Just received a letter from my insurance provider

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
They are no longer providing coverage my auto insurance (if I understand the letter correctly - see photo of letter below - post #11). Very upsetting. I haven't even put a claim on my auto policy. I immediately called my agent and was told, "It must be a mistake." According to their records, I am covered. Who am I to believe?
 

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I would think that your agent could check and investigate, to confirm, one way or the other.

And hopefully the agent could find out the reason, and,
if there is a change then the agent, I hope, could tell you the reason ,
and what you have in possible options for objecting.
 
I think that your Agent is probably trust-worthy enough in this situation...
but you also need to be settled in your own mind about it all.
Still, I've had this happen, a couple of times, in the past and the Agent was right, or made it right.
 
debodun said:
They are not continuing my auto insurance.
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Do you mean they are cancelling your current coverage or do you mean they are not offering a renewal? When does your current coverage end?

Have you verified that your payments cleared (do they have an online website you can check, or if you write them a check for the premium has the check cleared)?

Could the letter have been a scam attempt (I.e., did it have a phone number or website to contact that is different from the real one)?

It would make me very nervous, I hope your agent gets back to you soon.
 
debodun said:
They are not continuing my auto insurance. Very upsetting. I haven't even put a claim on my auto policy. I immediately called my agent and was told, "It must be a mistake." According to their records, I am covered. Who am I to believe?
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If the letter said my insurance had been cancelled (as opposed to saying "they are not continuing," I wouldn't be at all satisfied with an agent who simply said, "it must be a mistake." [must be? might be? That's vague and insufficient.] Relying only on verbal confirmation of insurance coverage after receiving a cancellation letter could leave you financially liable if there's an accident. I would expect official, written proof that the cancellation notice (if that's what it really is) was a mistake and the policy is active.
 
I own 50 acres in southern Ohio. My insurance carrier, Allstate wanted to cancel my policy. I had that land and Allstate insured it for 41 years. I called and asked why was I being cancelled. OOOPS, they made a mistake. This was about 7 years ago. The land is well posted, but people are using it for target practice. I have found empty casings and unclaimed arrows on the property. If someone gets hurt or shot, I could be held liable, even though they are trespassing. Is that fair? According to the laws in Ohio it us.
 
Make the 15 mile drive to your agent’s office YESTERDAY and call ahead to make sure she is there.

The letter almost sounds like a scam, but it could also be “crossed wires”, meaning someone with a similar name should’ve been canceled and you got the letter instead.

in my state (Tennessee) it used to be that once a driver reached a certain age, I think it was 75, that our insurance automatically went up. I told my agent how stupid I thought that was because many of us older drivers are better on our worst day than some of the younger drivers on their best days.

Thankfully, the insurance commission in my state decided that a driver’s rates would not go up at age 75 unless they had an accident that was their fault.

I don’t know how old you are, but it’s possible that something similar has happened to you due to your age. At any rate run don’t walk to your insurance agent’s office 15 miles is a drop in the bucket to have to drive. Unless you’re in downtown Los Angeles🤯🤯
 
What puzzles me is that I didn't make any requests for auto insurance. I've been with them for over 15 years and it's all automatic - they deduct my premiums from a bank account and send me the proof cards to carry. I have not had ANY contact with them in over a year and that was about homeowner's when my basement flooded.
 
I’m thinking that they dropped you due to the age of the vehicle.

The vehicle has nominal value and they may feel age and possible condition could be contributing factors in an accident.

Call the company from a trusted number on your policy and talk to them or talk to the agent and if the agent is also an insurance broker they may be able to find a new and different company that will provide coverage.

Good luck.
 
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Aunt Bea said:
I’m thinking that they dropped you due to the age of the vehicle.

The vehicle has nominal value and they may feel age and possible condition could be contributing factors in an accident.

Call the company from a trusted number on your policy and talk to them or talk to the agent and if the agent is also an insurance broker they may be able to find a new and different company that will provide coverage.

Good luck.
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Exactly what I was thinking, the age of the vehicle being a factor.
 
Did you check your consumer report info.? That was listed as the reason & played a role in their decision. A non antiques 23 year old vehicle has little value maybe you want collision coverage that exceeds the tiny value of your 23 year old car.

No matter what the reason rather than question here why not come here with the answer to what you should have asked your agent.

Something like this.

I received a letter from my auto insurance carrier that I had to investigate. This is the letter Post 11. My agent clarified what the letter meant. My agent said yada yada yada.
 
Looks like Knight already gave you an answer, but I had been working on a reply, so I'm posting it anyway.

In the letter, under this section: "The Reason for Our Decision,"it states, "Like many other insurance companies, when we considered your eligibility for coverage, we reviewed consumer report information."

That usually refers to adverse information obtained from the Credit Bureau, such as a change in credit score, but there could be other reasons we don't know about, since the letter isn't specific.

Insurance companies must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. When a credit report (consumer report) leads to an adverse action such as denying coverage, you have the right to a notice explaining the decision. That letter does not meet the requirements.

You said your last coverage ended Sept. 15th, so this notice apparently applies to your renewal that occurred on or about the same date. They should have made their determination prior to renewal instead of processing your payment and waiting to notify you of their decision later. If their decision is final, and you have no coverage, you are due a refund, and will need to find other options - probably another insuror.

I was once refused a renewal by an insurance company years ago, but was notified in advance, not after the fact.
 
Whatever the situation, I wouldn’t continue driving until I was sure that appropriate coverage is still in effect.

In New York State an insurance card with a future expiration date isn’t really any protection if the coverage is suspended or cancelled by the insurance company prior to the expiration date on the card.
 
debodun said:
My last term coverage ended on September 15, but I received my cards for the new term. They withdrew $1440 from my bank account on August 8th, so they were paid. Here's the letter (with sensitive info scratched out):
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To me, the letter's wording sounds like it would be about an initial insurance coverage request. Since yours was a renewal, and the renewal apparently went through okay, and it is beyond the effective date of the policy renewal, then I'd expect any real letter would need to be a 'cancellation' letter. Did the letter show your correct policy number?

This is what chatgpt says about cancellation letters:

✅ Key Features of a Legitimate NY Car Insurance Cancellation Letter​


  1. Company Information
    • The insurer’s full legal name, address, and contact information (phone/email).
    • Usually on official company letterhead or in a branded format.
  2. Policyholder Information
    • The insured person’s name and address.
    • Policy number clearly listed.
  3. Reason for Cancellation
    • NY law requires insurers to state the reason. Common reasons:
      • Nonpayment of premium (minimum 15 days’ notice)
      • Any other reason allowed under NY Insurance Law (minimum 20 days’ notice)
  4. Effective Date of Cancellation
    • Exact date and time coverage will end.
    • Must comply with required notice period.
  5. Legal Language
    • Wording such as:
      • “Pursuant to Section 3426 of the New York Insurance Law…”
      • A statement that you have a right to obtain insurance through the New York Automobile Insurance Plan (NYAIP) if you cannot find coverage elsewhere.
  6. Premium / Refund Info
    • If you prepaid, the letter usually states whether you’ll get a refund.
  7. How to Reinstate or Appeal
    • Instructions for paying overdue premiums (if cancellation is for nonpayment).
    • A customer service or billing department phone number to resolve the issue.


🚩 Red Flags of a Scam​


  • Poor grammar, generic formatting, or missing insurer details.
  • No policy number or incorrect personal details.
  • Pressure tactics (e.g., “Pay immediately via gift card or wire transfer”).
  • Requests for payment to strange accounts or third parties.
  • No reference to New York Insurance Law or NYAIP.
 
With the price that you paid being as high as it is;
I would wonder if you'd asked for or would expect, a higher value on your car overall, than your car is presently worth. And perhaps no deductible.

I can't insure a piece of furniture that is presently worth $150.
for $2,000, and then, expect a lot of money if a claim is put in.
Even if I paid a lot for the coverage, it can't be for over the book value of the item, now.
 
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Kaila said:
With the price that you paid being as high as it is;
I would wonder if you'd asked for or would expect, a higher value on your car overall, than your car is presently worth. And perhaps no deductible.

I can't insure a piece of furniture that is presently worth $150.
for $2,000, and then, expect a lot of money if a claim is put in.
Even if I paid a lot for the coverage, it can't be for over the book value of the item, now.
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I was thinking exactly this. Deb you're paying annually for cover... more than your car is worth...if anything happened to it, you'd get the blue book price for it at best..... and that's even if someone else writes it off who is fully covered...

I'm stunned at how much you're paying for Motor Insurance cover..

I haev many years NCD... no points on my licence... and I have a relatively new car... 3 years old.. and I'm paying just ÂŁ450 per year fully comprehensive and that's also with windscreen and key cover.. ...and we're talking London region here the most expensive part of the UK
 

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