As a local radio talk show host out here says, "insurance companies are whores" and boy, can I vouch for that.
I already had homeowners insurance through another firm, but decided to shop around to see if I could get a better rate. Well, the good old boys at Pope County Farm Bureau quoted me $300/year less than my current policy, so i decided to switch. They asked for the first month's premium, which I sent them, and then cancelled my existing policy.
Now, almost a month later, I get a letter from Farm Bureau, claiming that 'due to the high number of inquiries' from credit card issuers, they were going to have to change my rate from - get this - $1219/year to $2240/YEAR! MORE THAN DOUBLE. And what really kills me, is that there ARE no inquiries from credit card companies on my credit report - only from OTHER INSURANCE COMPANIES!
Needless to say, I am now in the position of scrambling back to my first insurer in hopes that they will reinstate me without raising my rates (instead of lowering them, which they would have done if I had stayed with them 2 more years). AARRGGHH!
I have a sneaky feeling that this is just a variation of the old 'bait and switch' routine. Especially since they were more than happy to take my money and quote me a rate, and then once they had my money in their hot little hands, tell me that they are now going to charge me twice as much.
My advice to anyone considering dealing with this branch of Farm Bureau, is caveat emptor - buyer beware. Make sure you have a FINAL QUOTE before handing over any money or cancelling your existing policy.
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