico/assurant insurance - miami Florida

I have been with Geico for auto insurance for well over 30 years and thus yesterday bought a renter's insurance policy thru Geico's online process to provide me with liability and contents coverage at an old home.  I own the home outright but cannot affordably insure it due to special Florida requirements such as the home not being insured when I bought it with cash, not yet ready for a 4 point inspection and wind mitigation report etc....  Geico assured me by phone prior to the application that a resident homeowner may buy the renters policy.

As much as I admire Geico's service to me (with only one tow claim) I still absolutely hold them fully responsible for the performance of the third party(s) that Geico has transacted with on my authorization.

Here is why.  These two following definitions of Agent and Gross Negligence, from Google should raise some hackles in Geico's management if Assurant Specialty Property/American Bankers Insurance are truly de-frauding innocent policy holders without regard to Geico's reputation and standings.

(Geicos Duties within an agency of licensed agents)

AGENT:

An agent owes the principal (you) a number of duties. These include:

a duty to undertake the task or tasks specified by the terms of the agency (that is, the agent must not do things that he has not been authorized by the principal to do);

a duty to discharge his duties with care and due diligence;

and a duty to avoid conflict of interest between the interests of the principal and his own (that is, the agent cannot engage in conduct where stands to gain a benefit for himself to the detriment of the principal).

GROSS NEGLIGENCE:

Gross negligence is a severe lack of due diligence on the part of the defendant that represents a lack of concern for the likelihood that injuries will result.  The distinction here is that the defendants conduct is exceptionally below the conduct of a reasonable person.  In a case involving gross negligence, punitive damages may be awarded in addition to general and special damages.

Personally I hope Geico is very seriously active and on top of its management of these rip off claims, especially by policy holders generated from Geico's agency outsourcings of its clients, now including me.  Else, a dangerous storm could be brewing right now first in its own offices with just those two definitions.

I am sorry to hear about your loss. I too have had a bad customer service experience with Assurant. Geico is just an agency and Assurant handles their own claims process and pays their own claims. They hire their own inspectors ans claims adjustors. Geico has nothing to do with that part of it, they just sell the policy. Maybe you can contact your state insurance office and file a complaint against Assurant if you feel they were unfair. Good luck to you.

You will get reamed out with a painful drill and then someone says you are done!

Insurance companies believe the consumer knows how to process a claim and the entire burden of proving your claim is dumped upon you.

I have had two claims with this company and both were closed by the adjuster for some reason and it don't smell very good.

If you have real damage, get an estimate from a bonded contractor. If the insurance wont match your repair/replacement costs, contact the insurance commission in your state for assistance. You may also hire an atorney to represent you for bad faith and breach of contract (misrepresentation of the terms). 

I am getting my insurance from a different company in the near future.