We went to a local Allstate agent, David Martin, and purchased insurance. My wife told the agent at the time that I was required to carry an SR-22. The agent agreed to sell us SR-22 coverage and assured us that proof of coverage would be sent to the DMV. My wife asked if she should take proof of coverage to the DMV herself, since there was a limited time frame. Three weeks later we received notice from the DMV that I was suspended for failure to supply an SR-22. I contacted the DMV and told them we had purchased coverage with 2 days to spare and they should have an SR-22 on file. The DMV said they had never received an SR-22 filing from Allstate.
When my wife went to David Martin's office, she was told the SR-22 was sent out automatically from the main office, and she was given another form, called an SR-26, with the original date, and it was sent to the DMV with that. The DMV informed my wife that not only was that the wrong form (an SR-26 ends SR-22 coverage), but it did not matter whether an SR-22 was supplied to them or not. I would still have to pay a $75 re-instatement fee even though I purchased coverage in time.
My wife contacted Allstate after the date of cancellation and asked them to pay the re-instatement fee, based on the fact that they had failed to provide the coverage they had been paid for. After a week-long investigation by an Allstate investigator, she was told that the underwriter had decided not to provide coverage for us based on my status as a high-risk driver. My wife asked the investigator whether what they had done was in fact to sell us a service and then refuse to provide it. As a result of their possibly illegal practices, I have incurred many unexpected financial problems.
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