I am writing you today to explain why after 10 years of holding four different auto and motorcycle insurance policies with your company, I have decided not to renew my coverage through you. Your customer service is poor, and your lack of support during the one and only time I was involved in an accident is pathetic. I'd hate to sit down and add up how much money I've paid out to your insurance company as it clearly did not benefit me in any way other than the one or two tows ($50 each) that I requested reimbursement for... but please, read on. I have a story to share.
A year ago, I was involved in an accident. Nothing major, but it certainly was not my fault, doing a decent amount of damage to my barely 6 month old car. Both my front tires were blown out, and there was a fair amount of denting and scuffing to the top side of my car that ran from just behind the windshield all the way to the trunk.
National Rent-A-Car was at fault for the damage, incorrectly directing me to drive through their parking lot gate (which came down on me behind the windshield) and tire spikes. While the first person I spoke to on the phone at 21st was helpful, the support and service that followed was not. It took over a day to have someone get back to me about what to do with my out-of-commission car, which at this point I had already taken the initiative to get it towed (which you did NOT reimburse me for) to someone who could at least get some tires put on the thing.
After an appraiser came by to look at the car, he said the most he could reimburse was around the $300 range. $300 to repair some denting, a few feet of paint damage, bent antenna, and blown tires on an all-wheel drive car (all 4 wheels needed to be replaced). I said to him, "Show me a mechanic that can do all that for $300." And being that I had a deductible of $500, he said there was nothing 21st Century could do. He ran back to his car and left, only telling me to call my claims manager.
But the thing about it is that it wasn't even MY fault, but National's fault. I had already started to file a claim with them, gathered all their info, which I forwarded onto the person handling my claim. I told her about the appraisal guy, and she sent me a packet to fill out which I started in on. But the very next day, I received a letter from her saying that my claim was closed without any further explanation. I called, and she simply said she couldn't follow up with National, or help me get my car repaired as the value was below $300 worth of damage. I was pissed. An absolute lack of support from your company. I thought that's what I was paying you lazy bastards for...
And so I pursued National independently, dealing with their insurance carrier... and sure enough, I got the damage appraised at $1.5K which they cut me a check for. It took a lot more effort to get through their red tape on my own than if you had helped, I'm sure. I was surprised, but only because you guys destroyed my first insurance claim experience. And to think that I paid you a hefty chunk of money over a decade for nothing! 21st Century, your company is what is wrong with America.
Go to hell,
Daniel
